Ratings: ‘Made in Jersey’ bombs for CBS, could be first series out

Ultimately, we’re not entirely sure why CBS ever thought “Made in Jersey” was going to be a good idea. The whole “feature New Jersey on TV” movement has been led by young viewers, and very few of these people watch network TV on a Friday night. As a matter of fact, we have a feeling that most of the people who complain about “Jersey Shore” are the same people who watch CBS Fridays, and despite the fact that this legal show is far more intelligent than anything that we see Snooki or The Situation doing in Seaside Heights, the name itself night have kept people from giving this show a chance.

Ultimately, it looks already like this is the biggest flop the usually-strong network has had in years. “Made in Jersey” launched Friday (at least per early estimates from the top 25 markets) to a 0.8 rating in the 18-49 demographic, which was the worst performance for any new show on the night. Even the consistently low-rated “Fringe” managed to topple it with a 1.1 rating, though this number is a little more official as of this writing.

So how long will CBS wait before axing this show? We have a feeling that they won’t be as patient as they were with another low-rated show last year in “A Gifted Man,” which was promptly sent packing after its shortened order aired. What we are also a little bit curious about at the moment is if any heads are going to roll over what was a pretty terrible premiere week for CBS. Although “Elementary” looks like a surefire hit, both “Made in Jersey” and “Partners” look to be flops. The jury’s still out on “Vegas,” but the premiere numbers do not give us that much to be thrilled about yet. Plus, the ratings for Friday lineup across the board this year do not look to be too much better than what this new show delivered.

Are you surprised that both this show and CBS are having a hard time at the moment? Be sure to share some of your thoughts below!

Update: Here’s some more info to round out the numbers. Thanks to a bump up away from the top marks, “Made in Jersey” can at least celebrate tying “Fringe” with a 1.1. However, this is still a pretty atrocious number, and was lower than “CSI: NY” (1.3) or “Blue Bloods” (1.5). “Grimm” won the night with a 1.6, and “Shark Tank” was in second place with a 1.5.

Photo: CBS