CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Dan Baker on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on March 21st, 2024, reviewing the new streaming series “Manhunt” – based on the bestseller by James L. Swanson – currently streaming on Apple TV+.
TV News: ‘Rob!’ Opens Strong, ‘The Finder’ Goes Missing
CHICAGO – Thursday nights looked radically different last night with changes on three major networks, including a new line-up on NBC and premieres on CBS and FOX. How’d they do? Well, CBS may have finally found a hit in the post-“The Big Bang Theory” slot, but NBC and FOX are going to have to go back to the drawing board.
Rob Photo credit: CBS |
“Rob!” opened with an impressive 8.3 rating/13 share according to TV Media Insights. That was significantly better than the short-lived “How to Be a Gentleman” (5.5 rating for its premiere four months ago) but did lose a chunk of “The Big Bang Theory“‘s 10.3 rating. Still, retention of 81 percent out of a mega-hit like “TBBT” is a strong start for Rob Schneider. The strength of “Rob!” helped the whole evening on CBS as “Person of Interest” rose to a series-high 9.4 rating and “The Mentalist” notched an 8.8. CBS rocks on Thursday nights. They own it. And “Rob!” could be the final, long-missing piece of the puzzle.
“The Finder” certainly isn’t for FOX. The new Hart Hanson procedural opened with a meager 3.8 rating and a 6 share, down notably from “Bones” with its 5.9 rating and a 10 share. That’s a loss of 42%. Since most shows drop after their premiere, this is a disastrous opening. By next week, it’s likely going to be losing 50% of “Bones” and then it will merely be a ticking clock till its cancellation.
NBC pushed “Community” out and started their new Thursday night with a 3.6 rating for “30 Rock,” a notable 29% above the season premiere of “Community.” Sigh. “Parks and Recreation” and “The Office” both delivered typical numbers but moving “Up All Night” to Thursday nights may have been a mistake as it notched only a 3.0 rating, which was down 40% from the numbers earned by the series premiere of “Whitney” in the same time slot. Ouch. 27% of the people who watched “The Office” ditched out on “Up All Night.” It’s too bad since this is a quality show that just may not fit in this timeslot. Finally, “The Firm” is DOA. The time-slot premiere earned a 2.9 rating. “Prime Suspect” pulled a 4.6 rating for its series premiere in this slot and that got cancelled. Don’t get attached to “The Firm.”
By BRIAN TALLERICO |