CBS racked up some pretty big Nielsen numbers as the fall television season premiered some of this seasons most touted shows on Sunday and Monday, but several newcomers are also poised to rise in the rankings if DVR and time-shifting trends hold.
On a highly competitive Monday featuring a healthy mix of returning hits and buzzy newcomers, CBS’s powerhouse sitcom The Big Bang Theory didn’t disappoint the bosses, delivering more than 18 million viewers, easily winning the night and averaging 5.4 million viewers in the key adults 18-49 demographic.
That almost tied CBS’ winner from the night before, 60 Minutes, which produced its best season premiere since 1997 with 18.2 million viewers.
Madame Secretary also turned a strong Nielsen performance on Sunday, capturing 14.7 million viewers and claiming the crown of the most-watched freshman series so far.
CBS’ Monday night thriller Scorpion also debuted well, capturing 13.8 million total viewers, Monday’s best freshman showing.
NBC’s one-two punch of returning favorites The Voice and The Blacklist landed well, with the shows luring 12.9 and 12.5 million viewers, respectively. The Blacklist led the pack for time-shifted viewing last season, so the series will surely rise in the rankings once live+3 and live+7 numbers are in.
The Good Wife, another DVR favorite, will probably see it’s 9.95 million viewers on Sunday tick upwards with the later additions.
Gotham, one of the most highly anticipated shows of the new season, got off to a decent start on Monday with 8.2 million viewers, a number which Fox is anticipating will rise by 59 percent once DVR viewing is factored in.
Read More: The Hollywood Reporter
Brief Take: Given the time-shifting habits of today’s viewers, initial places in the ratings pecking order should be taken with a grain of salt in many cases. But the numbers indicate that the broadcast networks have at least a few possible winners on their hands fresh out of the gate.
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