Solid start for NBC’s ‘About a Boy’

Even in the era of the DVR, a strong lead-in can still get a new show off to a good beginning.

The new NBC comedy “About a Boy” bowed to a 2.4 adults 18-49 rating last night, according to Nielsen overnights, benefitting from the big audience for the show that airs before it.

“Boy” aired at 9 p.m., right behind “The Voice,” the evening’s top show with a 3.7 and NBC’s best non-Olympic result in the 8 p.m. Tuesday slot since October.

“Boy” also posted NBC’s best non-Olympic rating in the timeslot since the finale of “Voice” in December, and the new show easily topped Fox’s veteran comedy “New Girl” (1.4) in their shared timeslot.

Last night’s timeslot premiere also did better than a preview of “Boy” that aired after the Olympics on Saturday, which drew a 2.2.

“Boy” led into the premiere of another new comedy, “Growing Up Fisher,” which drew a 2.0 at 9:30. It also topped its sitcom rival on Fox, “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” which posted a 1.3.

ABC also had a new show premiere last night, but it fared poorly. “Mind Games” managed just a 1.1 at 10 p.m., losing more than half its lead-in from a special edition of “The Bachelor” (2.4) and finishing a distant third in the timeslot.

It did improve on the last new show to debut in the timeslot, though. “Killer Women” premiered to a 0.7 in January.

Earlier in the evening, Fox’s “Glee” moved into its new 8 p.m. Tuesday timeslot after airing on Thursdays last fall. It posted a 1.2, fourth in the timeslot but up 9 percent from its most recent original in December.

CBS’s lineup returned to new episodes last night after a hiatus during the Olympics.

All of its shows were off double-digit percentages from their previous originals, maybe because people didn’t know they were returning or, in the case of “NCIS” airing opposite “The Voice” at 8 p.m., perhaps because of the increased timeslot competition.

“NCIS” was still the No. 2 show of the night with a season-low 2.6.

NBC led the night among 18-49s with a 2.6 average overnight rating and a 7 share. CBS was second at 2.2/6, ABC third at 2.0/6, Fox fourth at 1.2/3, Univision fifth at 1.1/3, CW sixth at 0.9/3 and Telemundo seventh at 0.6/2.

As a reminder, all ratings are based on live-plus-same-day DVR playback, which includes shows replayed before 3 a.m. the night before. Seven-day DVR data won’t be available for several weeks. Forty-nine percent of Nielsen households have DVRs.

At 8 p.m. NBC was first with a 3.7 for “Voice,” followed by CBS with a 2.6 for “NCIS.” ABC was third with a 2.3 for “Bachelor,” Fox fourth with a 1.2 for “Glee,” Univision fifth with a 0.9 for “Por Siempre Mi Amor,” CW sixth with a 0.8 for “The Originals” and Telemundo seventh with a 0.5 for “La Impostora.”

ABC took the lead at 9 p.m. with a 2.6 for more “Bachelor,” while CBS and NBC tied for second at 2.2, CBS for “NCIS: Los Angeles” and NBC for “About a Boy” (2.4) and “Growing Up Fisher” (2.0). Fox and Univision tied for fourth at 1.3, Fox for “Girl” (1.4) and “Brooklyn” (1.3) and Univision for “Lo Que La Vida Me Robo,” with CW sixth with a 1.1 for “Supernatural” and Telemundo sixth with a 0.5 for “En Otra Piel.”

At 10 p.m. NBC regained the lead with a 1.8 for “Chicago Fire,” with CBS second with a 1.7 for “Person of Interest.” ABC was third with a 1.1 for “Games,” Univision fourth with a 1.0 for “Que Pobres Tan Ricos” and Telemundo fifth with a 0.7 for “Camelia, La Texana.”

Among households, CBS led the night with an 8.7 average overnight rating and a 14 share. NBC was second at 5.6/9, ABC third at 4.5/7, Fox fourth at 1.8/3, Univision fifth at 1.6/3, CW sixth at 1.3/2 and Telemundo seventh at 0.8/1.

Tags: abc, about a boy, glee, growing up fisher, mind games, nbc, overnight ratings, overnights, tuesday overnights