Last week’s disappointing “Battle Creek” premiere performance did not, unfortunately, represent a bottom for the series.
Episode two, which aired Sunday, slipped in adults 18-49 and total viewership.
After premiering with a 1.0 adults 18-49 rating and 7.92 million viewers last week, CBS’ new drama managed a mere 0.8 with 7.00 million viewers this week. It was again CBS’ worst Sunday night performer.
And that is saying something. CBS’ Sunday lineup continues to perform poorly in adults 18-49:
“60 Minutes” drew a 1.0 adults 18-49 rating (with 10.30 million viewers)
“Madam Secretary” drew a 1.1 adults 18-49 rating (with 10.81 million viewers)
“The Good Wife” drew a 1.0 adults 18-49 rating (9.06 million viewers)
While that bleak ratings portrait makes the fourth place intranetwork finish particularly troubling, it also helps to explain the performance. “Battle Creek” is not receiving a meaningful lead-in boost.
That does not excuse the performance, however. Even without ample lead-in support, a new series should be able to draw better than a 0.8 rating in its second week.
