Unless it was one of the youngest-skewing shows of all-time, NBC’s provocative “The Playboy Club” looks like it failed to epitomize the “sex sells” philosophy.
TV Media Insights reports that NBC’s new drama garnered only a 3.9 overnight metered market rating for its premiere Monday, below even what disappointing “Chase” delivered in its opener last year.
Among adults 18-49, “Playboy” flopped with just a 1.6 rating. The viewership average was also soft at only 5.1 million.
While actual interest in the show was clearly weak, the show also suffered from a disappointing lead-in. Thanks to hefty competition from ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” and CBS’ comedy lineup (notably, the mammoth “Two and a Half Men” premiere), “The Sing Off” underwhelmed in its first regular fall season outing, delivering just a 3.5 overnight number with a 3.1 in the relevant 9PM hour.
Among adults 18-49, “Sing Off,” which performed admirably last winter, could only muster a 1.9.
Last year, “Chase” received help from “The Event,” which was far stronger in its premiere.
— Over on CBS, “Two and a Half Men” gave “2 Broke Girls” a huge boost. Its retention was not perfect, but at a 12.7 overnight number, the female-fronted comedy received more sampling than any new sitcom can hope to receive. Its numbers will naturally fall when it moves to its usual 8:30PM timeslot, but no one can complain it did not get a fair shake.
