'Station 19' Ratings: 'Grey's Anatomy' Spinoff Is Getting Harsh Reviews From Some Viewers
The two-hour premiere of the fire-fighter-centric "Grey's Anatomy" spinoff "Station 19" raked in impressive numbers, but not enough to extinguish NBC's "Chicago Fire."
According to Variety, the first hour of the spinoff that aired 9 p.m. EDT managed to match its NBC rival with a 1.2 rating in adults 18 to 49 and 5.7 million viewers.
However, "Chicago Fire" pulls ahead shortly after, pulling in 6.5 million viewers. The second hour saw "Station 19" drop to a 1.1 rating and 5.1 million viewers with the NBC series maintaining the same rating while enjoying viewership surge to 7.1 million.
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From the get-go, it was no secret that "Chicago Fire" was bound to be the one to beat for the "Grey's Anatomy" spinoff, but showrunner Stacy Mckee says that the NBC show was not a concern at all.
"Not even a little. There are a million medical shows; there can be a million fire shows. If the shows are compelling, why not have more than one? It was never a concern," she said in an interview with TV Line.
"I just knew the [firefighter] world would work really well in conjunction with the already established world of 'Grey's Anatomy,'" Mckee went on to say.
Speaking of which, the original medical drama remained unfazed as the Ellen Pompeo-led series ticked up to a 1.9 rating and 7.5 million shortly before the "Station 19" premiere.
Things become clear in what the viewers and critics think of the first two episodes. The new Shondaland-set show is not drowning with positive reviews.
Over at IMDB, the series got 4.7 out of 10, with a majority of the reviewers giving it one star or two, calling it "the worst show ever." The "Grey's Anatomy" spinoff is currently at 60 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.
Critics from Vulture think that the dialogue in "Station 19" tend to come off as trying too hard to sell its premise, which is all about main character Andy (Jaina Lee Cortez) navigating the world of a profession dominated by males.
AV Club, on the other hand, believes that the show should use that energy instead on the actual firefighting adventures, which the publication thinks are not executed as well as medical situations are in "Grey's Anatomy." Rescue missions that do not involve fire seem to be more successfully done in that they are less predictable or similar, and more intense.
Whether "Station 19" will be able to beat "Chicago Fire" or at least replicate the success of the show in which it was inspired from, only time will tell.
The series will return with a new episode titled "Contain the Flame," which will see Station 19 respond to an attic fire and a call to a pool house party.
The official synopsis for the episode reads, "Upon the arrival of Batallion Chief Frankel, Jack begins his first shift as co-captain and continues to butt heads with Andy on leadership styles. Captain Pruitt has a difficult time following doctor's orders and winds up back at the station to take on administrative duties."
"Station 19" airs every Thursday at 9 p.m. EDT on ABC.
