Midseason Ratings Report: What Are NBC’s Best & Worst Shows?
Now that they have completed their run of fresh episodes for the fall, let’s see how each network’s shows are stacking up thus far for the 2017-18 TV season, this time turning our attention to NBC.
Listed below is the average Live+Same Day demo RATING for each NBC series. Beside that is the percent CHANGE versus each program’s previous full-season average (or its time slot predecessor’s performance, if noted to the right). The NOTES section also reminds of any time slot changes to keep in mind when eyeballing up/down movements. Each program’s RANK refers to perhaps the most critical measure — how it is faring compared to other shows on NBC, since come springtime heads must roll to make room for shiny-and-newish pilots.
THE TVLINE BOTTOM LINE: Boasting TV’s highest-rated program, both the top drama and reality show, as well as the No. 3 comedy, it was no surprise that NBC dominated the first 12 weeks of the season. This Is Us thus far is up from its average as a freshman hit, while Will & Grace has revived Thursdays, bringing more eyeballs to the unsung Great News and setting Chicago Fire up for an easy 10 o’clock demo win. On the down side, you have a trio of non-Dick Wolf dramas. The Brave, perhaps crippled by time slot rival/breakout hit The Good Doctor, hasn’t been the apres-Voice hero NBC hoped it to be, while The Blacklist and Blindspot with their latest relocations have gone uncomfortably fractional.
Which ranking or percent change most surprises you?
The only shows that I watch are Superstore and Will & Grace which are both in good spots!
So you only like comedies.
Superstore is great, glad it’s doing well. Great News has become a chore to watch… it’s lost it’s charm this season and they seem to be burning off episodes.
I agree. There were a few good episodes in season one but it’s gotten worse and worse. Some of the characters are just total drags to watch. They cast some people with very little charm who can barely read their lines properly… :-/
The Good Place and Superstore are doing great! That’s all that matters for NBC for me.
I’m TOTALLY bummed about The Brave and Good News. :(
Good News maybe tied for 9th BUT it’s up 33% from last year which is, you know, good news :)
What is interesting to me is that everything except for comedy and 2 dramas all ratings are down. In this day and age this is truly telling!
Steady is the new up, slightly down is the new steady. #PeakTV #500ScriptedShows
Got any numbers from google for YouTubeTV ratings? My box won’t track it. All numbers will continue to drop as more voip tv providers enter the game.
1) What is a “YouTubeTV”?
2) No one is arguing that numbers have steadily dropped in recent years. That is why we no longer compare season premieres to season premieres. It got silly. These charts are simply indicating each network’s strongest shows versus their weakest, because in the end it is always about what will be renewed/cancelled.
You run a tv website… go ahead and look it up with slingtv and directvnow. Time to hire some millennials at the office.
YouTubeTVZ is another ‘cord cutter’ TV alternative similar to Sling, Hulu Live TV and DirectTV Now. Content, including live content and On Demand content, are provided through the provider’s streaming portal. I’m not sure how, or if, any form of ratings are accounted for with these providers.
I very much doubt the show bosses are interested in online ratings since they don’t translate into immediate advertising revenue, but it will depend on what sort of deal Google and co have to stream things. The CW at least pays attention to Netflix and international sales for its first run shows but those deals involve flat sales fees and its unlikely there is any rating data given back.
I think I can answer your question. The shows I watch with my DirecTv Now account are tracked by Nielsen in the ratings at the same time as cable and over the air viewership is counted. As far as I know, the same goes for YouTube Tv, Sling or any other of the internet TV services.As long as the service is showing the commercials with the programming, Nielsen will track it So it wouldn’t make any difference in overall numbers.
The only thing I hate, is that now that Will & Grace revival was a success, NBC wants to revive everything (the office, mad about you and I feel like I’m missing something else) Just because on revival was a success, doesn’t mean they all will be. That’s my only thought.
I can guarantee one show that will never get revived by NBC – The Cosby Show.
Never say never. A Bill Cosby-less Cosby show is not inconceivable. Theo moves his family back into his childhood home with his mom after his father Cliff dies unexpectedly…I’m just saying.
Clair Huxtable is everything. I would probably watch that show…
I’d watch it, but I don’t think it will ever happen. Given that the cast likely has differing perspectives since the scandal, I suspect it would be too hard to get them on the same page creatively. And then you have the press that would overshadow the worth of the new show with nostalgia stories and rumors about the cast.
Just remember folks…The Cosby Show and Bill Cosby reshaped prime time tv on that it brought mainstream educated African American families to the forefront and made it possible for other shows like Different World, Fresh Prince and others to do well. The early 90s saw such an appreciation for Black and young viewers that a new network, then the WB, became known as the Black network and lots of folks, including white folks, became rich as a result. Also, white folks created the exploitation and harassment culture in entertainment and a little investigative reprorting would likely reveal sex scandals or crimes in the lives of a majority of the so called moguls who ran Hollywood in the 1900s. White music groups or actors get the young or vulnerable drunk or high, exploit them and call the victims groupies.
Yes…getting back to the point, it would be nice to at least an update tv movie.
Sorry man, “Groupies” were not got drunk or high in that timeperiod, they´ve wanted to get it.
Just read the book “I’m with the Band: Confessions of a Groupie”
Yes the Exploits happened and Machoidiot Artists are just dumb and stupid.
God i hope they don’t revive the Office. I love that show and it ended well. Also frankly, they tried the show without Steve Carell and guess what..? It didn’t work. So they really shouldn’t try again. Besides, it’s only been 4 years since the finale.
I’m glad Superstore is doing good love the show and the cast
As far as Great News I’m not into this season like I was last Carol is getting to be annoying to watch
BEST: This Is Us (best show on TV right now). WORST: Law & Order: True Crime (if nobody cares).
This Is Us is decent but nowhere close to being the best show on TV right now.
There are a few references to season five of Chicago Med, while its airing its third one this season. Time traveling huh, Matt? 😜 Happy with the succes of TIU. Still don’t know why The Good Place isn’t getting the numbers it deserves. Still enjoying the Chicago shows too. Thanks for the article!
Yeah, the #OneChicago shows are far from my strong suit. All fixed with the speed of 1,000 caffeinated millennials!
The Good Place needs more viewers. It’s amazing.
So happy for Superstore! That show needs more love.
This is Us lost me this season. Clearly i’m the only one lol.
Hate to tell NBC but Monday at 10pm, after “The Voice” is not going to be a ratings winner for a drama like “The Brave”. Two totally different audiences. Most of us who watch “The Brave” love it and never watch “The Voice”. They have to be willing to take a lower demo and rely on a smaller but strong fanbase that may just watch by other methods (DVR, online, …) or they may just loose a lot of fans.
I don’t watch the Voice but like the Brave and can’t wait for Timeless. You’re right, different audiences but I hope we get to keep both shows. Still haven’t forgiven CBS for throwing away Limitless for the more serious SWAT and SEAL shows. IMO, the Brave is a better show in this genre.
I do NOT watch The Voice but faithfully watch The Brave. I hope it is renewed. The cast and storylines have become stronger as the season progressed.
This is us has been powerful this season but I wish the would throw some happy light hearted episodes in between the angst driven ones.
I so agree about the Brave…love this show and the actors as well. I think it’s better than Seal Team which I gave a 2 show watch along with SWAT.
Agree with Susan. I don’t watch The Voice but I really like The Brave. It deserves a better lead in than The Voice. I truly hope that NBC will give it a chance.
I never miss “The Brave,” but do not watch it at its time slot. These ratings fail to reflect all the recorded programs that viewers watch. When I have 2 favorites opposite each other, I always record one for later. So this method of ratings is out of date.
I love The Brave! It is my favorite new show this season! On Twitter the fandom for this show is amazing.
All I want is midnight Texas yo come back! And I’m not happy about the brave
Love love love The Brave. 100% agree timeslot sucks. And its not set in Chicago. Maybe they could do some sort of rescue at Wrigley field with the boys from the firehouse in a crossover. It might boost the ratings. :( pretty sad lol
This Is Us is such a bore – clearly I would not get along with those that watch it as they would bore me like the show. I watch zero shows on NBC, CBS, ABC, or FOX so I really do not care about any of them. I wasted too much time on some with no payoff that I gave up.
I’m sure all of those shows miss your devotion. You seem to be such fun.
Honestly I’m still bitter about Emerald City being cancelled. Such a wonderful show! The only thing I watch live is This Is Us, and sometimes I watch reruns of SVU on other channels.
The only thing I watch on NBC is the 6:P.M. news.
THE BRAVE is my favorite new show this season. Monday 10pm sucks but it really is a good show!!
I’m really enjoying The Brave so I hope that it doesn’t get cancelled. Maybe try it in a different timeslot or day?
I love Blacklist, the Brave and Chicago Med the others I could care less about.
Why do so many people get that phrase wrong? It’s “couldn’t care less”. Think about it. If you COULD care less about something, that means that you DO care to some degree.
I love Chicago med, Chicago fire and Chicago pd, This is us and will& grace
We watch all the B shows. The Brave, Blindspot and The Blacklist. I think The Brave is our only new show, very good. And we never miss This is Us.
I am so sad that Taken may be cancelled. It didn’t get much press for s2. I watch alot of shows on nbc ,but if my favorite show is gone I will not watch anything on nbc . It will probably kill me , but without Clive Standen on my tv nothing will fill the void !!