Ratings are presently of little consequence for FOX’s “Glee,” which is now in its sixth and final season. Whether the final string of episodes manages to lure viewers back or keep turning them away, the final “Glee” season will air in its abbreviated entirety. And no future “Glee” episodes will be produced once they do.
And insofar as FOX relegated the show to a shortened midseason run on Fridays, it certainly is not approaching the show’s performance with significant standards or expectations.
But in evaluating a show that started decently, grew into a phenomenon and then slipped into a ratings coma, ratings are always going to be part of the equation. Knowing how the show is performing matters to those who know about the show.
Friday’s opener did not perform well, but it did present one positive element.
Improving upon the dreadfully rated season five finale (0.6 adults 18-49 rating, 1.87 million viewers on May 13, 2014), the 8PM “Loser Like Me” episode drew a 0.8 adults 18-49 rating with 2.44 million viewers Friday. Follow-up “Homecoming,” which consumed FOX’s airwaves at 9PM, scored a reduced 0.7 rating with 2.26 million viewers.
“Loser Like Me,” the better performing of the two episodes, drew a 0.7 in adults 18-34 and a 0.9 in adults 25-54. “Homecoming” scored a 0.6 in adults 18-34 and a 0.8 in adults 25-54.
Collectively, the two episodes–obviously–produced the series’ weakest season premiere performance to date. “Loser Like Me” now ties as the fifth-least-watched episode on record; “Homecoming” bested only the final two episodes of season five in viewers.
