‘The Conners’ premiere slips 35 percent from ‘Roseanne’ return in early ratings

“The Conners” had a solid series premiere on Tuesday, topping “The Voice” from 8-8:30 p.m. but losing the time slot to CBS’ “NCIS,” according to Nielsen’s overnight ratings. The Roseanne-less “Roseanne” fell 35 percent shy of its predecessor-series’ Spring 2018 return, but it beat the season finale, per these earliest-available TV ratings.

This version of the classic ABC sitcom landed a 7.5 rating in Nielsen’s 56 metered markets. The “Roseanne” return scored an 11.6, which ultimately translated to 18.2 million total viewers.

Last night’s 7.5 is 3 percent better than what ended up being the “Roseanne” series finale, since Roseanne Barr was fired from her own TV comedy.

Also Read:'The Conners': What ABC Expects From 'Roseanne' Spinoff's Ratings

The spring “Roseanne” run averaged an 8.6 overnight rating, which is 13 percent higher than the start for “The Conners.”

Below is how that final “Roseanne” run went, per episode, in the 56 metered markets:
3/27: 11.6
4/3: 9.8
4/10: 9.2
4/17: 8.7
5/1: 8.1
5/8: 6.9
5/15: 7.1
5/22: 7.3