“The Blacklist” (NBC) has made it on nearly 18 million viewers’ must-watch list.
The rookie James Spader drama set the record for live+7 viewership, adding 6.5 million viewers (from 11.4 million viewers to 17.9 million viewers) in Nielsen’s recently released DVR ratings for week two of the fall TV season,
That broke the previous record of 5.7 million viewers for the season premiere episode of “The Big Bang Theory” (CBS) a week before, with “Blacklist” becoming the first broadcast show to add more than 6 million viewers in seven days of delayed viewing.
Two other dramas — “Sleepy Hollow” (Fox) and “Elementary” (CBS) were also big DVR gainers, each adding 4.8 million viewers in the week.
“Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” (ABC) also picked up a sizeable DVR bump, jumping from 8.7 million viewers to 13.2 million (a difference of 4.5 million viewers). Fellow ABC drama “Grey’s Anatomy” added 4 million viewers.
At the opposite end of the spectrum were some of the season’s early casualties. Canceled comedy “We Are Men” (CBS) increased just 12 percent (800,000 viewers) in DVR playback, the axed “Welcome to the Family” (NBC) grew 18 percent (500,000 viewers) and the defunct “Lucky 7” (ABC) added just 700,000 viewers, or 25 percent.
The DVR data also helps explain the season pick-ups for series that would seem to be under-performing in overnight ratings. “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” (Fox) received a 22-episode order and a plum spot after the Super Bowl while averaging 3.4 million same-day viewers, the same as Fox’s fellow freshman comedy “Dads.” With seven days of playback, “Brooklyn” soared 2.3 million viewers (65 percent) to 5.7 million viewers while “Dads” improved just 27 percent.