Ratings: ‘The Blacklist’ season 2 fares reasonably well; ‘Backstrom,’ ‘Allegiance’ in trouble

How would “The Blacklist” fare on Thursday night against “Scandal”? This is a question that many have had for several months now, since NBC made a very bold move in shifting the drama series to a new night, and also against one of the most-watched dramas out there. How much of an audience do the two really share? Well, the answer is enough to hurt both shows at least to a certain extent.

The ratings for last night signify that “The Blacklist” drew a decent 2.3 rating in the 18-49 demographic and almost 10 million viewers. This is not as strong as its Monday average, and it also proves yet again that people who watch you after the Super Bowl rarely actually become hooked on the show and watch again. The silver lining here is that this is the most-watched program on Thursday for the network since the finale of “ER” more than five years ago, and it also happened to be the most-watched drama on Thursday night. (“The Big Bang Theory,” as always, won in total viewers and in the demo.)

Given that “The Blacklist” has already been renewed for a third season, which means that a fourth season is all but assured given syndication implications, there is probably nothing to worry about here.

Meanwhile, the news was less good for some new shows. “Backstrom,” facing off against major competition from all networks, fell down to a 1.0 rating. As much fun as Rainn Wilson can be, this show marks most likely another failure for Hart Hanson to go alongside “The Finder.” (Luckily, “Bones” is still a tremendous hit.) Meanwhile, “Allegiance” on NBC premiered to just a 1.1 rating, despite having “The Blacklist” as a lead-in. This show, which was criticized by fans for its similarities to “The Americans,” is almost dead on arrival.

What did you watch on TV last night? Share with a comment.

(Photo: NBC.)