Sadly for NBC, interest in the revamped, post-Steve Carell “The Office” was not a television event in the vein of the first Charlie Sheen-less “Two and a Half Men.”
Still, if the overnight metered market ratings are any indication, “The Office” remains a reliable performer for NBC. TV Media Insights says the show posted a 5.4 household number, which forecasts an adults 18-49/total viewership performance in the higher-end of its recent ballpark (the only disappointment being that there was no newsworthy spike for James Spader’s debut as a regular or the news that Ed Helms’ Andy Bernard is the new regional manager).
(Update: “The Office” posted a decent 3.9 adults 18-49 rating–a figure that is above what it was averaging in the latter portion of last season but down from last season’s premiere)
“The Office” also helped “Whitney” get a solid start for a NBC comedy–it opened to a 5.0 rating, retaining the near-entirety of its lead-in. Whitney Cummings fans should not get too excited yet, however, as several recent comedies (“Community,” “Outsourced”) launched well enough behind “The Office” before slowing as the season went on.
(Update: “Whitney” posted a solid 3.2 in adults 18-49)