The premiere of the “Roseanne” revival attracted 18.2 million viewers on Tuesday night, which is pretty incredible. In fact, it was double what ABC was projecting.
It was also more than the 16.6 million who tuned in for the series finale in 1997…when audiences mostly stuck to the main broadcast networks and weren’t diluted by DVRs, streaming, and high-quality original programming on non-broadcast platforms like cable, Netflix, and Hulu.
According to ABC, it was the highest-rated sitcom broadcast on any network in nearly four years…since an episode of “The Big Bang Theory” in 2014. For the record, that measurement was the ‘5.5’ rating it got in the coveted young adult, 18-to-49 demographic.
Since it’s such a phenomenon, ABC is re-airing the first two episodes this Sunday, which is both Easter and April Fool’s Day, not that either are related to “Roseanne” in any way.
Donald Trump Jr. was among the “Roseanne” fans to dig the premiere.
He Tweeted, “Wow amazing. Congrats, Roseanne. If you’re not too busy already, maybe work in a late-night show too. [It] seems there’s some demand for an alternate viewpoint.”