Ratings: ‘Madam Secretary’ premiere, ‘The Good Wife’ draw okay numbers
Could “Madam Secretary” become the new “Longmire” or “Harry’s Law” as far as older viewers go? Based on the ratings that we’ve just seen for the show today, this is something that we are going to have to watch in the weeks ahead.
The show drew a pretty amazing 14.3 million viewers, which is the largest draw for a fall drama premiere in three years. However, there are two caveats to this:
- Due to NFL football delaying the show by around 4 minutes beyond 9:00 p.m. Eastern, these are numbers that will most likely adjust down.
- Also, all these viewers translated to just a 1.9 rating in the 18-49 demographic. This almost makes the show one of the oldest-skewing on TV, and that is for a series premiere. Imagine how it will go as it progresses?
Still, we anticipate the numbers sliding somewhat week to week, and come around November, we will learn the show’s real fate. We do feel like if “Madam Secretary” continues to draw more than 12 million viewers, CBS would face a publicity nightmare if they were to cancel it just based on the “older viewers do matter” movement currently going on.
For those curious, the premiere of “The Good Wife” drew just a 1.3 rating, which isn’t that far out of the ordinary for the show these days. It also drew around 10 million viewers, another sign of its own average viewer age. The reason this show has stuck around is due mostly to quality.
What do you think about these preliminary numbers, and do you think the “Madam Secretary” numbers are enough to potentially inspire some sort of movement? Share in the comments.