TV Tuesday: Muppets Beat Scream Queens
by EG
On Tuesday night, two new - and much talked about - series went head-to-head, and when the dust had settled, the winner of the ratings competition was clear.
The battle happened in the 8 pm time slot, when The Muppets debuted on ABC and Scream Queens premiered on Fox. Both series had been the subject of marketing campaigns that generated significant buzz ahead of their premieres, and expectations for both were high.
In the end, The Muppets fared much better, drawing 8.9 million total viewers and a 3.4 rating in the 18-49 age demographic. Scream Queens trailed far behind, with 4.2 million total viewers and a 1.7 rating in the 18-49 group.
Neither of the two new series, however, was able to beat The Voice on NBC, and in terms of both total viewers and the 18-49 age group, even NCIS beat Scream Queens. Among broadcast series in the time slot, only The Flash on the CW scored lower numbers than Scream Queens.
In the 10 pm slot, Best Time Ever with Neil Patrick Harris saw mixed results compared to last week. The show's total viewership was down slightly, but its rating in the 18-49 demographic saw a significant positive jump.