CBS’ ‘Briefcase’ is week’s top new show
The CBS alternative series “The Briefcase” drew the largest audience of last week’s six premieres, while the debuts of NBC’s “I Can Do That” and “Aquarius” also won their time slots.
“The Briefcase” averaged 6.87 million viewers, winning its Wednesday 8-9 p.m. time slot and was ninth among the prime-time broadcast and cable programs airing between May 25 and Sunday, according to live-plus-sameday figures released Tuesday by Nielsen.
The alternative series “I Can Do That” won its Tuesday 10-11 p.m. time slot, averaging 6.4 million viewers, 12th for the week.
The 1.8 rating for “I Can Do That” among viewers ages 18 to 49 was the highest for the premiere of a summer series since CBS’ “Under the Dome” averaged a 3.3 rating on June 24, 2013. NBC, ABC and Fox target viewers ages 18 to 49, who are also coveted by advertisers because they watch less television and are harder to reach.
The period police drama “Aquarius” won its 9-11 p.m. Thursday time slot, averaging 5.67 million viewers, 18th for the week.
Fox’s two premieres both drew a lackluster response from viewers. The competition series “Bullseye” was sixth in its Wednesday 9-10 p.m. time slot and 65th for the week, averaging 3.32 million viewers.
The first original episode of “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?” on Fox since 2009 was fifth in its Tuesday 8-9 p.m. time slot and 67th for the week, averaging 3.3 million viewers.
NBC was the most watched network during the first full week of televi- sion’s summer season, averaging 5.49 million. It had the week’s most-watched program, the season premiere of “America’s Got Talent,” which averaged 11.09 million viewers, the only program to average more than 9 million viewers.
The week’s mostwatched cable program was ESPN’s coverage of the Golden State Warriors’ Western Conference Finalsclinching victory over the Houston Rockets, which averaged 8.89 million viewers, second among the week’s prime-time programs.