Preliminary Ratings: Thursday 02/12/15

I think it is safe to say that the NEW NBC Thursday night is a complete bust. The series premiere of the new drama, THE SLAP, tanked with just 5.5 million viewers and a 1.1 rating in the A18-49 demographic ratings. That is below the season average of THE BIGGEST LOSER, and the numbers will only get worse in the coming weeks.

At 9 p.m., THE BLACKLIST posted a series low of 8 million viewers and a 1.7 demo rating. It ranked only third in the hour, a decent amount behind the CBS comedies, at #2. This is supposed to be the anchor of the night, supporting the other dramas. Its time for NBC to switch THE BLACKLIST back to Monday nights, before it kills the one scripted hit it has.

Closing out the night, for NBC, was week two of ALLEGIANCE. The numbers went from bad to worse, falling 1.4 million viewers and down 36% in the demo. It was the lowest rated program of the night, from the Big 4 networks.

ABC took the night with its three dramas. remaining mostly flat from last week's ratings. SCANDAL was the #1 show of the night, in the A18-49 demographic and won its time slot in total viewers.

FOX had some good news for BACKSTROM, as the crime drama rose 30% in the demo and gained 800,000 viewers, over last week. The numbers still are not good, but they are moving in the right direction.

CBS was the most watched network, despite two repeat episodes of THE BIG BANG THEORY. I was a little confused to see an encore at 8 p.m., but the network may be saving new episodes to run along with THE ODD COUPLE, after it premieres next week. The lack of support form the hit comedy did see the remaining three series drop, week-to-week.

Preliminary L+SD Network Averages:

ABC - 8.5 million viewers, 2.7 rating in A18-49

CBS - 8.9 million viewers, 1.8 rating in A18-49

CW - 1.3 million viewers, 0.6 rating in A18-49

FOX - 7.0 million viewers, 1.8 rating in A18-49

NBC - 6.2 million viewers, 1.2 rating in A18-49

Time	Net	Program	Viewers*	A18-49	+/-
8:00	ABC	Grey's Anatomy	7.70	2.3
9:00	ABC	Scandal	9.30	3.1	21%
10:00	ABC	How To Get Away With Murder	8.40	2.7	-10%
8:00	CBS	The Big Bang Theory [R]	11.20	2.1
8:30	CBS	Mom	10.10	2.1	-10%
9:00	CBS	Two And A Half Men	9.20	2.1	-9%
9:30	CBS	The Big Bang Theory [R]	7.70	1.7	-16%
10:00	CBS	Elementary	7.70	1.4	0%
8:00	CW	The Vampire Diaries	1.50	0.7
9:00	CW	Reign	1.10	0.4	-27%
8:00	FOX	American Idol	9.50	2.3
9:00	FOX	Backstrom	4.40	1.3	-54%
8:00	NBC	The Slap	5.50	1.1
9:00	NBC	The Blacklist	8.00	1.7	45%
10:00	NBC	Allegiance (SP)	3.60	0.7	-55%

* - in millions