NBC’s “Manifest” has set new records with the all-time biggest two-day lift for a series premiere in the network’s measurement history, in both the all-important adults 18-49 range and total viewers, according to Nielsen data dating back to May 2007.
The “Manifest” premiere scored a 2.16 rating in the key demo in live-plus-same-day Nielsen numbers, shifting to a 3.44 in live-plus-two-day data. The episode put up 10.404 million viewers in L+SD and lifted to 15.304 million in L+2.
That puts the Josh Dallas-led drama’s start at No. 2 in the 2-day shifted overall eyeballs contest among premieres, behind only ABC’s “Roseanne” revival — if you count that sitcom’s return as a series debut, that is. (This race is just counting total viewers though, not the 18-49 demo.)
The “Manifest” premiere ranks No. 4 for the all time biggest Live+2 day rating lift among all telecasts on broadcast and cable, behind the new “Roseanne”s debut, the post-Super Bowl episode of “This Is Us” and the Jan. 27, 2014 telecast of “The Blacklist.”
The previous biggest L+2 lift for an NBC series debut in the 18-49 range was for the “Will & Grace” revival in 2017 and in total viewers it was “Blindspot”s premiere in 2015.
Here’s the official synopsis for the new series, starring Dallas and Melissa Roxburgh: When Montego Air Flight 828 landed safely after a turbulent but routine flight, the crew and passengers were relieved. Yet in the span of those few hours, the world had aged five years and their friends, families and colleagues, after mourning their loss, had given up hope and moved on. Now, faced with the impossible, they’re all given a second chance. But as their new realities become clear, a deeper mystery unfolds and some of the returned passengers soon realize they may be meant for something greater than they ever thought possible.
The cast includes Roxburgh (“Valor”), Dallas (“Once Upon a Time”), Athena Karkanis (“Zoo”), J.R. Ramirez (“Power”), Luna Blaise (“Fresh Off the Boat”), Jack Messina and Parveen Kaur (“Saving Hope”).
“Manifest” airs Mondays at 10/9c on NBC.