Update: Leading out of a deflated edition of “The Voice,” which drew a series low (for an original) 2.0 adults 18-49 rating to go along with its below average 8.99 million viewership average, Tuesday’s live “Undateable” failed to dazzle in the ratings.
Airing from 9-10PM, the special episode drew a 1.3 adults 18-49 rating with 4.21 million viewers.
While it bested last week’s half-hour episode in adults 18-49 (1.2), it actually trailed that installment in total viewership (4.53 million).
Given the hype for the episode and the theoretical appeal of the live gimmick, the fact that its performance was unremarkable by the typical season two standard warrants a sense of disappointment.
“Chicago Fire” closed NBC’s night with a 1.6 and 6.76 million viewers.
While the 9-9:30PM ET portion of NBC’s live “Undateable” outdrew last week’s episode in adults 18-49, it did not deliver particularly impressive ratings.
Tuesday’s “Undateable,” which occupied the entire 9-10PM hour, averaged a 1.3 adults 18-49 rating with 4.28 million total viewers. The 9-9:30PM portion drew a 1.4 with 4.77 million viewers, while the 9:30-10PM half hour settled for a 1.2 with 3.79 million.
A degree of the progressive viewership bleed can be attributed to the fact that lingering “The Voice” viewers inflated the first half hour numbers but departed by the time the second half hour aired. Of course, if that excuse is legitimate, it would also imply that every 9-9:30PM “Undateable” is inflated by its “The Voice” lead-in and thus not as popular as the already-modest ratings suggest.
Up from the 1.2/4.53 million drawn by last week’s 9-9:30PM episode and the 1.0/3.81 million averaged by NBC in last week’s entire 9-10PM hour (“Undateable” and “One Big Happy”), this week’s performance was not spectacular. It does not suggest that viewers saw the live episode as a special attraction.
To the show’s credit, this week’s episode received reduced lead-in support from “The Voice.” Per fast national data, Tuesday’s “Voice” results show drew a 1.9 rating with 8.75 million viewers. The rating was the lowest ever drawn by an original edition of “The Voice.”
Last week’s episode posted a 2.2 with 9.49 million.
NBC closed its evening with “Chicago Fire” (1.6, 6.74 million).