Ratings roundup: Revolution heralds brave new era where televisions only work if they’re tuned to NBC

By Erik Adams | September 18, 2012 | 6:00pm

Aux Features TV

Mounting its trustiest steed and delivering a decree in the velvety-smooth-yet-curiously-intimidating tones of Giancarlo Esposito, the Nielsen Company announced that Monday night’s episode of Revolution scored the biggest ratings for a network drama première in three years—thus ending a statistical “blackout” caused by millions of people watching (then denying they’d watched) the debut of ABC’s V remake. The news of Revolution’s 11.65 million viewers and worthy-of-bragging-about-on-Twitter (so long as we still live in a world with functioning electronics—if “yes,” blink twice in the comments) 4.1 rating in the 18-49 demographic came on the back of an all-out victory for The Peacock Network. Taking a look at the dominant numbers for The Voice, it immediately set about demanding taxation without representation from lower-rated networks and shows. One such target: The Mob Doctor, which introduced the world of mob doctorin’ to 5.09 million viewers—rating slightly better than CBS’ 2 Broke Girls rerun, which nonetheless squeaked past Dr. Mobster, M.D. (The “M.D.” Stands For “Mob Doctor”) in the target demo. Perhaps rabid War At Home fans got the word out early that Michael Rappaport doesn’t make it through the pilot.

Even with The Voice’s ratings improving from last Monday’s season première, NBC isn’t in the clear yet. Revolution’s predecessors in the big-debut department—V and Bionic Woman—aren’t examples of long-term success, and the network’s flagship singing competition has yet to do battle with the returning CBS comedies or Dancing With The Stars: All-Stars this fall. The network is looking all high, mighty, and in-control-of-all-the-guns-in-a-parallel-to-British-colonists today, but it’ll have several crossbows trained on its head next Monday. Good thing celebrities are notoriously poor at combining metaphorical archery with ballroom dancing.