Driven by an impressive premiere for "Roseanne" leading to improvement across the night, ABC more than doubled its nearest Tuesday competition in adults 18-49 (up 155 percent - 2.8/11 vs. 1.1/5 - CBS and NBC tied). ABC aired the top three shows of the night with young adults. ABC posted its strongest Tuesday with series programming in more than four years - since Sept. 24, 2013.
Towering over NBC's "The Voice" and CBS' "NCIS" in the 8 p.m. hour to rank as Tuesday's No. 1 TV show, ABC's one-hour premiere of "Roseanne" opened with an average audience of 18.2 million viewers and a 5.1/21 in adults 18-49, building from its first half-hour to its second half-hour.
"Roseanne" scored Tuesday's top-rated entertainment telecast in six years with young adults. It opened with TV's highest adult 18-49 rating for any comedy telecast on any night in more than three years - since CBS' "The Big Bang Theory" season opener on Sept. 22, 2014.
"Roseanne" delivered ABC's best results in the one-hour time period since November 2006 in viewers and since November 2009 in young adults. "Roseanne's" return built on its May 1997 finale telecast 21 years ago by 10 percent in total viewers (18.2 million vs. 16.6 million on 5/20/97), outdrawing its final 12 telecasts that season.
In viewers and young adults, "Roseanne" stands as the season's strongest premiere, as well as the No. 1 regularly scheduled scripted telecast this season.
Source: The Nielsen Company, Fast Affiliate Live + Same Day Ratings, 3/27/18.
