TV ratings: ‘Bad Judge,’ ‘A to Z,’ ‘Gracepoint’ start soft

ABC’s “How to Get Away With Murder” continued to kill in the ratings Thursday night, while all the new network shows got off to slow starts, according to early numbers from Nielsen.

“Murder,” now in its second week, averaged 11.7 million viewers, making it the most-watched nonsports program of the night. It earned a rating of 3.2 in the key 18-to-49-year-old demographic. That’s down about 16% from its premiere, marking a solid week-to-week hold for the new series starring Viola Davis.

ABC’s beltway drama “Scandal” pulled in a 3.3 rating in 18-49, amid 10.41 million viewers overall, while “Grey’s Anatomy” earned a 2.6 and 9.1 million viewers. Both were down about 15% from their premieres last week.

Meanwhile, NBC launched “Bad Judge” and “A to Z” after “Biggest Loser.” “Bad Judge,” starring Kate Walsh, premiered to a 1.3 in 18-49 -- not a strong start, though it held steady with its “Biggest Loser” lead-in. The series was created by Chad Kultgen, and Anne Heche, Adam McKay and Will Ferrell are attached as executive producers. It brought in 5.9 million viewers total.

“A to Z,” a comedy starring Ben Feldman and Cristin Milioti, earned a 1.2 in the key young-adults demo and 4.8 million total viewers.

Fox’s new crime drama “Gracepoint,” a remake of a British series, was also soft in its debut, with a 1.2 in 18-49 and 4.8 million viewers overall.

Follow Ryan Faughnder on Twitter for more entertainment business coverage: @rfaughnder