Update 2: Despite receiving slightly weaker lead-in support, the second episode of ABC’s “Forever” actually outdrew the premiere episode in adults 18-49.
The second airing scored a 1.8 adults 18-49 rating, which represented a one-tenth gain over the premiere episode’s mark. As far as that demo goes, “Forever” defeated CBS’ “Person of Interest” (1.6) but trailed NBC’s “Chicago Fire.”
Despite the uptick in adults 18-49, “Forever” did decline from a viewership standpoint. Trading away nearly 2 million viewers from its premiere (owed to the fact that it led out of young-skewing “Agents of SHIELD” rather than total viewership powerhouse “Dancing with the Stars”), Tuesday’s episode drew 6.85 million.
========
Update: When it comes to night two of ABC’s “Forever,” the 19% overnight household ratings drop did not manifest in the adults 18-49 demographic.
Despite receiving weaker lead-in support than Monday’s episode, the Tuesday edition of “Forever” matched the premiere’s 1.7 adults 18-49 rating.
Signposted by the household ratings decline, viewership did, however, fall notably. Tuesday’s episode drew 6.50 million viewers.
Monday’s broadcast attracted 8.6 million.
===========
After getting off to an unremarkable–but not necessarily terrible–start Monday, ABC’s new drama “Forever” endured a ratings decline Tuesday.
Responsible for a 4.2 overnight household rating, the second “Forever” episode trailed its predecessor by 19%. Discouraging–especially since “Forever” is not skewing in particular favor of the adults 18-49 demographic–the deflated number nonetheless makes sense in context.
As the follow-up to a premiere episode, Tuesday’s broadcast was already subject to the inevitable ratings decline that affects most second episodes. Combined with a significant reduction in lead-in support (a 3.8 from Tuesday’s “Agents of SHIELD” rather than a 7.9 from Monday’s “Dancing with the Stars”), that reality all but assured “Forever” was going to slip Tuesday.
Of course, insofar as “Forever” will regularly air in this timeslot (rather than out of “DWTS” on Mondays), it will ultimately need to figure out how to perform without a mammoth lead-in.
Adults 18-49 and total viewership numbers will be available shortly.