After having been previewed online for a week, CBS’ Golden Boy (1.8/5) premiered on TV last night. It won its 10 PM slot, but the news was not all good. The midseason cop drama was up 20% in the slot from last week’s Vegas, which had tied a season low, but it was also down 28% from the Vegas premiere in the same time slot September 25. Watched by 10.46 million last night, Golden Boy did debut stronger than the 1.3/4 garnered by ABC’s new conspiracy drama Zero Hour when it premiered on Valentine’s Day, but it fell short of the 2.0/5 NBC’s Deception received for its January 7 debut. Golden Boy’s 10 PM Tuesday slot is just temporary; after one more Tuesday airing next week, it moves to Fridays at 9 PM.
Of course, part of Golden Boy‘s scheduling arrangement is to give it a boost from Tuesday heavyweights NCIS (3.4/10) and NCIS: LA (2.9/8). Last night’s most-watched show with 20.48 million viewers, the former slipped 3% from last week, while the latter was up 7% and drew 16.81 million viewers. With 15.917 million watching and a 2.7/8, CBS won the night in total viewers and in the adults 18-49 demographic.
Related: CBS Poised To Win First February Sweep Since 1998
It was a double dose of reality on ABC on Tuesday. With former Girls Next Door star Kendra Wilkinson trading places with now single mom of eight Kate Gosselin, Celebrity Wife Swap (2.4/7) returned for a second season. It was up 4% from its Season 1 debut on January 2, 2012 and scored a series high. The same could not be said of second course The Taste (1.4.4). Debuting in the 9 PM time slot, the freshman cooking reality competition was down 13% from its 8 PM show last week, hitting a ratings low. One week after its weak Season 3 premiere, Body Of Proof (1.2/3) ended the night flat with its February 19 show to tie a series low.
NBC had its usual Tuesday primetime with back-to-back Betty White’s Off Their Rockers kicking off the night. The 8 PM (1.3/4) was even with last week and the 8:30 PM (1.3/4) was down 7% — both tied series lows for the show in the slots. After that was Go On (1.1/3), which was flat with last week’s show and tied for a series low, and The New Normal (1.0/3), which saw an 11% rise from its February 19 show. NBC’s night wrapped up with the struggling Smash (0.9/3), with the musical drama flat with its February 10 show to tie a series low.
Fox had back-to-back Raising Hope episodes. The 8 PM (1.5/5) was flat with last week’s episode, while the 8:30 PM (1.4/4) was up from the 1.1/3 of a New Girl repeat on February 19. Following that was a new New Girl (2.3/6), up 5% from last week, and The Mindy Project (1.6/4), which had a guest appearance from Seth Rogen and was even with its February 19 show.
The CW had the Hart Of Dixie (0.6/2) and the second episode of its new Cult (0.3/1). The former was down a tenth from last week while the freshman was even with its debut.
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Soft pilot, soft numbers.
I thought this thing was supposed to have some meat. Chi deserves better.
The dialogue sounded like it was written by network executives. Explain and explain some more. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Not a single good line. Did CBS or WBTV rewrite it?
I haven’t even started Season 2 of Smash after its ratings because it’s not looking good for renewal. Not unless they magically increase. The Voice returns in a month. They should almost take a break until then. Make it a Betty White night or something and air original Off Their Rockers and then repeats. Those would likely do better than a new Smash, sorry to say. Will the Tuesday schedule be like this then: The Voice, Go On, The New Normal, Smash? I sure hope so. These shows could use that boost. Go On and The New Normal have struggled without it.
Too damn young to believe it.
Poor Mr. Pamuk can’t seem to catch a break, can he?
Tuesdays at 10 is the Death Slot of CBS…
Still hoping GB finds a way to recover– either on Tuesdays or Fridays. CBS hasn’t had a midseason hit in years…
Funny, though, that NBC or ABC would be VERY happy with a 1.8, lol!
I don’t care for this Golden Boy, there’s nothing to arouse me. Berlanti needs to stick to CW and casting good looking actors who can’t act.
CELEBRITY WIFE SWAP? And people are watching again? God help us!
The quality offerings seem to fail. And GOLDEN BOY and SMASH are not high art. they need work, but… Still, they represent something more ambitious and interesting from the broadcast webs than overexposed reality pests (Make them go away, please!) and tired recycled CANDID CAMERA pranks. (Betty White deserves better! I’d rather have her in an anthology to introduce sitcom pilots than this.)
OH MAN I forgot about Golden boy
I did watch my NCIS viewing
It was goodddd last night
The lead actor is unlikable and it’s not the fault of the writing.
The Voice will be a lead-in for the return of Revolution. Smash is on its own
What about on tuesday nights?
SMASH – insulting and infuriating on so many levels. Isn’t there anybody out there who could put a stop to the current madness and fire the ass of whoever came up with this BS? The Jennifer Hudson show, the addict douche Jimmy succeeds with ease story, the Tom and Julia can’t write nonsense? Women need a man to guide/abuse them, they need to be taught to tell their stories from a male POV because women have no voice so let’s keep it that way (so novel an idea…), they need to latch on to a man or two who will in turn take care of them via handing them a role (Jimmy/Derek)? And any women of age gets kicked to the curb, that goes without saying. Sickening.
GOLDEN BOY – dirty cop douche falls up the career ladder and has to fight with other douche cops. To make sure you don’t worry about him you’re presented with a flash forward to show he’ll succeed and on the way up the only halfway decent char gets sacrificed. To top it all of, this antihero is played by Theo James who didn’t show much depth or much needed vulnerability and isn’t exactly hot, either.
CULT – So-so. Not enough Robert Knepper, who’s totally wasted thus far, alienating all the PRISON BREAK Fans who tuned in to see T-Bag in delicious action again. Not enough action, interesting mystery or captivating visuals. Funny bit: Network exec cuffed and gagged.. apparently kidnapped by Billy’s Followers in order to get his vision realized. Get to it, let him have his way and get the ball rolling.
Rest of the cast is just so boring. Davis doesn’t work as a lead at all. Most interesting was Aisha Hinds. That blonde cop’s dialogue had me roll my eyes.
Excellent.
Tuesdays at 10 on NBC means only one thing – PARENTHOOD!!! Bring it back!!!!
Parenthood needs to be put out to pasture… really enjoyed the first two seasons but this last was painful.
Body of Proof=blah. Although in a different timeslot,Betty White’s show got higher numbers than Body of Proof. That’s gotta be pretty disheartening for Dana & company. I completely stayed away from Golden Boy. That title just reminded me too much of that terrible Eddie Murphy movie Golden Child. Similar titles & most likely just as bad.
I guess the story of Golden Boy’s metoric rise to fame and fortune really doesn’t mean squat to anyone except the golden boy who scribbled it all down.
I’m sure Chicago Fire will happily take him on board.
And NBC wonders why they are in 5th place right now…look at these offerings they provide and the huge money they’re spending on SMASH and it’s getting smashed in the ratings as a result. Changes better be happening there soon or heads will start to roll there in Burbank via firings and replacements. The CW is a joke!