Trump’s a bit off; ‘Joey’ starts strong

Is Donald Trump still America’s favorite boss?

Ratings for Thursday’s premiere of NBC’s “The Apprentice” tumbled from last season, when the “reality” series starring real-estate mogul Trump and a group of would-be proteges became a national sensation. The heavily publicized “Apprentice” averaged 14 million viewers, according to figures from Nielsen Media Research, plummeting 32% compared with last season’s average.

In direct competition during the 9 p.m. hour, “Apprentice” was drubbed by ABC’s special NFL matchup between Indianapolis and New England (17.8 million). It’s still too early to say whether “Apprentice” will rebound, but in two weeks it will square off against new episodes of CBS’ smash crime drama “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.”

NBC kicked off the night with the debut of “Joey,” the “Friends” spinoff starring Matt LeBlanc. “Joey” drew 18.6 million viewers, off 13% compared with last season’s viewership for “Friends.” But “Joey” was the night’s most-watched program, and its particularly strong performance in the advertiser-friendly group of viewers ages 18 to 49 sounded a positive note for NBC.

The network finished off the night with a preview of “Medical Investigation” (11.8 million viewers), which was set to move into its regular slot Friday night.

Scott Collins