The CW continues to try out different programming in the wake of Nexstar taking over the network, and it looks like The Chosen was a risk work taking.
Sunday’s 90-minute broadcast-TV premiere had 520,000 viewers and a 0.1 rating, easily outperforming the rest of the network’s summer shows.
Nancy Drew and Riverdale would love these numbers, and The Chosen’s performance is even more impressive when you consider that it’s been available on streaming platforms for quite a while now.
The CW picked up The Chosen earlier this year with a commitment to air all three seasons and more if the show succeeds.
The Chosen is set to air through Christmas Eve, but the network has yet to decide on the fourth season.
The show can continue production on its fourth season despite the SAG-AFTRA strike.
It will be fun watching if the show can hold up on The CW, but there’s also the possibility that the increased exposure will lead to fans finding the show on streaming platforms.
Elsewhere on TV on Sunday night, Tough as Nails slumped to a series low in the demo on CBS.
The game show had 2 million viewers and a 0.1 rating.
Big Brother is typically already on the air by this point in the season, so the series would benefit from the lead-in.
However, Big Brother has been banished to August as CBS wants more original content running into the fall if its scripted shows don’t return this year.
Over on ABC, The Prank Panel (2.1 million viewers/0.3 rating), Celebrity Family Feud (2.7 million/0.4 rating), and $100,000 Pyramid (2.7 million/0.3 rating) were relatively steady in the demo.
What are your thoughts on the TV ratings?
Are you surprised by The Chosen’s strong performance?
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Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.
