Primetime Ratings: Fox’s Live ‘Passion’ Does Decent

There was a virtual three-way tie for the broadcast ratings title Sunday, with CBS, Fox and NBC doing identical 1.4 ratings in people 18-49, according to Nielsen’s overnights. CBS put up a 5 share, while Fox and NBC showed a 4.

CBS got a healthy lead-in from NCAA basketball, which did a 3.0 at 7 p.m., before 60 Minutes rated a 1.7, up from last week’s 1.1, when the NCAA hoops selection show was the lead-in, and Madam Secretary a 1.2, flat with its last airing. The Good Wife was up 11% to 1.0, and Elementary, running 10:30 to 11:30 p.m., was down 27% from its last airing at 0.8.

Fox’s The Passion, a live musical in New Orleans tied to Palm Sunday, did a 1.6.  It had reruns leading in.

On NBC, repeats of Little Big Shots led into a new episode, which registered a 2.6, down 7%. The Carmichael Show scored a 1.4, up 8% from what two episodes averaged last week. Crowded, in its regular slot premiere did a 1.0, down 38% from what two episodes averaged March 15, and Hollywood Game Night a 0.7, down 22%.

On ABC, America’s Funniest Home Videos rated a flat 1.1 and Once Upon a Time a 1.1, down 15%, then The Family was down 13% at 0.7, and Quantico was off 9% to 1.0.

Michael Malone

Michael Malone is content director at B+C and Multichannel News. He joined B+C in 2005 and has covered network programming, including entertainment, news and sports on broadcast, cable and streaming; and local broadcast television, including writing the "Local News Close-Up" market profiles. He also hosted the podcasts "Busted Pilot" and "Series Business." His journalism has also appeared in The New York Times, The L.A. Times, The Boston Globe and New York magazine.