While it markedly outperformed FOX’s usual Thursday combination of “Rosewood” and “Pitch,” FOX’s “The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Let’s Do The Time Warp Again” was a disappointing performer by TV musical standards.
According to fast national data posted by Showbuzz, Thursday’s broadcast drew a 1.7 adults 18-49 rating and 4.95 million total viewers.
“Rocky Horror” was not a live broadcast, but a comparison to other musical events still seems valid. And it is not very flattering.
Earlier this year, FOX’s “Grease Live” drew a 4.3 adults 18-49 rating and 12.21 million total viewers.
The numbers also sharply trail those of NBC’s “The Sound Of Music Live,” “Peter Pan Live,” and “The Wiz Live.”
Based on the preliminary data, FOX’s “Rocky Horror” broadcast lost viewers in its second hour. After drawing a 1.8 and 5.34 million viewers in the 8PM Hour, it fell to 1.6 and 4.56 million for the 9-10PM portion.
Despite the valuable criticism, the performance is still a huge Thursday night upgrade for FOX. Last week’s block did not even crack a 1.0 in the demo.
“Rocky Horror” was also Thursday’s #2 non-sports program (below only “Grey’s Anatomy”).