“The River,” the newest ABC series filmed in Hawaii, got off to a modest start in its Tuesday (Feb. 7) premiere. Preliminary overnight Nielsen ratings indicated that rough waters are ahead — the two-hour debut show finished second in its 8 to 10 p.m. (9 to 11 p.m. on the Mainland) time slot.
“The River” averaged 7.5 million viewers and a 2.4 rating in the 18 to 49 adult demos, with the first hour doing better than the second. It needs a major surge to become a prime time player, though the show was up 4 per cent compared to the earlier “Off the Map” series that also was filmed locally, but eventually canceled.
Tuesday, of course, is CBS’ night, with the one-two punch, “NCIS” at 7 p.m. and “NCIS: Los Angeles” at 8 p.m. The flagship procedural, marking its 200th episode, drew 20.8 million viewers and a 4.1 adult rating. “NCIS: LA” was down a skosh, with 16.12 million viewers and a 3.1 adult rating, but nonetheless first in its time slot.
CBS’ “Unforgettable” won the 9 p.m. hour, with 11.70 million viewers and a 2.2 adult rating.
Are you a potential "River" fan? Did you watch? Did you like?