TV shows on DVD
   

ABC Ratings Race: Last Resort or 666 Park Avenue? Which is Doing Worse?

Published:November 4, 2012

In the near future, ABC is expected to make a decision about the future of 666 Park Avenue and Last Resort, their new hour dramas.

Both TV series had some decent buzz behind them before they debuted but that seems to have evaporated pretty quickly when it came time for people to actually watch the shows. ABC has ordered two additional scripts for each but haven’t asked that any more episodes be put into production. That’s understandable when you look at their ratings.

If you were in charge over at ABC, what would you do? Order some more episodes of one or the other, cancel both or give each some more time? Comment below.

Here are the season averages as of Thursday, November 1, 2012:

ABC Scripted
TV shows		 18-49 demo
rating (actual)		 Viewers
in millions		 Ratings
pages
Modern Family 4.8 (4.83) 12.38 season 4 ratings
Grey’s Anatomy 3.7 (3.65) 10.25 season 9 ratings
Once Upon a Time 3.4 (3.40) 10.08 season 2 ratings
Revenge 2.8 (2.78) 8.65 season 2 ratings
Suburgatory 2.6 (2.63) 7.08 season 2 ratings
The Middle 2.6 (2.58) 8.52 season 4 ratings
The Neighbors 2.2 (2.15) 6.87 season 1 ratings
Nashville 2.2 (2.15) 6.99 season 1 ratings
Castle 2.1 (2.08) 10.64 season 4 ratings
Scandal 2.0 (2.00) 6.14 season 2 ratings
Last Resort 1.7 (1.74) 7.56 season 1 ratings
666 Park Avenue 1.7 (1.72) 5.23 season 1 ratings
Private Practice (last season) 1.6 (1.63) 5.76 season 6 ratings
Happy Endings 1.6 (1.60) 4.94 season 3 ratings
Don’t Trust the B in Apt. 23 1.5 (1.45) 3.73 season 2 ratings
ABC non-scripted
TV shows		 18-49 demo
rating (actual)		 Viewers
in millions		 Ratings
pages
Dancing with the Stars 2.3 (2.27) 13.48 cycle 15 ratings
Dancing with the Stars (results) 2.1 (2.08) 12.41 cycle 15 ratings
Shark Tank 1.8 (1.76) 6.42 season 4 ratings
Primetime 1.5 (1.50) 4.72 season 24 ratings
20/20 1.4 (1.42) 5.30 season 35 ratings
America’s Funniest Home Videos 1.4 (1.38) 5.89 season 23 ratings

These charts incorporate the daily final ABC show ratings (reported by Nielsen) and are sorted by the 18-49 demographic. Network advertisers typically prize those viewers most and so will pay more to reach them. There’s lots of information that the networks take into consideration when cancelling or renewing a TV series but the ratings are the biggest factor. The higher the ratings, the better chance that the show will be renewed. And yes, they take it into account when a show airs on a Friday or Saturday night.

For the status of your favorite ABC shows, check out this page.

Want more posts like this? Here are the other networks: CBS | The CW | FOX | NBC

 

More about: ,

 

Newer and/or Related Articles

{ 38 comments… read them below or add one }

Martine November 5, 2012 at 7:49 am

Anyhow, 666 is doing far too well in the all important 18 to 49, and even better in 18 to 34 age group. So they WILL keep it. No one cares about the amount of people watching. they just care about the 18 to 49 share.

Reply

Eden November 4, 2012 at 9:15 pm

666 is currently the ONLY show on network television I watch-everything else is cable.If they cancel it I’ll be so sad. It’s fun, campy and lightweight spook, which is nice. It’s what TV is all about.

Reply

Martine November 5, 2012 at 7:39 am

Same here. I have found the show just recently, and I definitely will be watching it. 666 Park ave is now one of my favorite shows. Its one of those shows you can watch with friends. I think it will stay.

Reply

DarkHawke November 4, 2012 at 7:35 pm

I blew off 666 after 3 eps. Nowhere NEAR creepy enough considering other shows like American Horror Story and The Walking Dead, and all the characters, including the “evil” ones, were insipid and thinly written. Much as I love Terry O’Quinn in ANYTHING he does, his wonderful glowering can’t substitute for actual writing.

Last Resort is the diametric opposite. I’ve been waiting for a LONG time for Andre Braugher to FINALLY get another role that’s truly worthy of his talents, and at last here it is! This is as gripping a show as 24 was at its best, and it also has the great aspect that I can’t figure out how they’re going to keep it going. If I can’t figure out where a show is going next, yet it continues to be as well-written and engrossing as this one, it’s a damn keeper! The clear and EASY choice is to give Last Resort a FULL season commitment and keep it where it is, with none of the pre-emptions or “mid-season finale” bull that killed the equaly excellent FlashForward a couple years back. Such a tightly written serialized show like this, and one that’s as good as this is, REQUIRES a network that will have its back and have enough patience and provide enough promotio to let it catch on. Think of what we’d have missed if NBC hadn’t given shows like Hill Sreet Blues the chance to shine.

Reply

Martine November 5, 2012 at 7:41 am

Its not the same as AMH. I love AMH. But as crazy as that show has been this season, 666 Park Ave is a nice change of pace. But both are great in their own VERY DIFFERENT ways. Last resort is just not original enough to tempt me.

Reply

Lilybop November 5, 2012 at 8:31 pm

I agree with your comments. I’m thrilled to see Andre Braugher back in a role that’s worthy of his talents. His interactions with Scott Speedman, and Grace’s resilience and determination, are the heart of the show for me. I think of it as Lost meets 24. I’m intrigued by many of the characters and would like to see flashbacks, like Lost, to get to know them better. I’ll be really upset if the network doesn’t go to bat for the show. I watch online or On Demand and wonder how many viewers see it that way and aren’t counted in the ratings. I lost interest in 666 Park Ave after two viewings.

Reply

deidra November 4, 2012 at 6:20 pm

i like 666 park avenue, terry o’quinn is a delight, no matter what the situation, but i am really intrigued by last resort, it’s very timely, given today’s uncertain times and i can’t wait to see what happens next! give them both a chance and cancel the neighbors and malibu county

Reply

Isaura November 4, 2012 at 1:02 pm

I cannot have an opinion regarding Last Resort because I don’t watch the show. I do watch and like 666, it is a good show with many possibilities, plot twists, and to even have different actors come and go as guests. Would be a shame to cancel it.

Reply

Betty November 4, 2012 at 12:36 pm

I tried watching both. I found 666 to be far too campy. the premise for both is too far fetched to catch on, especially Last Resort. No one like to see the USA made to look so foolish or corrupt.

Reply

Martine November 5, 2012 at 7:42 am

I agree. i think Last Resort is simply too angry and unAmerican.

Reply

DHM November 4, 2012 at 12:27 pm

I like 666 but i really love Last resort!! I would wrap 666 in a few episodes and give full season order for Last resort.

Reply

Georgia November 4, 2012 at 12:00 pm

We enjoy both Last Resort and 666 park Avenue at our house. ABC should give their new shows a chance. IMO, a BIG problem is that the Nielsen rating system is as bad and as as accurate as the political polls. NOT!!!

Reply

Duane November 4, 2012 at 10:03 am

666 is a great show-evil all around. LR can rap-up in a few eps. if it needs to. This type of show can’t go on for yrs.

Reply

Coffeemarc1 November 4, 2012 at 9:09 am

Reality check: both shows will be cancelled. It’s just business. I very much enjoy watching them both. 666 Park Avenue reminds me of a hotel version of American Gothic. 666 Park Avenue, however, is a terrible name and my vote is that the name turned off a lot of people who might otherwise have tuned it in.

Last Resort is ambitious, but I truly don’t know how this was expected to be a continuing series over several years. At some point it has to have some kind of closure or drag on and be a parody of itself. I see this has having a really good 1-2 year life and then end. But it won’t matter, because it’s sure to be scuttled.

And this is the problem with high concept shows: The story lines can be fascinating, but don’t lend themselves well to a long lifespan. Lost was an aberration. I don’t see anything as quirky equaling it’s success for a very long time.

Reply

Martine November 5, 2012 at 7:46 am

Really? How about Grimm ( a show based on fairy tales), Once Upon a Time( the same), Walking Dead( about a zombie appocolypse) American Horror Story( about ghosts, slashers, aliens, and two hot nuns) ….I could go ond on…the Amrican Public is sick to DEATH of cop and lawyer shows, hospital shows, family sit coms, and everything else typical. The oddball shows are what does well now.

Reply

Coffeemarc1 November 5, 2012 at 6:20 pm

True, there are some new shows that show promise. Lost had a HUGE following which is amazing considering how untypical it was. It ended only because the story was done. We’ll see if the shows you mention have staying power. I hope so. There is a trail of dead continuing story based shows on the tv roadside…
Bear in mind American Horror Story is in a different niche because it is not a year to year continuing story. It’s intended to be basically a new show every year. And personally I’m not a fan of this new season. It’s NOT the wonderfully creepy tone set in the first season. Kind of ugly, actually.

Reply

Esther November 4, 2012 at 12:59 am

Cancel 666 and without a doubt renew Last Resort

Reply

kayamanth November 3, 2012 at 11:11 pm

Cancel the neighbors ( a really dumb show ) keep both 666 and last resort , both really good plus i think they’ll do good as full season on BR or DVD

Reply

Samara November 3, 2012 at 8:55 pm

If I were in charge, I would keep 666, since despite the lower number of viewers, it has almost the exact rating as Last Resort! So 666 has a greater percentage of the target demo watching it! For me, personally, I love 666!

Reply

nightmareb November 3, 2012 at 7:44 pm

I WOULD CANCEL BOTH SHOW 666 AND LAST

Reply

Mike November 3, 2012 at 6:35 pm

I would cancel 666 and move last resore to its times lot with a full season order

Reply

Leave a Comment