Primetime Ratings: Potent ‘This Is Us’ Fall Finale Drives NBC

NBC seized the prime ratings crown Tuesday, riding the This Is Us fall finale to a 1.9 on the night, according to Nielsen’s overnights, along with a 7 share. That was a bit better than the 1.5/6 put up by CBS. 

The Voice ticked up 6% to 1.8 on NBC, and This Is Us grew 8% to 2.7. Chicago Med closed out prime at a flat 1.3. 

On CBS, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, a special about a young deer’s unlikely rise to the ranks of Santa’s sleigh-pullers, did a 1.8, down 22% from last year. It was followed by an NCIS repeat. The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show rated a 1.5, down 29% from last year. 

The CW rode a crossover stunt to a noisy 0.9/3, as The Flash went up 13% to 0.9 and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow blasted up 80% to 0.9. 

Fox was also at 0.9/3, with Lethal Weapon at a level 1.0, The Mick at 0.8 and Brooklyn Nine-Nine at 0.7, both comedies up a tenth of a point. 

ABC was at 0.6/2 with repeats. 

Telemundo rated a 0.6/2 across prime, and Univision a 0.5/2.

Michael Malone

Michael Malone, senior content producer at B+C/Multichannel News, covers network programming, including entertainment, news and sports on broadcast, cable and streaming; and local broadcast television. He hosts the podcasts Busted Pilot, about what’s new in television, and Series Business, a chat with the creator of a new program, and writes the column “The Watchman.” He joined B+C in 2005. His journalism has also appeared in The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Playboy and New York magazine.