The Big Bang Theory leads all TV sitcoms in live and delayed (Live+7) viewing for Fall 2013

We’re barely a month into the Fall 2013 TV season, and already America’s four primary primetime broadcast networks have decided the fates of several of its rookie sitcoms.

Welcome To The Family? From welcome mat to doormat, said NBC, showing it the exit after three episodes. We Are Men didn’t even get that far, cancelled by CBS quicker than you could see “We Are One Night Stands,” which would have been its third episode.

On the flip side, CBS gave back-nine full-season orders to freshman comedies Mom, The Crazy Ones and The Millers. FOX said yes yes to Brooklyn Nine-Nine, giving it a full-season plus a special one-hour boost with an extra-long bonus airing after the Super Bowl in February. NBC, of course, long ago made a full 22-episode commitment to Michael J. Fox’s comeback to starring sitcom status.

That leaves everybody us on bubbles.

Unless you consider those bubbles the “bubblies” of champagne uncorked and drink drank drunk in celebratory fashion by the cast and crew of The Big Bang Theory, as it has ascended to #1 status in its seventh season. It’s grown on more than 23 million viewers now, and is the most popular broadcast network series in all of TV for viewers 49 and younger.

So where does that leave everybody else?

Well, let’s look at the evidence, as evidenced by the various ratings.

Week of Oct. 14-20, 2013. Nightly ratings in 18-49, and overall viewership, via Nielsen.

  1. The Big Bang Theory (8 p.m. Thursday, CBS): 5.2, 17.8 million viewers
  2. Modern Family (9 p.m. Wednesday, ABC): 4.1, 10.94 mil
  3. The Millers (8:30 p.m. Thursday, CBS): 3.2, 12.27 mil
  4. How I Met Your Mother (8 p.m. Monday, CBS): 3.1, 7.98 mil
  5. 2 Broke Girls (8:30 p.m. Monday, CBS): 2.6, 7.99 mil
  6. The Crazy Ones (9 p.m. Thursday, CBS): 2.4, 9.37 mil
  7. Two and a Half Men (9:30 p.m. Thursday, CBS): 2.1, 8.59 mil
  8. Super Fun Night (9:30 p.m. Wednesday, ABC): 2.1, 5.95 mil
  9. Mom (9:30 p.m. Monday, CBS): 2.0, 7.44 mil
  10. Back in the Game (8:30 p.m. Wednesday, ABC): 1.9, 6.35 mil
  11. New Girl (9 p.m. Tuesday, FOX): 1.8, 3.45 mil
  12. The Goldbergs (9 p.m. Tuesday, ABC): 1.6, 5.05 mil
  13. Brooklyn Nine-Nine (8:30 p.m. Tuesday, FOX): 1.5, 3.43 mil
  14. Dads (8 p.m. Tuesday, FOX): 1.5, 3.42 mil
  15. The Mindy Project (9:30 p.m. Tuesday, FOX): 1.4, 2.73 mil
  16. Last Man Standing (8 p.m. Friday, ABC): 1.3, 6.14 mil
  17. Trophy Wife (9:30 p.m. Tuesday, ABC): 1.3, 4.12 mil
  18. Parks and Recreation (8 p.m. Thursday, NBC): 1.3, 3.27 mil
  19. The Michael J. Fox Show (9:30 p.m. Thursday, NBC): 1.2, 3.56 mil
  20. Sean Saves The World (9 p.m. Thursday, NBC): 1.1, 3.36 mil
  21. The Neighbors (8:30 p.m. Friday, ABC): 1.0, 4.35 mil
  22. Welcome To The Family (8:30 p.m. Thursday, NBC): 0.9, 2.42 mil

Note: We Are Men‘s second and final airing during the previous week rated a 1.8 with 5.41 million viewers, which would have placed it 11th last week (2 Broke Girls moved into its timeslot instead). FOX’s Sunday animated lineup has been in repeats or pre-empted for Major League Baseball playoffs.

Seeing as how people see TV later than live now, thanks to more cable companies adopting and promoting DVR use, TiVos, and VOD options, some series maintain a larger fanbase than you’d think just by who’s talking about the episodes the following morning.

Live and Live+7 DVR ratings via Nielsen from the second week of fall (which was the first week for some sitcoms pre-empted by hour-long premieres during “premiere week”) show the biggest bumps for these TV comedies from the week of Sept. 30 through Oct. 6, 2013.

Ratings points for the 18-49 demo, Live vs. the Live+7 giving viewers up to seven days to catch up and watch:

  • The Big Bang Theory (CBS) 5.2 –> 7.6
  • Modern Family (ABC) 4.2 –> 6.2
  • How I Met Your Mother (CBS) 3.1 –> 4.4
  • The Crazy Ones (CBS) 2.9 –> 4.0
  • New Girl (FOX) 1.9 –> 3.6
  • 2 Broke Girls (CBS) 2.4 –> 3.4
  • Brooklyn Nine-Nine (FOX) 1.4 –> 2.5
  • Last Man Standing (ABC) 1.4 –> 2.1
  • Parks and Recreation (NBC) 1.2 –> 1.8

The other sitcoms, with their respective ratings bumps with Live+7 DVR viewings added:

  • Super Fun Night (ABC) 3.2 –> 4.0
  • The Millers (CBS) 3.3 –> 3.9
  • The Simpsons (FOX) 3.0 –> 3.5
  • Family Guy (FOX) 2.5 –> 3.4
  • Two and a Half Men (CBS) 2.4 –> 3.3
  • The Goldbergs (ABC) 2.2 –> 3.1
  • Mom (CBS) 2.2 –> 2.8
  • The Middle (ABC) 2.3 –> 2.8
  • American Dad (FOX) 2.1 –> 2.8
  • Michael J. Fox Show (NBC) 1.7 –> 2.5
  • We Are Men (CBS) 2.0 –> 2.3
  • Bob’s Burgers (FOX) 1.9 –> 2.3
  • Back in the Game (ABC) 1.9 –> 2.2
  • The Mindy Project (FOX) 1.5 –> 2.2
  • Last Man Standing (ABC) 1.4 –> 2.1
  • Trophy Wife (ABC) 1.4 –> 1.9
  • Dads (FOX) 1.3 –> 1.8
  • Sean Saves The World (NBC) 1.4 –> 1.8
  • Welcome to the Family (NBC) 1.1 –> 1.3
  • The Neighbors (ABC) 1.0 –> 1.3

As part of NBC’s moves, it’s benching Parks for most of the rest of 2013, airing specials in the 8 p.m. Thursday hour in an attempt to bolster chances for its remaining two sitcoms on the air this fall to survive ’til winter. Community will return for its fifth season on Jan. 2, 2014, at 8 p.m. Thursday, followed by new episodes of Parks and Rec.

Sean L. McCarthy

Editor and publisher since 2007, when he was named New York's Funniest Reporter. Former newspaper reporter at the New York Daily News, Boston Herald and smaller dailies and community papers across America. Loves comedy so much he founded this site.

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