Three of the more anticipated new network dramas premiered Monday, and based on early overnight ratings data, only two of them look to be in good shape.
NBC’s “The Event” premiered to a 7.5/11 overnight metered market household rating and actually grew in viewership over the hour. Although an adults 18-49 demo rating will not be available until around noon on Tuesday, given the show’s likelihood of a rapport with young adults and the sheer magnitude of that viewership, it seems a foregone conclusion that “The Event”‘s premiere number will be deemed a success.
Of course, as a serialized drama that requires an audience commitment, it will be several weeks before a true assessment can be rendered. All that is clear is that NBC’s wave of publicity seemed to work in building up a premiere.
CBS’ “Hawaii 5-0,” viewed as the closest to a sure thing of any new show this year, kicked off with a bang. With a 9.8/15 in the overnights, “5-0” rated higher than everything but ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” (a 15.1/22 due to the buzzworthy cast).
As for bad news, FOX’s “Lonestar,” which Headline Planet called the best new drama but admitted would possibly struggle to find an audience on a major broadcast network, looks to have bombed. The overnight figure came in at a 2.8/5, down sizably from its “House” lead-in (7.4/11, a decline of more than 10% from last year). If curiosity buzz and rave reviews only kicked “Lonestar” up to that level, the show is in serious danger going forward.
— On the comedy front, CBS’ new “Mike & Molly” premiered to a 7.9/12 out of “Two and a Half Men”‘s 9.5/14 lead-in. That performance is perfectly solid, although filling in for previous timeslot occupant “The Big Bang Theory” actually requires building on “Two and a Half Men”‘s adults 18-49 number. Whether or not it came close to achieving that feat will not be clear until the fast nationals are released.