Primetime Ratings: ‘Empire’ Down But Still on Top

Election coverage mostly in the rearview, entertainment programming had its viewers back, and Fox was the winner on Wednesday with a 2.3 rating in adults 18-49, with an 8 share. Based on Nielsen’s fast nationals, ABC was runner-up at 1.7/7, CBS at 1.4/5, NBC at 1.2/4 and The CW at 0.5/2.

Fox’s Lethal Weapon scored a 1.8, up 6%, and Empire lost 15% to 2.9.

The previous Wednesday featured game seven of the World Series on Fox.

ABC’s The Goldbergs grew 18% to 2.0 and Speechless went up 6% to 1.7. Modern Family ticked up 5% to 2.3, while Black-ish (1.6) and Designated Survivor (1.2) both lost a tenth of a point.

CBS’ Survivor grew 19% to a 1.9. Criminal Minds lost 19% at 1.3 while Code Black grew 29% to a 0.9.

On NBC, Blindspot did a flat 1.1 and Law & Order: SVU was down 7% at 1.3, before Chicago P.D. scored a flat 1.3.

CW’s Arrow stretched 17% to 0.7 and Frequency was a flat 0.3.

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.