‘Young Sheldon’ and ‘The Good Doctor’: Audiences Fall Hard For TV’s New Savants — Ratings Watch

There’s a bit of a similarity in the lead characters on CBS’ “Young Sheldon” and ABC’s “The Good Doctor”: They’re both highly intelligent but socially uncomfortable, and apparently on the spectrum. But here’s one more thing they have in common: Their shows are two of this fall’s earliest new hits.

“Young Sheldon” and “The Good Doctor” are the first new fall 2017 series to score full-season pickups, in light of their solid debut ratings. According to the just-released Live+3 ratings (which includes three days of DVR and VOD usage) for premiere week, “Young Sheldon” was the week’s top-rated new comedy, and “The Good Doctor” was the top-rated new drama.

As a matter of fact, “Young Sheldon” (21.5 million) and “The Good Doctor” (16.9 million) were bigger than Sunday Night Football. Here’s what else is incredible: Both shows premiered on the same Monday night, Sept. 25 — the very first night of the new season.

On Sept. 25, “Young Sheldon” averaged a 5.2 rating with adults 18-49 (L+3), holding on to most of its “The Big Bang Theory” lead-in (5.5).

In a week dominated by premieres, it was veteran series “Big Bang,” now in its 10th season, that led all viewers (22 million), while Sunday Night Football still led with adults 18-49 (5.8 rating). But close behind: The Season 2 premiere of NBC’s “This Is Us” averaged a 5.7 rating in adults 18-49 (L+3), adding 46% from its initial live rating.

The tale of “This Is Us” doesn’t end there. In “live plus seven day” Nielsens, the show jumps to 6.5 in 18-49, making it the top-rated entertainment telecast on broadcast television since the Academy Awards (9.5 in L+7 on Feb. 26) and NBC’s top rated fall premiere of an entertainment series since the Season 2 return of “Heroes” in 2007 (8.41).

As for the latest on-demand viewership chart from Xfinity, once again “The Good Doctor” and “Young Sheldon” led the way with new shows (well, if you don’t include “Will & Grace”).

Here are this week’s rankers:

Adults 18-49 ranker, week ending Oct. 1, 2017:

Total viewers ranker, week ending Oct. 1, 2017:

Here is this week’s Xfinity On Demand ranker:

Top 20 TV Series, Sept. 25-Oct. 2, 2017:

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