The flagship comedies at CBS and NBC both tumbled Thursday, with “The Big Bang Theory” delivering a particularly-disappointing number for the Eye.
“Big Bang” continued its season low streak, dropping to a mere 3.1 adults 18-49 rating with 10.26 million viewers. Some critics have embraced the female cast additions, but it is clear the overall audience is not as impressed with the storylines resulting from adding three females to the mix.
Lead-out “Rules of Engagement” also dropped, posting a 2.2 with 7.70 million viewers. While each “Rules” telecast seems to make “$#*! My Dad Says” look more and more desirable, it is worth noting that interest in CBS comedies is way down across-the-board right now, with “Big Bang” provided much less lead-in support for “Rules.”
Over on NBC, the first post-Steve Carell episode of “The Office” was down to a 3.5. Will Ferrell has not provided any indication that his presence is a major ratings draw, but he still represented an added element of intrigue to help lessen the blow from Carell’s departure. Next week’s episode will provide a better test of how “The Office” will hold up without its star in the mix.