Ratings: ‘Once Upon a Time’ season 4 ties low; ‘Revenge,’ ‘Last Man on Earth’ down

There is no great news when it comes to the ratings for any network on Sunday night … except for maybe CBS, but it’s hard to tell right now since those numbers are probably skewed by NCAA Basketball coverage.

What we can tell you is that it’s a tough time to be “Once Upon a Time,” which tied its series low with a 1.7 rating in the 18-49 demographic last night, despite airing what was for the most part a very strong episode. We feel like this show gets numbers in the 1.7-2.0 range without some of the big gimmicks like the “Frozen” arc, and the irony here is that the show is typically significantly better when it doesn’t try to throw in hot Disney properties into the mix. (Granted, Maleficent is on this season, but the writers are exercising a ton of creative freedom with that character.)

Ultimately, though, there’s no reason to worry about this show: It’s not going anywhere in the near future, and is a near-lock for renewal. We cannot say the same thing about “Revenge” (1.0), which dropped entering a hiatus. That is never good. Granted, it’s still a better number that the 0.9 the show was getting at the start of 2015. We don’t believe that its renewal odds are great, but we’ll continue our blind hope for a shortened fifth season to tie up all of the loose threads.

There’s not too much to report elsewhere, save for “The Last Man on Earth” averaging a 1.3 for its two episodes. We blame the show’s ratings drop mostly on airing after repeats more so than its actual quality. It is still a fun idea and Will Forte is killing it; plus, what other comedies does Fox really have to renew? “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” is already coming back.

If you missed it, head over here to read our review of Sunday’s “Once Upon a Time” episode. Also, sign up for some more TV updates on all we cover via our CarterMatt Newsletter. (Photo: ABC.)