By Lynn Elber, Television Writer
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) --The Rio Games had a less-than-golden start for NBC but were enough of a draw to allow the network to dominate the weekly ratings.
The Summer Olympics opening ceremony had 26.5 million viewers, according to Nielsen company figures released Tuesday. That’s a 35 percent drop compared to the 40.7 million U.S. viewers who watched the opening of the London Games four years ago — although NBC is pointing to more time-shifted viewing and streaming as factors in the decrease.
Still, Olympic broadcasts were the three most-watched programs of the week of Aug. 1-7. The opening spectacle and events including gymnastics combined with two episodes of “America’s Got Talent” to give NBC five of the top 10 shows, Nielsen said.
The network led with an average of 15.3 million viewers, followed by ABC with 4.1 million. CBS had 3.9 million and Fox 1.7 million, the latter nudged closely by Univision with 1.6 million and Telemundo with 1.4 million. ION Television drew 1.2 million, followed by CW with 1 million viewers.
In the evening-news contest, NBC’s “Nightly News” held the top spot with 8 million viewers, followed by ABC’s “World News Tonight” with 7.7 million. The “CBS Evening News” had 6.3 million.
Below are primetime viewership numbers compiled by Nielsen for Aug. 1-7. Listings include the week’s ranking and viewership.
1. Summer Olympic Games (Sunday), NBC, 29.8 million.
2. Summer Olympics opening ceremony (Sunday), NBC, 26.5 million.
3. Summer Olympics (Saturday), NBC. 20.6 million.
4. “America’s Got Talent” (Tuesday), NBC, 11.6 million.
5. “America’s Got Talent” (Wednesday), NBC, 9.4 million.
6. “The Bachelorette,” ABC, 8.6 million.
7. “The Bachelorette: After the Rose,” ABC, 8.1 million.
8. “The Big Bang Theory,” CBS, 6.8 million.
9. “NCIS,” CBS, 6.5 million.
10. “Big Brother” (Thursday), CBS, 6 million.
11. “American Ninja Warrior,” NBC, 5.9 million.
12. “Big Brother” (Wednesday), CBS, 5.8 million.
13. “60 Minutes,” CBS, 5.79 million.
14. “CMA Music Festival,” ABC, 5.6 million.
15. “Big Brother” (Sunday), CBS, 5.2 million.
16. “NCIS: New Orleans,” CBS, 5.2 million.
17. “Running Wild,” NBC, 5.1 million.
18. “Rio Olympics Preview,” NBC, 5 million.
19. “Night Shift,” NBC, 5 million.
20. “Life in Pieces,” CBS. 4.9 million.
Rom-Com Mainstay Hugh Grant Shifts To The Dark Side and He’s Never Been Happier
After some difficulties connecting to a Zoom, Hugh Grant eventually opts to just phone instead.
"Sorry about that," he apologizes. "Tech hell." Grant is no lover of technology. Smart phones, for example, he calls the "devil's tinderbox."
"I think they're killing us. I hate them," he says. "I go on long holidays from them, three or four days at at time. Marvelous."
Hell, and our proximity to it, is a not unrelated topic to Grant's new film, "Heretic." In it, two young Mormon missionaries (Chloe East, Sophie Thatcher) come knocking on a door they'll soon regret visiting. They're welcomed in by Mr. Reed (Grant), an initially charming man who tests their faith in theological debate, and then, in much worse things.
After decades in romantic comedies, Grant has spent the last few years playing narcissists, weirdos and murders, often to the greatest acclaim of his career. But in "Heretic," a horror thriller from A24, Grant's turn to the dark side reaches a new extreme. The actor who once charmingly stammered in "Four Weddings and a Funeral" and who danced to the Pointer Sisters in "Love Actually" is now doing heinous things to young people in a basement.
"It was a challenge," Grant says. "I think human beings need challenges. It makes your beer taste better in the evening if you've climbed a mountain. He was just so wonderfully (expletive)-up."
"Heretic," which opens in theaters Friday, is directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, co-writers of "A Quiet Place." In Grant's hands, Mr. Reed is a divinely good baddie — a scholarly creep whose wry monologues pull from a wide range of references, including, fittingly, Radiohead's "Creep."
In an interview, Grant spoke about these and other facets of his character, his journey... Read More