9-1-1 is firing up the airwaves on its new home at ABC. The Season 7 premiere, which paid homage to the disaster thriller The Poseidon Adventure, has now amassed 8.85 million viewers after three days of viewing across ABC, Hulu and other digital platforms. That’s nearly an 80% increase from the live+same-day audience of 4.93 million.
Disney Media Entertainment and Distribution is bringing three off-network shows to national broadcast syndication this fall: sitcom American Housewife will air seven days a week starting Sept. 12, while one-hour dramas 9-1-1 and The Rookie will debut in weekend syndication on Sept. 17.
It’s an upfronts miracle: Fox and 20th Television have closed Season 6 renewals of 9-1-1 and The Resident for the 2022-23 season. Negotiations were completed shortly before the Fox upfront presentation’s 4 p.m. ET start on Monday dso the two venerable dramas could be included in the network’s pitch to advertisers.
Fox’s four returning drama series, 9-1-1, spinoff 9-1-1: Lone Star, The Resident and Prodigal Son, will be back in the air with new seasons in January (no exact premiere dates yet). The network on Tuesday released a promo teasing the upcoming return of the series, which are now in production. The network also unveiled tweaked Monday and Tuesday lineups.
Exclusives
Fox Entertainment continues with its early renewals, picking up flagship drama series 9-1-1 for a fourth season and its breakout spinoff 9-1-1: Lone Star for a second. The network already has renewed its freshman animated series Bless the Harts and Duncanville for next season and also has The Simpsons and Family Guy set to return next fall.
Fox has renewed its Monday procedural lineup of sophomore dramas 9-1-1 and The Resident. Both have been picked up for a third season and both hail from network’s former studio sibling 20th Century Fox TV, which, as of last week, became part of Disney. Following their launch last midseason, 9-1-1 and The Resident delivered +24% year-over-year growth for Fox Monday this past fall.
‘9-1-1,’ ‘Goldbergs’ Top Wednesday Night
Fox’s 9-1-1 was once again the top drama of Wednesday night while the 1990s episode of The Goldbergs was the top-rated show overall. For ABC, The Goldbergs drew a 1.7 rating in adults 18-49 and 6.1 million viewers, matching its season high in the demo. American Housewife held even at 8:30 (1.4, 5.3 million) but dipped in both measures with a second new episode at 9:30 (1.1, 4.2 million). Match Game (0.7, 3.2 million) slipped in the demo.
The new year is less than two weeks old, but it’s already delivered at least two potential new broadcast TV hits: Ellen’s Game of Games and Ryan Murphy’s 9-1-1. Both shows launched to big audiences earlier this month and have held up in their subsequent outings.
‘9-1-1’ Builds Big On ‘X-Files’ Lead-In
9-1-1 was up in both measures this week, building substantially on its lead in from The X-Files. Airing at 9 p.m. on Fox, 9-1-1 drew a 1.8 rating in adults 18-49 and 6.2 million viewers. That is up approximately 20% in the demo and 10% in viewers compared to last week. Compared to a new episode of The X-Files at 8 (1.1, 3.9 million), 9-1-1 built on its lead-in by approximately 60% in both measures.
Just two episodes in, Fox has renewed hit drama series 9-1-1 for a second season. Written and executive produced by Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Tim Minear, 9-1-1 is coming off record ratings for its series premiere. The debut episode has drawn more than 15 million viewers in seven-day multi-platform viewing for Fox’s largest premiere since Empire in 2015, excluding post-Super Bowl premieres, according to the network.
