ABC brought back “Bachelor in Paradise” (but not Chris Harrison) last night, maintaining its momentum on Mondays. The dating competition was off last summer amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
At 10 p.m., the Disney-owned broadcast network wrapped up Season 1 of “Celebrity Dating Game.” There was significantly less love in the air for that one.
NBC ranked second in primetime last night, according to Nielsen numbers, airing two hours of “American Ninja Warrior” and one of “The Wall.”
ABC was first in ratings with a 0.7 rating in the advertiser-coveted 18-49 demographic and second in total viewers with an average of 2.6 million, according to preliminary numbers. “Bachelor in Paradise” from 8 to 10 p.m. averaged a 0.8 rating and 3.1 million total viewers. At 10, “Celebrity Dating Game” got a 0.4 rating and 1.8 million total viewers.
Harrison temporarily stepped aside from the program in February after fans called into question the show’s handling of race and criticized Harrison for an interview in which he appeared to defend a contestant’s racist actions. Harrison has apologized for the interview, saying he is “dedicated to getting educated on a more profound and productive level than ever before.”
He exited the franchise completely on June 8, following announcements that former Bachelorettes Tayshia Adams and Kaitlyn Bristowe would host Katie Thurston’s season of “The Bachelorette” this summer and David Spade and a rotating stable of guest hosts would be leading this season of “Bachelor in Paradise.”
NBC was second in ratings with a 0.5 and first in total viewers with 3.1 million. “American Ninja Warrior” from 8 to 10 averaged a 0.5 rating and 3.3 million total viewers. “The Wall” at 10 got a 0.5 and 2.6 million total viewers.
Fox was third in ratings with a 0.4 and fourth in total viewers with 1.9 million. “Hell’s Kitchen” at 8 had a 0.6 rating and 2.5 million total viewers. At 9, “Housebroken” got a 0.3 rating and 939,000 total viewers. “Duncanville” at 9:30 managed a 0.2 rating and 645,000 total viewers.
CBS was fourth in ratings with a 0.2 and third in total viewers with 2.3 million, airing all reruns.
The CW was fifth in ratings with a 0.1 and in total viewers with 503,000. “Roswell, New Mexico” at 8 had a 0.1 rating and 693,000 total viewers. At 9, “Republic of Sarah” settled for a 0.0 rating and 314,000 total viewers.
We do not have early Nielsen numbers for Spanish-language networks Univision and Telemundo.