FX doubtfully anticipated new comedy series “Married” and “You’re the Worst” to debut as live ratings blockbusters Thursday night. It would have been wrong if it had.
It might have anticipated they would prove compatible in the 10-11PM timeslot. It definitely would have been wrong if it did.
While neither emerged as an instant ratings force, one performed considerably better than the other. “Married,” which opened the hour at 10PM, drew a 0.6 adults 18-49 rating with 1.12 million viewers.
Unable to retain an impressive portion of the audience, “You’re the Worst” followed with a 0.4 rating and just 765,000 viewers at 10:36PM.
“Married” was clearly positioned as the more marquee, flagship option, but a 33% drop is still very large for an on brand, seemingly compatible timeslot companion.
Although both premieres had their fans, neither received particularly strong reviews out of the gate. “You’re the Worst,” however, received slightly stronger marks.
It will be interesting to see if fan reception, which would impact ratings retention for upcoming broadcasts, aligns with the critical reaction.