Mar 28, 2018 - Economy & Business

"Roseanne" revival makes a ratings splash in ABC premiere

Roseanne cast

The cast of ABC's "Roseanne." Photo: Robert Trachtenberg / ABC via Getty Images

ABC's "Roseanne" revival scored big in its Tuesday night return to television. The Nielsen overnight ratings show the program led not only in total viewers (18.1 million) but also in the key demographic of adults 18-49 ("Roseanne" secured a 5.1 rating).

The big picture: The numbers make "Roseanne" both "the highest-rated regularly-scheduled scripted show of the last few seasons as well as "the highest-rated sitcom broadcast in over three years," according to the Hollywood Reporter. The closest competition came from NBC's "The Voice," which received a 1.6 rating in the key demographic and 8.8 million total viewers.

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