American Idol finished the week of April 23 as the second-highest rated broadcast, trailing only The Big Bang Theory. During the special Disney-themed episode — broadcast live coast to coast — American Idol earned a 1.9 rating in the key adults 18-49 demographic. That Disney night performance placed the show behind the lone series that week to break the 2.0 mark, The Big Bang Theory.
ABC captured the adults 18-49 ratings crown for the relatively soft week of April 23, helped in part by the live nationwide airing of “American Idol.” “Idol” finished second in the 18-49 demo with a 1.9 rating, just 0.1 behind “The Big Bang Theory.” A lineup of “Roseanne” repeats on Tuesday also contributed to ABC’s performance, placing four entries among the week’s top 25 shows, while “Grey’s Anatomy” remained among the top 10.
For the week ABC averaged a 0.9 in the adults 18-49 demo, in a stretch where no single broadcast network topped a 1.0 average. Meanwhile, CBS continued to lead in total audience size, posting the largest overall viewership (6.4 million) for the eighth consecutive week.
Disney Night ranked fifth when measured by total viewers, while NBC’s Tuesday edition of The Voice claimed the third spot for overall viewership that same week. Below are the weekly top 25 broadcast shows, first by adults 18-49 rating and then by total viewers, for April 23–29, 2018.
Top 25 broadcast shows in adults 18-49 for April 23–29, 2018
1 THE BIG BANG THEORY — CBS Thurs. 8:00 PM — 2.0 — 2,633
2 AMERICAN IDOL — ABC Sun. 8:00 PM — 1.9 — 2,451
3 YOUNG SHELDON — CBS Thurs. 8:31 PM — 1.8 — 2,309
4 EMPIRE — FOX Weds. 8:00 PM — 1.7 — 2,137
5 THE VOICE — NBC Tues. 8:00 PM — 1.6 — 2,031
SURVIVOR — CBS Weds. 8:00 PM — 1.6 — 2,030
7 ROSEANNE (repeat) — ABC Tues. 9:30 PM — 1.5 — 1,991
THE VOICE — NBC Mon. 8:00 PM — 1.5 — 1,944
ROSEANNE (repeat) — ABC Tues. 9:00 PM — 1.5 — 1,914
GREY’S ANATOMY — ABC Thurs. 8:00 PM — 1.5 — 1,889
11 AMERICAN IDOL — ABC Mon. 8:00 PM — 1.4 — 1,781
12 ROSEANNE (repeat) — ABC Tues. 8:00 PM — 1.3 — 1,732
ROSEANNE (repeat) — ABC Tues. 8:30 PM — 1.3 — 1,706
MOM — CBS Thurs. 9:01 PM — 1.3 — 1,676
15 AMERICA’S FUNNIEST HOME VIDEOS — ABC Sun. 7:00 PM — 1.2 — 1,543
STAR — FOX Weds. 9:00 PM — 1.2 — 1,525
17 NFL DRAFT ROUND 1 — FOX Thurs. 8:00 PM — 1.1 — 1,464
18 THE BIG BANG THEORY (repeat) — CBS Mon. 9:30 PM — 1.0 — 1,353
LIFE IN PIECES — CBS Thurs. 9:30 PM — 1.0 — 1,342
YOUNG SHELDON (repeat) — CBS Mon. 8:30 PM — 1.0 — 1,314
THE BIG BANG THEORY (repeat) — CBS Mon. 8:00 PM — 1.0 — 1,311
YOUNG SHELDON (repeat) — CBS Mon. 9:00 PM — 1.0 — 1,310
FAMILY GUY — FOX Sun. 9:00 PM — 1.0 — 1,290
CHICAGO MED — NBC Tues. 10:00 PM — 1.0 — 1,235
THE SIMPSONS — FOX Sun. 8:00 PM — 1.0 — 1,233
Top 25 broadcast shows in total viewers for April 23–29, 2018
1 THE BIG BANG THEORY — CBS Thurs. 8:00 PM — 11,797 (thousand viewers)
2 YOUNG SHELDON — CBS Thurs. 8:31 PM — 11,158
3 THE VOICE — NBC Tues. 8:00 PM — 9,258
4 60 MINUTES — CBS Sun. 7:00 PM — 9,157
5 AMERICAN IDOL — ABC Sun. 8:00 PM — 8,767
6 THE VOICE — NBC Mon. 8:00 PM — 8,434
7 MOM — CBS Thurs. 9:01 PM — 8,314
8 BLUE BLOODS — CBS Fri. 10:00 PM — 8,127
9 SURVIVOR — CBS Weds. 8:00 PM — 7,815
10 HAWAII FIVE-0 — CBS Fri. 9:00 PM — 7,789
11 AMERICAN IDOL — ABC Mon. 8:00 PM — 7,631
12 NCIS: LOS ANGELES — CBS Sun. 9:00 PM — 7,621
13 INSTINCT — CBS Sun. 8:00 PM — 7,005
14 NCIS (repeat) — CBS Tues. 9:00 PM — 6,984
15 NCIS (repeat) — CBS Tues. 8:00 PM — 6,686
16 GREY’S ANATOMY — ABC Thurs. 8:00 PM — 6,549
17 ROSEANNE (repeat) — ABC Tues. 9:00 PM — 6,505
18 THE BIG BANG THEORY (repeat) — CBS Mon. 8:00 PM — 6,382
19 ROSEANNE (repeat) — ABC Tues. 9:30 PM — 6,381
20 ROSEANNE (repeat) — ABC Tues. 8:00 PM — 6,378
21 SEAL TEAM — CBS Weds. 9:01 PM — 6,267
22 MACGYVER — CBS Fri. 8:00 PM — 6,257
23 LIFE IN PIECES — CBS Thurs. 9:30 PM — 6,224
24 CHICAGO MED — NBC Tues. 10:00 PM — 6,153
25 ROSEANNE (repeat) — ABC Tues. 8:30 PM — 6,117
Context matters for these figures: the week of April 23 was described in industry coverage as a relatively soft ratings week, with no broadcast network averaging above a 1.0 in the adults 18-49 demo. Even so, ABC’s live airing of American Idol gave the network an edge in the key demo, while CBS continued to dominate overall viewership totals. Networks often schedule special programming or live events to stimulate ratings during softer weeks, and the Disney-themed live episode demonstrates how event-style broadcasts can boost a show’s standing in both the 18-49 demographic and in total viewers.
These weekly rankings reflect both original telecasts and repeats, which is why several shows — notably Roseanne and The Big Bang Theory — appear multiple times in the top 25 lists. When reading the lists, note the difference between demo ratings (adults 18-49) and raw total viewers: a show can perform strongly in one metric while ranking differently in the other. For advertisers and networks, the 18-49 demo remains a crucial measure, while total viewers offer broader insight into overall audience size and reach.