Fox brass are very high on new comedy series The Mick. Following a launch behind an NFL double-header on Sunday, the single-camera comedy is getting another boost with an original episode slated to air on Sunday, January 15 at 9 PM, following The Simpsons‘ highly publicized first hourlong episode. The Mick will be sandwiched between The Simpsons and a new episode of Family Guy, featuring New England Patriot Rob Gronkowski as a guest voice.
Fox scheduled the special Jan. 15 airing for The Mick hours after the Live+3 ratings for the series’ debut were released on Friday, with the comedy getting a modest +25% bump to rise to a solid 3.5 rating in adults 18-49. Boosted by NFL, The Mick‘s opener (2.8 18-49 rating in Live+same day) tied NBC’s breakout drama This Is Us as the highest-rated L+SD new series premiere this season. In Live+3, The Mick ranks as the No. 2 comedy series behind the first episode of NBC’s The Good Place (3.6) or No.1 if the first and second episode of The Good Place, which aired back-to-back, are considered one hourlong episode. Overall, The Mick is third or fourth among all new series in the demo (L+3). It is Fox’s higher rated live-action comedy series premiere since the debut of the network’s flagship half-hour series New Girl in 2011.
Despite a significant drop in The Mick‘s move to its regular airs Tuesdays 8:30-9 PM slot, the newbie Mick (1.3 in L+sd) was the highest rated Fox series on the night and boosted lead-in New Girl to its highest rating since the season premiere. Encouraged by the first two airings of The Mick, the executives at Fox, which has struggled to launch a new comedy series with broad appeal for the past several years, are getting firmly behind the new series, looking to keep the momentum with the stunt airing behind The Simpsons.
The Simpsons hourlong episode centers on Mr. Burns (Harry Shearer) as he tries to relive his glory days, and crosses paths with a mysterious music mogul. Taraji P. Henson (Empire) Snoop Dogg, Common and RZA are featured as guest voices.
The Mick stars Kaitlin Olson as an unapologetic degenerate who suddenly finds herself stuck raising her spoiled niece (Sofia Black D’Elia) and nephews (Thomas Barbusca and newcomer Jack Stanton) in affluent Greenwich, CT. The series also stars Carla Jimenez and newcomer Scott MacArthur.