Skip Bolen/CBSThe battle for the eyeballs has begun: Fall TV is officially upon us. As the major broadcast networks roll out their new offerings, everybody is watching the Nielsen numbers. There have been some big hits and misses already, but the true test will be whether viewers stick around. One lesson learned so far: Don't mess with NCIS.
The latest spinoff of the hit franchise, NCIS: New Orleans, is the highest-rated new show yet with 17.1 million viewers, according to Nielsen's overnight ratings. It nabbed a 2.5 rating in the key 18-49 demographic. Scott Bakula and CCH Pounder star in the latest NCIS series. The NCIS mothership show was its lead-in with 18 million viewers.
Along with NCIS: NOLA, CBS has been hitting it out of the park with their new shows. Madam Secretary had 14.7 million viewers during its Sunday night debut. The Téa Leoni series had a 2.0 rating. Scorpion, CBS's new drama about geniuses starring Elyes Gabel and Katharine McPhee, had 13.8 million viewers and a 3.2 rating on Monday. Will fellow newbies Stalker and The McCarthys, which have yet to debut, be able to keep the high premiere ratings trend going? Time will tell!
Over on Fox, Red Band Society premiered soft with a 4.1 rating and a 1.3 rating in the 18-49 demo. Gotham, the Batman origin story starring Ben McKenzie, had 8.2 million viewers and a super 3.2 rating.
ABC's premiere of Forever starring Ioan Gruffudd as an immortal medical examiner had 8.6 million viewers and a 1.7 rating.
NBC's only rolled out one new show, The Mysteries of Laura. The Debra Messing series premiered after the America's Got Talent finale last Wednesday and had 10.2 million viewers and a 2.0 rating. It makes its time period debut tonight at 8 p.m. on Wednesday.
Will any new show topple NCIS: NOLA? In the wings are How to Get Away With Murder and new comedies Selfie and Manhattan Love Story on ABC, Fox's Gracepoint, Mulaney, The CW's offerings of The Flash and Jane the Virgin and a bevy of new comedies and dramas from NBC including Katherine Heigl's State of Affairs.