New Amsterdam and Manifest prove successful premieres for NBC

Two of NBC’s newest shows have now aired. New Amsterdam and Manifest have both proven successful on premiere night, but can they continue to do well?

There has been a lot of buzz around some freshman shows. After the slump from last year, NBC seems to have picked it up with two new premieres this week. New Amsterdam and Manifest have both opened strong, despite critics claiming the pilots were mediocre or poor.

Before the two shows aired, I read a lot of pilot previews from those who had screened the episodes. Most said much of the same thing and that’s continued after the fact. Manifest is the new LOST (hopefully, it doesn’t end the same way) while New Amsterdam is the latest medical drama with a twist.

I watched both and didn’t see the failings in either. Mind you, I’m also accepting that pilots aren’t written for the viewers. They’re written for the networks to get the shows picked up and it’s the followup that’s written for us.

Regardless of what the critics have said, it looks like the viewing ratings don’t agree. Both shows have performed well. Manifest debuted with 10.4 million viewers and 2.2 in the demo, which was higher than The Good Doctor and Bull in the same timeslot, according to TVLine. Not only that, but the show gained on viewers from The Voice, unlike its predecessors The Brave, Timeless, and Blindspot in that timeslot over the years.

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New Amsterdam wasn’t as good but still positive. It opened with 8.4 million viewers and 1.9 in the demo. CBS’ NCIS: New Orleans beat the show in terms of total viewers, but New Amsterdam was on top in terms of the demo rating, according to TV Series Finale.

The question now is whether the two shows can hold onto this retention. Both shows had highs and lows, but the social media response has been mostly positive. Many freshman shows will see an initial dip after the pilot episode airs, so it will certainly be interesting to see what that dip is like next week.

Personally, I’m tuning into both next week. As a LOST fan, Manifest already has me hooked. I just hope the question of what happened to them doesn’t remain unanswered forever (like the question of where the island was). New Amsterdam gives me some hope in people and I love there’s a truth behind the initial storyline.

Overall, they’re both positive for NBC–a network that I haven’t rated that highly in recent years and only really kept tuning in for the One Chicago shows and Timeless on a regular basis. These shows give me hope that NBC has found a way to turn the tide.

What did you think of Manifest and New Amsterdam? Are the ratings a sign that NBC has done it all right? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Manifest airs on Mondays at 10/9c and New Amsterdam airs on Tuesdays at 10/9c on NBC.