ABC's entire lineup hit season highs in total viewers Thursday, and NBC's Superstore and Will & Grace also recorded highs as coronavirus quarantines continue to drive linear TV viewing.
Fast national ratings for the seven major English- and Spanish-language broadcasters rose by 19 percent over last week among adults 18-49 and by 8.5 percent in total viewers — despite CBS, the usual total-viewer leader, airing a night of reruns. The Eye fell only by 15 percent in viewers (5.99 million to 5.1 million), perhaps the starkest sign of audiences rediscovering linear TV.
ABC's Station 19 delivered a series-high 7.53 million viewers along with a 1.3 rating in the 18-49 demographic. Grey's Anatomy followed with 7.1 million viewers — its biggest total audience in a year — and tied its season high in the demo at 1.5. A Million Little Things (4.2 million viewers) is currently just above its season best in total viewers and rose a little in adults 18-49 to 0.7.
At NBC, Superstore jumped 50 percent in adults 18-49 to 0.9 and 46 percent in viewers to 3.75 million, the show's best same-day numbers since May and March 2019, respectively. Brooklyn Nine-Nine tied its demo high for the season at 0.7 and had its most-watched episode (2.47 million) since February 2019. Will & Grace (0.7, 2.76 million) and Indebted (0.5, 1.93 million) also scored season highs. A news special on the coronavirus pandemic drew 4.2 million viewers and a 0.9 in the demo at 10 p.m.
Like ABC and NBC, Fox saw its shows rise as well: Last Man Standing (0.8 in 18-49, 4.65 million viewers) put up its best numbers in two months, and Outmatched (0.6, 2.59 million) and Deputy (0.6, 3.96 million) hit multi-week highs in viewers. The CW's Katy Keene (0.1 in adults 18-49) and Legacies (0.2) were steady.
ABC topped the 18-49 rankings in primetime with a 1.2 rating. NBC finished second at 0.8, just ahead of Fox's 0.7. CBS and Univision tied at 0.6, Telemundo averaged 0.4 and The CW came in at 0.1.
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