Ratings: ‘The Simpsons’ rises for Sideshow Bob shocker; ‘Quantico,’ ‘Good Wife’ down

Every year Fox is smart with their timing for their annual “Simpsons” Treehouse of Horror special, airing it following some high-rated NFL coverage. They did so this year, and let’s just say that both that and a strong marketing campaign surrounding the Sideshow Bob character was enough to make this one of the most-watched episodes in some time.

Winners – Did you miss what we just said? With a 2.7 rating in the 18-49 demographic, the highest rating for any scripted program on network TV, the move to kill Bart off repeatedly in an episode we found more than a little disturbing proved to pay big dividends. It also helped the remainder of the Fox lineup, as “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” (2.0), “Family Guy” (1.8), and “The Last Man on Earth” (1.4) all posted big gains versus the prior week. We’ll credit NFL as the primary reason for the gain, with the nature of the “Simpsons” episode in second place.

Also, surprising news for “Madam Secretary.” Even without the NFL helping it out, the Tea Leoni drama rose to a 1.3.

Losers – You are looking more or less at the remainder of network television on the night. “The Good Wife” (1.0) and “Quantico” (1.5) each declined from their previous episodes. “Once Upon a Time” stayed at a 1.6, and while “CSI: Cyber” (0.8) and “Blood & Oil” (0.9) did improve, it wasn’t by the sort of margin really needed in order for either show to have a chance of coming back for another season.

At this point, it is all about the struggle to keep the ratings what they are. We have immense sympathy for all 9:00 p.m. shows next week against “The Walking Dead,” which is going to be picking up after a stunning ending.

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