The widely anticipated premiere of “Night Court” ushered in a Tuesday primetime win for NBC as the workplace comedy drew in 7.5 million viewers, according to Nielsen.
As fans of the original 1980s sitcom and newcomers alike tuned in to watch the reboot in its back-to-back premiere, the first episode of “Night Court” nabbed a total viewership of 7.5 million and a 1.0 rating in the key 18-49 demographic, while the second episode decreased slightly with 6.9 total viewers and a 0.9 ratings score.
With combined broadcast and Peacock numbers, the first half hour episode reached 8.0 million viewers while the 8:30 telecast nabbed 7.2 million viewers, leading “Night Court” to have the best first day of viewing for any NBC series episode on Peacock, including new and returning shows.
“To see ‘Night Court’ wholeheartedly embraced by the audiences is a testament to how beloved the show remains as a cultural touchstone,” President of Scripted Content at NBCUniversal Lisa Katz said. “These success stories once again prove the staying power and popularity of broadcast and we look forward to seeing our two upcoming and critically applauded second-year comedies – ‘American Auto’ and ‘Grand Crew’ – also finding similar traction.”
Here’s how primetime broke down across the major broadcast networks:
NBC was first in ratings with an average 0.6 rating in the key demo and in total viewers with an average of 4.5 million, according to official live plus same-day Nielsen data. After the early success of the first two episodes of “Night Court,” back-to-back episodes of “New Amsterdam” earned a total viewership of 3.5 million and a ratings score of 0.4 at the 9 p.m. hour while the second hour of the medical drama drew in 2.8 million viewers and earned a rating score of 0.3.
ABC was second in ratings with an average 0.4 in the demo and in third place in total viewers with an average of 3.7 million. Back-to-back episodes of “The Rookie Feds” earned 4.8 million viewers and a 0.6 ratings score at 8 p.m. while the 9 p.m. rerun nabbed 3.0 million viewers and a 0.4 in the demo at 9 p.m. At 10 p.m. “Will Trent” maintained the night’s ratings by drawing in 3.3 million viewers and scoring 0.3 in the demo.
CBS was tied for third in ratings with an average 0.3 in the demo and was second in total viewers with an average of 3.8 million thanks to reruns of the “FBI” franchise. “FBI” kicked off the night at 8 p.m. with 4.4 million viewers and a rating of 0.3, while “FBI: International” earned 3.7 viewers and a 0.3 ratings score in the 9 p.m. hour. At 10 p.m., “FBI: Most Wanted” closed out the night with 3.2 million viewers and a 0.3 rating.
Fox was also tied for third in ratings with an average 0.3 in the demo and was fourth in total viewers with an average of 2.1 million. At 8 p.m., “The Resident” drew in 3 million viewers and scored a rating of 0.4 while the 9 p.m. rerun airing of “Alert: Missing Persons Unit” brought in a viewership of 1.2 million and a rating of 0.2.
The CW was fifth in ratings with an average 0.1 in the demo and in total viewers with an average of 289,000. A rerun of “Winchesters” at 8 p.m. earned a viewership of 295,000 and a ratings score of 0.1 while a rerun of “Mysteries Decoded” drew in 282,000 viewers and scored a rating of 0.1 in the 9 p.m. hour.
Neither The CW nor Fox air primetime programming at 10 p.m.
In terms of Spanish-language networks, Telemundo came in first with a 0.6 rating in the demo and 1.6 million total average viewers in primetime — a switch up thanks to the double premiere of “La Casa de los Famosos 3” and the eighth season of “El Señor de los Cielos.” The two-hour premiere of reality series “La Casa de los Famosos 3,” which ran from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., drew in a viewership of 1.4 million and a ratings score of 0.4. Running from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. “El Señor de los Cielos” brought in 1.6 million viewers and a rating of 0.7 — making the anticipated premiere the night’s highest rated drama.
Univision came in second place both in terms of rating in the demo and total viewership, earning an average 0.4 ratings score and bringing 1.4 million average total viewers. “Vencer La Ausencia” started off the night at 8 p.m. with a total viewership of 1.3 million and rating score of 0.4 on average. “Mi camino es amarte,” which aired at 9 p.m., brought in 1.5 million viewers and earned a 0.4 ratings score on average before “Cabo’s” 10 p.m. airing brought in a viewership of 1.2 million and a 0.3 rating on average.
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