The CW’s “4400” returned strong (for The CW) on Monday, when most programs were coded as specials due to the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.
Not that The CW was competitive — it was not. But “4400” jumped 16% from the previous original episode’s (Dec. 13) total-viewer tally, and was +17% from its season-to-date average. Only the series premiere on Oct. 25 performed better than last night’s episode.
And that was all while following a rerun. Anyway, ABC simulcast ESPN’s NFL Playoffs game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Arizona Cardinals on Monday. The rest of broadcast never stood a chance — especially The CW.
ABC was first in ratings with a 2.1 rating in the advertiser-coveted 18-49 demographic and in total viewers with an average of 10.4 million, according to preliminary numbers. Those were the initial averages of the Wild Card Playoff game. However, due to the nature of live sports, those early Nielsen numbers should be considered subject to significant adjustment. Plus, to get a full snapshot of the game’s performance, one would really have to weigh in ESPN and ESPN2 viewership, not to mention streaming.
CBS was second in ratings with a 0.5 and in total viewers with 5.8 million. “The Neighborhood” at 8 p.m. put up a 0.6 rating and 5.6 million total viewers. At 8:30, “Bob Hearts Abishola” had a 0.5 rating and 5.3 million total viewers. “NCIS” at 9 received a 0.5 rating and 7 million total viewers. At 10, “NCIS: Hawai’i” got a 0.4 rating and 4.8 million total viewers. Each was coded as a special.
NBC was third in ratings with a 0.3 and fourth in total viewers with 1.58 million. “Kenan” at 8 had a 0.4 rating and 1.9 million total viewers. Following a rerun, “That’s My Jam” at 9 got the same (rounded) numbers as that first “Kenan” episode. At 10, “Ordinary Joe” settled for a 0.2 rating and 1.3 million total viewers.
Fox was fourth in ratings with a 0.2 and third in total viewers with 1.61 million, airing a pair of reruns.
The CW was fifth in ratings with a 0.1 and in total viewers with 482,000. Following a repeat, “4400” at 9 had a 0.1 rating and 457,000 total viewers. Again, that’s not good, but it’s pretty good for “4400.”
We do not have early Nielsen numbers for Spanish-language broadcast networks Univision and Telemundo.