TV ratings: Pandora and Undercover Boss return down [Oct. 2-4]

How did the networks perform in the live TV ratings from Oct. 2 to 4?

It remains relatively quiet for new content on TV. That’s not too surprising with scripted shows only really just returning to filming (and some having to halt again). However, there are some TV ratings to break down from Oct. 2 to 4.

Friday night saw new episodes of Mastersof Illusion and World’s Funniest Animals on The CW. Meanwhile, Undercover Boss premiered a new season on CBS after a new episode of The Greatest #ATHome Videos. NBC had a new episode of Dateline, while ABC aired a new episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live! and the 2020 NBC Finals.

On Sunday night, CBS had the football, which means some good results for the new episode of 60 Minutes. FOX had new episodes of its Animation Domination, and ABC aired its season debut of black-ish, although not on its usual night. The CW had a new episode of Pandora, debuting the second season.

Let’s break down the live TV ratings.

Friday night TV ratings

CBS started with a good night. The Greatest #AtHome Videos increased by 25% in the demo and almost 10% in the total audience. While it wouldn’t beat Jimmy Kimmel Live with its 4.06 million audience and 1.1 demo (the highest non-sport rating of the night), it was still a good result. Oh, and the highest ratings were the NBC Finals, which ABC aired. So ABC had a great night.

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The good results didn’t continue for CBS. Undercover Boss debuted its new season, losing almost 30% of its audience from its previous season premiere. It lost 24% of its previous season demo.

It’s not always fair to look at the previous season premiere. After all, a season loses its audience throughout the season. However, both audience and demo were down from the Season 9 finale.

The CW had mixed results with its lineup. The demos remained steady for both shows, but the audiences were down 6% for Masters of Illusion and 8% of World’s Funniest Animals. Considering the costs of production for these shows and how they can be good for reruns, there’s nothing to worry about.

NBC had the worst night, losing 31% of its audience and 29% of its demo for the new episode of Dateline. I wouldn’t worry too much about that considering it followed reruns of American Ninja Warrior and Dateline has a habit of large drops but then large increases.

Take a look at the Friday TV ratings for Oct. 2.

Sunday night live ratings

Sundays tend to see a lot of drops and upticks based on whoever is airing the big NFL game of the night. On Oct. 4, it was all about CBS hosting it, which led to 60 Minutes gaining a whopping 285% in the demo and a good 72% in the total audience. The audience was higher than NBC’s NFL game content from 8 p.m.

Since FOX didn’t have the big afternoon game, Animation Domination saw a big drop. The Simpsons lost 70% of its demo and 66% of its audience. That followed with Bless the Harts, Bob’s Burgers, and Family Guy all losing in both metrics in double digits. It’s not a concern. FOX knows this happens.

black-ish premieres on ABC at an unusual time (and on an unusual night). Despite this, the premiere only lost 12% of its demo, still pulling in a respectable 0. rating off the back of the NBC Finals that aired. The audience dropped 30% to 2.43 million, but it was an unusual time slot. Everyone remained tuned in for the second episode.

The CW saw big drops for its new season. Pandora Season 2 saw a 48% drop in the audience from the previous season premiere. It also saw a 23% drop in the demo. However, it is important to point out that the previous season was the series premiere. There would have been a large amount of people tuning in to see what the show was about.

If we look at the Pandora Season 1 finale, there’s some good news. Both metrics were up or steady. We’ll have to see how the rest of the season stabilizes to tell if there will be a third season of the sci-fi series.

Take a look at the Sunday TV ratings for Oct. 4.

What do you take from the weekend live TV ratings? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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