Ratings: ‘The Night Shift,’ ‘MasterChef’ premieres down; ‘American Ninja Warrior’ solid

There were a large number of summer premieres that aired on Wednesday night, and with a couple of exceptions here and there, we’d say that it is largely good news.

Let’s start here with what feels like the clear winner on the night, and that is “American Ninja Warrior” over on NBC. The start of the season scored a 1.8 rating in the 18-49 demographic, which is a really nice number for summer that also further proves that this is a franchise that is not showing too much evidence of slowing down or stalling altogether. So long as this trend continues, it will remain a summer tradition for a rather long time.

Speaking of summer traditions, “MasterChef” also returned to the air with a 1.1 rating, a slight decrease from last year, but nothing so dramatic that it will send shockwaves of panic down Fox executives’ spine. “Wayward Pines” was fairly steady versus last week’s episode with a 0.9, which is probably welcome for the network given that shows often fall after the premiere, and so far this season has been far below what we thought it was for the first season.

Finally, one bit of bad news: The premiere of “The Night Shift” (pictured) started with a sluggish 1.1 rating, though there are some caveats. For one, the second season aired during the season proper (where there are more viewers on average), and there was also a different lead-in. There’s not too much that this medical drama and “American Ninja Warrior” have in common.

If you missed it, head over here to get our full take on the premiere of “The Night Shift” right now! Also, sign up over at this link to get some other TV news on all we cover, sent right over to you via our official CarterMatt Newsletter. (Photo: NBC.)