'The Big Bang Theory,' 'This is Us,' 'Modern Family,' Empire'--they all used to be huge hits for their respective networks, and they were all way down in the ratings this year. Audience drop-off is not surprising, especially given how many in the under 50 demo are fleeing network TV altogether, though it's not all doom and gloom. Fox had a strong Friday night, with 'Last Man Standing,' the Tim Allen sitcom it picked up after ABC dropped it two years ago. And a lot of the audience for that show stuck around for 'The Cool Kids,' which proved the most popular new network show with millennials, even though the show is set at a retirement community and all the stars are older than 60. And for as much as the NFL has been lambasted by people on both sides of the political spectrum, ratings there continue to hold strong.
KCRW
