ABC's Newest Series 'The Real O'Neals' and 'The Family' Off To Mixed Starts

Walt Disney Co DIS's ABC debuted two more of its mid-season rookies this week as Wednesday night saw the premiere comedy "The Real O'Neals," and Thursday welcomed drama "The Family" to the lineup. While investors won't be able to make any solid determinations until next week, for now, initial numbers tell a mixed story.

With "O'Neals," the series debuted with two episodes on both sides of a new "Modern Family" episode. The comedy started off with 6.3 million viewers and a 1.8 demo rating in the 18–49 category. It then slipped slightly in viewers to 6.1 million viewers but gained slightly to a 1.9 in the demo with its second episode following "Modern Family."

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By comparison, "The Goldbergs" had 7 million viewers and a 2.0 demo rating. "Goldbergs" usually airs in the 8:30 slot, but shifted for the week. "Modern" pulled in 8.2 million viewers and a 2.6 demo rating, but the four-time Emmy winner for Best Comedy isn't a fair comparison. Altogether, it's not a bad debut, but it is lower than last year's "Fresh Off The Boat," which received a similar roll-out last year.

"The Family" also aired outside it usual timeslot, with a special Thursday night premiere in "Scandal's" usual slot. The series starring Joan Allen earned 5.7 million viewers and 1.5 demo, which wasn't that far off from what "Scandal" usually does every week. That said, it was down from its "Grey's Anatomy" lead-in (7.7 million/1.2 demo) and going forward "The Family" will air Sundays at 9 p.m. EST, which is a brand new ratings ballgame.

Investors will need to look to the series' second week numbers as well as their +3/+7 numbers for a better picture before making any major judgments.

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