Primetime Ratings: CW’s ‘Legends of Tomorrow’ Comes Out Strong

DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, The CW’s time-traveling superhero ensemble drama, debuted with a pop, posting a 1.2 in adults 18-49, according to Nielsen’s overnights. The network called it its highest rating in the time period in two years.

Legends comes from Greg Berlanti, among other exec producers. The cast includes Victor Garber and Wentworth Miller.

The return of The 100 on CW posted a 0.7. The net had held back that premiere until viewers could binge season two on Netflix.

Fox won the night easily on the back of American Idol, putting up a 2.4 with an 8 share, per the overnights. CBS was second at 1.6/6, then NBC at 1.3/4, CW at 1.0/3 and ABC at 0.8/3.

Idol was up 9% from last Thursday.

CBS aired a repeat of The Big Bang Theory, before Life in Pieces did a 2.0, flat with last week. Mom too was flat at 1.7 and Angel From Hell did a 1.4, up 8%, before drama Elementary stayed level at 1.1.

On NBC, Heroes Reborn (1.0) and The Blacklist (1.5) were flat, and Shades of Blue grew 8% to 1.4.

On ABC, Beyond the Tank posted a flat 1.0 and My Diet is Better Than Yours a 0.7, up 17%.  

CW’s strategy behind The 100 may have worked; it was up 75% from last year’s finale.

Michael Malone

Michael Malone, senior content producer at B+C/Multichannel News, covers network programming, including entertainment, news and sports on broadcast, cable and streaming; and local broadcast television. He hosts the podcasts Busted Pilot, about what’s new in television, and Series Business, a chat with the creator of a new program, and writes the column “The Watchman.” He joined B+C in 2005. His journalism has also appeared in The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Playboy and New York magazine.