NBC’s ‘Smash’ returns to a series low

NBC’s “Smash” crashed in its second-season debut.

Last night’s premiere fell to a series low and was down 39 percent from last May’s first-season finale.

“Smash” averaged a 1.1 adults 18-49 rating from 9 to 11 p.m. last night, according to Nielsen overnights, off from a 1.8 for its most recent episode last spring.

The musical drama was expected to draw lower ratings than it put up during its first season, when it aired behind the hit show “The Voice.” Last February it posted the season’s second-best debut for a new drama, drawing a 3.8 in its 10 p.m. Monday slot.

This year it has moved to Tuesday, where it has little lead-in support. NBC’s “Betty White’s Second Annual 90th Birthday Special” drew only a 1.5 at 8 p.m.

“Smash” started with a 1.3 at 9 p.m. but had dropped to a 1.0 by 10:30 p.m.

The show’s ratings may see a DVR bounce, as it gained an average of 47 percent when seven-day playback was added last season. This time its initial numbers are so low that may not help its chances of survival.

Elsewhere last night, ABC’s “The Taste” rebounded in its third episode, growing 13 percent from last week to a 1.8 at 8 p.m., second in the timeslot behind CBS’s “NCIS,” dominant as usual with a 3.7.

A special 9 p.m. episode of “The Bachelor” drew a 2.6, growing 8 percent from the previous night’s episode.

Fox’s 9:30 p.m. comedy “The Mindy Project” may have benefited from the absence of usual timeslot foe “The New Normal” on NBC. The show grew to its best rating in four months, a 1.9, up 12 percent from last week.

CBS finished first for the night among 18-49s with a 2.8 average overnight rating and a 7 share. ABC was second at 2.3/6, Fox third at 1.9/5, Univision fourth at 1.7/5, NBC fifth at 1.2/3, and CW and Telemundo tied for sixth at 0.5/1.

As a reminder, all ratings are based on live-plus-same-day DVR playback, which includes shows replayed before 3 a.m. the night before. Seven-day DVR data won’t be available for several weeks. Forty-seven percent of Nielsen households have DVRs.

At 8 p.m. CBS led with a 3.7 for “NCIS,” with ABC and Univision tied for second at 1.8, ABC for “Taste” and Univision for “Por Ella Soy Eva.” Fox was fourth with a 1.6 for “Raising Hope,” NBC fifth with a 1.5 for “Birthday,” CW sixth with a 0.6 for “Hart of Dixie” and Telemundo seventh with a 0.5 for “Pasion Prohibida.”

CBS was first again at 9 p.m. with a 3.1 for “NCIS: Los Angeles,” followed by ABC with a 2.6 for “Bachelor.” Fox was third with a 2.2 for “New Girl” (2.5, even to last week) and “Mindy” (1.9), Univision fourth with a 1.9 for “Amores Verdadores,” NBC fifth with a 1.2 for “Smash,” Telemundo sixth with a 0.6 for “La Patrona” and CW seventh with a 0.4 for the series finale of “Emily Owens, M.D.”

ABC took the lead at 10 p.m. with a 2.7 for more “Bachelor,” while CBS slipped to second with a 1.6 for “Vegas.” Univision was third with a 1.3 for “Amor Bravio,” NBC fourth with a 1.0 for more “Smash” and Telemundo fifth with a 0.4 for “El Rostro de la Venganza.”

Among households, CBS led the night with a 9.9. average overnight rating and a 16 share. ABC was second at a 4.6/7, NBC third at 3.3/5, Fox fourth at 2.4/4 and CW fifth at 0.9/1. Note: Household primetime averages for the Spanish-language networks weren’t available at press time.

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