TV ratings: ABC’s ‘Rising Star’ hits low; CBS’ ‘Big Brother’ wins

ABC’s “Rising Star” fell to a ratings low for the show Sunday night, according to early numbers from Nielsen.

The hourlong telecast, in which three singers survived the second night of so-called duels, earned a rating of 1.0 among key 18- to 49-year-old viewers, down 23% from last week’s episode. In the 18-49 demographic, a ratings point equals about 1.3 million viewers.

That’s the weakest result yet for “Rising Star,” ABC’s attempted twist on the long-established TV singing contest format. The series features host Josh Groban and judges Brad Paisley, Kesha and Ludacris.

Overall, the broadcast scored 4.06 million viewers, compared with 4.5 million last week. It managed to do about as well as its lead-in “Wipeout,” which dropped 29% week-to-week for a 1.0 in the advertiser-desired 18-49 category and pulled in 3.8 million viewers total.

CBS again had the night’s winning show in “Big Brother” (2.1 in 18-49). The privacy-deprivation reality stalwart nabbed the No. 1 spot in the 18-to-49-year-old demo, earning CBS the top spot among the broadcast networks. With the help of “Big Brother,” CBS was also first twice last week (on Wednesday and Thursday).

“Big Brother” was followed by the crime drama “Unforgettable” (up 11% to a 1.0). The network’s prime-time lineup was capped off by the low-rated new Southern legal drama “Reckless.” That show earned a 0.6 in the key demo, up 20% from last week. Elsewhere on the network, “60 Minutes” drew in about 7.7 million viewers, making it the most viewed program of the night.

Fox aired encores of “American Dad,” “Bob’s Burgers,” “The Simpsons” and “Family Guy.”

The “Family Guy” rerun was the second-most-watched program among the key demo, with a rating of 1.5. The network itself was also second overall in the key demo, with a rating of 1.0.

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