Monday’s edition of A&E’s “Bates Motel” was the series’ least-watched episode on record.
The episode, which was the fourth of the current third season, posted a 0.73 adults 18-49 rating with 1.71 million viewers. The latter mark, which trails the 1.85 million total garnered by the March 17, 2014 episode, represents a new bottom for “Bates.”
That episode was the only Season 1 or Season 2 episode to attract fewer than 2 million viewers. Viewership for three of the four Season 3 episodes has fallen short of two million.
Despite the weakened lead-in, new series “The Returned” enjoyed a week-over-week uptick. While the numbers were still unremarkable, the episode’s 0.44 adults 18-49 rating and 1.12 million viewership average top the 0.36 rating and 1.05 million marks posted by last week’s broadcast.