Even with heftier competition from ABC and CBS, NBC’s new series “Revolution” avoided a complete flame-out in its second week on the air.
But if there was any hope the series would avoid the usual drop-off for new dramas, that hope was unfortunately crushed in the morning ratings report.
According to TV Media Insights, “Revolution” dipped by about 20% from its premiere to a 6.3 overnight metered market rating.
Update: “Revolution” dropped to a 3.5 adults 18-49 rating with 9.3 million viewers. This is a better hold than was originally forecast by the overnight numbers, although it will still be interesting to see how the show retains viewership over the next few weeks.
Because the show got off to such a strong start, it is likely that even with the decline, “Revolution” remained very successful in adults 18-49. It very likely could have won its 10PM timeslot even against original episodes of ABC’s “Castle” and CBS’ “Hawaii 5-0.”
Painiting a less rosy picture is the fact that 2010’s “The Event” declined by a similar amount for its second episode; unable to stop the bleeding in subsequent weeks, the show was quickly in dangerous ratings territory and ultimately cancelled. The 20% decline, therefore, should not be seen as proof that 80% will stick with the show for the long haul.
“Revolution” still has a good deal of breathing room, and its “The Voice” lead-in will likely assure a complete fizzle never occurs, but the hope is certainly that it can establish a firm, regular audience within the next few airings.