TV Ratings Wednesday, Sept. 22, 2021 – The Hollywood Reporter
ABC’s Wonder Years reboot put up respectable Nielsen numbers for its premiere Wednesday, fitting in well with the network’s comedy lineup and scoring the best adults 18-49 rating for a series debut in the first three days of the new season.
Survivor returned from a year away to solid numbers for CBS, though it fell just short of Fox’s The Masked Singer in the 18-49 demographic. NBC’s Chicago trio delivered the night’s biggest total audiences.
The Wonder Years drew 3.23 million viewers and a 0.67 rating among adults 18-49 for ABC, holding on to nearly all of its lead-in audience from The Goldbergs (3.62 million, 0.7). The Conners opened its season with a live episode, averaging 3.51 million viewers and a 0.65 in the key ad demo. The back half of ABC’s night, however, fell off some with Home Economics (2.21 million, 0.41) and A Million Little Things (2.09 million, 0.29).
Survivor began its 41st edition in front of 6.25 million viewers and a 1.06 rating in the 18-49 demo — down a fair amount from its 2019-20 averages (no surprise there) but scoring the fourth highest 18-49 rating on the broadcast networks so far this week. Big Brother, airing later than usual and opposite heavier competition, slipped to 2.89 million viewers and a 0.61 in the demo.
The Masked Singer had its smallest premiere to date for Fox (4.74 million viewers, 1.11 rating in 18-49), though its demo number still led primetime. Avatar singing competition Alter Ego premiered to 2.93 million viewers and a 0.65 in adults 18-49.
At NBC, Chicago Fire had the night’s biggest total viewer tally with 7.28 million (to go with a 0.86 in adults 18-49). Chicago Med drew 6.81 million people and a 0.78 in the demo, while Chicago PD had 6.54 million viewers and a 0.87 in adults 18-49 — the best first-night demo rating for a scripted show so far this week.
On cable, TNT’s All Elite Wrestling: Dynamite led the 18-49 rankings with a 0.48. Fox News’ The Five continued its run as the total-viewer leader (3.43 million). FX’s American Horror Story was the top scripted show on cable with a 0.29 in adults 18-49 and 732,000 viewers.
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