Friday TV ratings: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend ends up, CBS scripted returns strong [Apr. 5]

Apr. 5 saw the series finale of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and the return of MacGyver, Hawaii Five-0, and Blue Bloods after a March Madness break. Here are the Friday TV ratings.

Apr. 5 was a strong night in the world of TV. The majority of shows saw upward ticks in the ratings. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend‘s series finale was up from its previous episode, while CBS scripted programs returned from their March Madness break strong. Here’s a look at the Friday TV ratings and what they could mean.

The 8 p.m. timeslot saw the end of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. After four seasons, we saw how it all ended and the show wrapped with a strong finish. Episode 17, which worked as the series finale, saw 60% increases in both metrics, both bringing in season highs.

More from Ratings

• Thursday TV ratings: Grey’s Anatomy up, Walker Independence down
• Wednesday TV ratings: One Chicago mixed, Kung Fu down (November 9)
• Tuesday TV ratings: The Resident and Monarch down (November 8)
• Monday TV ratings: All American down, Quantum Leap up (Nov. 7)
• Weekend live TV ratings: Fire Country and FBI mixed

While the special concert in the second hour ticked down, this may be understandable. People wanted to see how the series would end. The CW might have been better opting for a special in the first hour of the night and follow up with the final episode. But it’s clear that the final episode was the most important for all.

Last Man Standing opted for a rerun on Apr. 5, but the rest of the Friday TV ratings in the first hour were good. Blindspot, Fresh Off the Boat, The Cool Kids, and Speechless were all up by respectable amounts in both metrics. The problem is some of these upticks may be too late for NBC and ABC to save the shows.

The only show to see a downward tick was MacGyver, which returned from a two-week break due to March Madness. The demo was down by 6%, pulling in a joint top for the timeslot with the Last Man Standing rerun and Fresh Off the Boat. The total audience for MacGyver was steady with five million people tuning in. This is the Friday night CBS show I’m worried the most about.

There was more movement in the metrics in the 9 p.m. slot. Hawaii Five-0 returned from its March Madness break strong, seeing an 11% uptick in the demo and 6% uptick in the total audience. The demo was joint top for the night with fellow CBS series Blue Bloods (also returned up in both metrics, with the total audience the best of the whole night).

The Blacklist was up in the demo by 15% but down in the total audience by a small 1%. With the show already renewed for another season, there’s nothing to worry about here.

Proven Innocent, on the other hand, needs to stabilize. The good news is the demo was up by 11%, but the total audience dropped by 6%, taking it to a season low. Things aren’t looking good for the freshman series.

ABC’s 20/20 was the only show to see downward ticks in both metrics in the Friday TV ratings. However, this is little to worry about. ABC knows that these types of programs fluctuate week on week.

In the final timeslot, Dateline went up against Blue Bloods. NBC’s series ticked up by 36% in the demo and 11% in the total audience. It’s another show that will likely get another season.

Check out the full Friday TV ratings to see how your favorite shows performed.

What do you take from the Friday TV ratings? What were you watching on Apr. 5? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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