While Gwyneth Paltrow’s guest appearance on last week’s “Glee” failed to match the ratings mark set by her first performance, it remains possible that she was still keeping the viewership from reaching a low.
Tuesday’s “Original Songs” episode, featuring the annual “regionals” competition, posted a 4.1 adults 18-49 rating with 10.80 million viewers. Just barely above the season low mark, which was set during the Thanksgiving holiday week on November 23, the soft number came against re-run competition on every network but NBC (which offered “The Biggest Loser” at only a 2.4 rating).
By no means should “Glee” be perceived as anything less than a hit series, but this decline against minimal competition is a clear sign that the buzz is cooling. Even the most cynical analysts felt that “Glee” would remain a draw for special guest appearances and pivotal competition episodes.
It is conceivable that the introduction of Daylight Savings Time adversely impacted the number, but the impact should not have been so significant.
FOX’s lead-outs “Raising Hope” and “Traffic Light” were in their usual territory with a 2.5 and 6.30 million and a 1.6 with 3.95 million, respectively.