8 Years Later Episode 5: President Blogger

 

Wednesday Cable Ratings 12/2/20: Cuomo Prime Time Remains as Top Cable News Show as Fox News Sees Minor Rebound, College Basketball Leads, Real Housewives Shows Jump

Below are the top 25 programs on cable on Wednesday, 12/2/20. Items of note include Cuomo Prime Time on CNN, College Basketball on EPSN, and Tucker Carlson Tonight on Fox News.

(Click the names of the shows written in teal or blue to be taken to their pages in the TV Ratings Guide Cable Database.)

Sitcom Scorecard: November 29-December 3, 2020

On the heels of NBC's devastating announcement is it ending Superstore, the Sitcom Scorecard is going to evaluate and discuss which networks are committed to sitcoms vs. phasing out.  Superstore is ending in its sixth season after a sturdy run for NBC, and sadly long before its quality faded too much.  Also, please note last week's Sitcom Scorecard weighed lighter than ABC's true weight as its entire lineup gained a tenth after final numbers were posted.  Apologies for this inconsistency, as well as the harshness toward ABC sitcoms.  Nielsen has experienced mild delays following the holidays so data has been inconsistent but monitored.  This changes ABC and CBS now both vexed in 2nd place.

Sunday, November 29 delivered lighter helpings for FOX's animation block with only The Simpsons (0.6) and Bob's Burgers (0.5) delivering original episodes.  Monday, November 30 experienced another stable CBS evening with The Neighborhood (0.8) and Bob Hearts Abishola (0.6) matching their respectable last outing.  Wednesday, December 1 was a mixed blessing for ABC (final numbers have yet to be determined).  The Goldbergs (0.7) and American Housewife (0.6) matched their last outing while The Conners (0.6) and Blackish (0.4) shed a tenth.  Thursday, December 2 delivered a stable evening for CBS with Young Sheldon (0.8), B-Positive (0.6), Mom (0.6) and The Unicorn (0.5) all matching their last outing two weeks earlier.

Status changes for this week's entry sadly change Superstore's wrongly predicted "Certain Renewal" to "Final Season," oops and apologies.  Also, CBS' B-Positive has upgraded from "On the Bubble" to "Leans Renewal" after rebounding from a bad outing, as well as retaining its numbers after a two-week hiatus.

COVID-19 has been blamed for ruining the television landscape.  What many forget is the last three television seasons have been rotating away from scripted programming (again) in favor of cost-effective Reality TV.  Many may dis and curse the genre, but it has proven to be the proper solution on broadcast networks continually hemorrhaging 15-25% of their audience each season for the last 14 years.  When scripted shows become too costly, networks begin shying away from the classic format and looking to what costs less and easier to attract eyeballs to.  Someone is less likely to DVR a sporting event, and Reality TV is deemed less predictable and also recorded less vs viewed live.  Take a peek at which networks are committed to (or culling) their sitcoms.

ABC

The network experienced a massive drop from Fall 2019 with only 6 timeslots committed vs. their prior 10.  However, ABC appears to be MODERATELY COMMITTED to keeping at least 4 timeslots available.  Pilots have been lean pickings the last two seasons, the hits are aging and sturdier helpings of Bachelor(ette) proved more effective than 4 hours of floundering comedies.  Releasing Call Your Mother on Wednesday, January 13 demonstrates a desire to keep a stake on Wednesdays.  And even offering lower-rated Blackish and Mixed-ish space on Tuesdays demonstrates ABC wants comedies on their map.  The veterans and outsourced players are on the radar for dispensing, and hopefully ABC can locate suitable replacements to update the tired "Crazy Mother, Dopey Father and a House Full of Kids" formula it has exhausted since 2014.

CBS

A few seasons back, CBS ended a 65-year old trend of always having a comedy on Monday in 2015, ominously leaning toward trimming down its canned laughter.  However, locating suitable replacements in The Neighborhood and Bob Hearts Abishola repaired 5 years of faltering Monday entries.  And the Thursday Block is intact and delivering above average for 2020-21 standards, even withstanding interruptions from holiday and seasonal scheduling.  CBS is VERY COMMITTED to keeping comedies on the radar.  It could lose Mom due to contractual issues and costs, but Young Sheldon and The Neighborhood hold sturdy and respectable to the expected ratings.  Plus, CBS hasn't updated their network in some time, so they are still ordering pilots and scheduling like it is 2009 with laugh-track sitcoms and predictably dull procedurals.

FOX

Back when the 2017-18 season started, FOX had 7 timeslots with its animation block delivering sturdy and live entries tanking.  A massive bloodletting taking out Brooklyn-99, Last Man on Earth, The Mick, New Girl and LA>Vegas spelled a new era (along with irrational outcries from angered fans).  This was also the year the FOX and Disney merger took hold.  FOX still commits to six timeslots, and even has two timeslots not animated.  However, take a closer look.  The network struck gold when a revived Last Man Standing came to Friday nights in 2018-19.  However, the network moved it to mid-season and on Thursdays in 2019-20.  And this season, the Tim Allen hit is ending.  Again.  

Backing it up is The Moody's, once dubbed a limited series which delivered abysmal numbers for even lower-rated December, is committed as a companion for LMS.  Given The Moody's is likely dead before premiering unless it rates at 0.8, it appears FOX has stopped investing in live-action sitcoms.  Reducing its offerings to animated only demonstrates FOX is LESS COMMITTED to maintaining sitcoms for its viewers.  They have placed priority in non-scripted entries like sports and reality TV, as well as their stronger dramas.  The animated shows are also easier to produce under quarantine, perhaps indicative of a secondary factor for leaning this direction.

NBC

It has been a hard road for Must-See-TV on Thursdays the last 16 years.  After juggernauts Friends, Frasier and Will & Grace left the air between 2004-06, few hits such as The Office emerged, and too many comedies disposed and dispensed.  Several seasons went without sitcoms, particularly between 2014-16.  Futile efforts from the peacock were made to revive the brand.  And there was no lack of innovation, quality and creativity in what was offered.  Outside of the brief fireworks made by the Will & Grace revival in 2017, sitcoms on this network could only aspire to be average in ratings.  Ironic, as 2011-19 became the era which NBC soared into 1st Place thanks to The Voice and later stronger dramas from This Is Us and the Chicago-verse.  

Superstore moved into being NBC's strongest player 2 years earlier, and seemed to be the strongest player to carry the network into the new era.  Truncating it to a final season in 2021 looks ominous.  Brooklyn-99 is in its 8th season and had behind-the-scenes troubles stemming from the nasty riots in 2020.  All that is left is Kenan, an afterthought sitcom slated to air last year and likely DOA when it hits the schedule in 2021.  Given few promising entries are coming, NBC appears to be NOT COMMITTED to keeping sitcoms on the air.  Tragic as it ruled Thursday nights from 1984-2006, but that was a long time ago.  Why would an NBC exec be saddened by this when their dramas, sports and unscripted programming are succeeding in the ratings with a potential reclaiming of 1st place eyed soon?

Thursday TV Ratings 12/3/20: SVU Monopolizes Increased Voice Holiday Celebration Lead-In, Station 19, Grey’s Anatomy and A Million Little Things Down After Week Off

Preliminary Analysis: ABC's Thursday night dominance remained apparent but a touch more subdued as 'Station 19' (0.8) shed two-tenths while 'Grey's Anatomy' (1.2) and 'A Million Little Things' (0.6) each lost a tenth from their last episodes. CBS was flat across the board with 'Young Sheldon' (0.8), 'B Positive' (0.6), 'Mom' (0.6), 'The Unicorn' (0.5), and 'Star Trek: Discovery' (0.2). On NBC, 'Law & Order: SVU' (0.6) inched up with the help of a 'Voice' special lead-in (0.7) and led into a 10pm edition of 'Dateline' (0.4). Fox came in behind the big 3 with low-rated 'MLS Soccer' (0.2). The CW had 'iHeartRadio Jingle Ball' (0.1) and a double helping of 'World's Funniest Animals' (0.1/0.1).

Final numbers to come.

Our House Season 3 Episode 3 - Our Cousin Disappears

Our House Season 3, Episode 3

Our Cousin Disappears

NBC Renew/Cancel Week 4: Superstore Reaches Close of Business. What Now?

This week on the NBC Renew/Cancel, I reflect on Superstore and its role in the NBC comedy department, upon news that the long-running sitcom will end after this season. Scroll down for my full thoughts on this shocking news.

Superstore to End After Six Seasons

 

The highest-rated sitcom on the NBC lineup will be coming to a close. 

Photo Credit: NBC/Universal 

After reopening during the coronavirus pandemic, Cloud 9 will be shutting down for good in 2021. NBC has announced that long-running comedy 'Superstore' will be ending after six seasons. The series takes place in big-box store Cloud 9 where Jonah, Dina, Cheyenne, Garrett, and others work to keep the store functioning and customers happy. Ben Feldman, Lauren Ash, Colton Dunn, and Mark McKinney make up the main cast. The character of Amy (played by America Ferrera) had recently left the series but appeared in the first two installments of the sixth season to close out her character arc.

 The current season of 'Superstore' has aired four episodes so far and is averaging a modest 0.55 rating in the lucrative 18-49 demographic. This is down 24% from the 0.72 average that the fifth season maintained. The sitcom will return for its final stretch of episodes on January 14, 2021. Here are the full season six ratings.

#	Episode	A18-49  Rating	Total Viewers  (In Millions)
1	Essential	0.61	2.80
2	California (Part 2)	0.52	2.24
3	Floor Supervisor	0.52	2.35
4	Prize Wheel	0.53	2.28

Sub-demo ratings for Superstore’s sixth season can be found here.

What do you think of this news? Are you a fan of the series? Will you be watching 'Superstore' when it returns in 2021? Leave your thoughts in the comments below. 

Superstore Ratings (Season 6, 2020-21)

 

Cleveland.com

Tuesday Cable Ratings 12/1/20: The Misery Index Down In Demo But Up In Viewers, College Basketball Leads, Fox News Stays Behind CNN

Below are the top 25 programs on cable on Tuesday, 12/1/20. Items of note include College Basketball on ESPN, The Misery Index on TBS, Curse of Oak Island on History Channel, and Moonshiners on Discovery.

Wednesday TV Ratings 12/2/20: Christmas in Rockefeller Center Rises from 2019, SEAL Team Returns Down, The Conners and For Life Slip (UPDATED)

Preliminary Analysis: Coming off of a massive Thanksgiving episode, Fox's 'The Masked Singer' (1.6) remained undefeated for a special two-hour installment. The Ken Jeong series was a tenth below its last regularly-scheduled outing but on-par with its usual delivery. NBC was right behind the Fox network with their broadcasts of 'Christmas in Rockefeller Center' (1.1) and 'Christmas Spectacular' (0.8). The 'Rockefeller' special matched what it garnered a year ago. On CBS, 'SEAL Team' (0.5) tied its series low for its season premiere and was two-tenths behind its fall 2019 start (0.7). Earlier in the night, 'The Amazing Race' (0.7) inched up from last week. ABC was steady in the 8pm hour with 'The Goldbergs' (0.7) and 'American Housewife' (0.6) but saw some concerning slippage later in the night as 'The Conners' (0.6) and 'Black-ish' (0.4) each lost a tenth. 10pm drama 'For Life' (0.3) had an even worse night, the sophomore series lost two-tenths and dropped to a new series low. 'Devils' (0.1) and the 'Coroner' finale (0.1) both held even on the CW.

Finals Update: Christmas in Rockefeller Center (+0.1) and Radio City Christmas Spectacular (+0.1) adjuted up.

American Housewife - Season 5 Episode 5 Review - Kids These Days

 

In this episode, Katie complains that kids don't take risks these days, not like her wild, tree-climbing childhood as she compares favorite scar stories with husband, Greg. She decides to push Anna-Kat and Franklin (Evan O'Toole) to trying new things, like water balloon fights and the trampoline.

Meanwhile Oliver, fresh off the disappointment that his family can't afford an SAT tutor, decides that taking an ADHD medication "boosterin" is the only way he can ace his exams. But Oliver soon sees the consequences of performance enhancing drugs when Greg takes them by mistake to prepare for his city council debate.

And keeping with the theme of risk and boundaries, Taylor is still attracted to her TA, Andre (Chibuikem Uche) who inspires her to be challenged by a modern sculpture on campus.  She is disappointed when Trip doesn't see anything in the sculpture aside from triangles. Trip may be the "sweetest guy in the world" but as Taylor's college experience broadens her mind, is she outgrowing her high school boyfriend?

This is overall one of the better episodes this season, with a fun and thoughtful theme about risk-taking that operates on many levels. Anna-Kat and Franklin represent extreme, over-cautious kids playing safe in a virtual world - a nice throwback to the first season Anna-Kat who was washing her hands constantly.  Katie and Greg go for some physical comedy as she dislocates her shoulder on the trampoline and he has a VERY physical reaction to a drug overdose. 

Cooper is still under-written - I've noticed before that we know more about Franklin than we do Cooper, who, for some reason doesn't know that the word "bibliotecha" means "library" when he talks about donating money to get admission to the university of his choice.

Oliver seems to be losing his usual self-confidence as he frets about the possibility that he won't get into Harvard.

But how the risk-taking develops with Taylor and her relationship with Trip is interesting. College is clearly exposing her to new thoughts and ideas. Having Andre fawn over her doesn't hurt either. You can't help but feel sorry for Trip when the modern art sculpture is beyond his comprehension and he's frustrated that he doesn't see what Taylor sees.

There are new characters coming to AMERICAN HOUSEWIFE when the show returns in January. Hopefully, this will literally bring back Ali Wong to the table.  It's weird seeing her only through Katie's tablet, the only hint that they're shooting the show during a pandemic.

Harrison Cheung (@harrisonic) is the author of the award-winning biography of Christian Bale (BenBella Books) and a contributor to Brave New Hollywood and The TV Ratings Guide.

TVRG Productions December News Day: Writer’s Picks, New Spinoff, Bar Exam Premiere Date

 

Monday Cable Ratings 11/30/20: Fox News Stays Near Low Pre-Thanksgiving Ratings, NFL Monday Night Football Down, Holiday Baking Championship Rises

Below are the top 25 programs on cable on Monday, 11/30/20. Items of note include The Ingraham Angle on Fox News, Holiday Baking Championship on Food Network, and Monday Night Football on ESPN.

(Note: Click any show with its name in yellow or blue to be taken to its page in the TV Ratings Guide Cable Ratings Database.)

The Masked Singer Renewed for Season 5

Unsurprisingly, Fox has chosen to renew their #1 series, The Masked Singer, for a fifth season. The singing guessing game is also the #1 series on all of television, rating over five tenths ahead of #2 series This Is Us. The show has been a surprisingly steady performer for Fox and remains a phenomenon even four season in, spawning a spinoff (The Masked Dancer) and a night on Fox centered around one of its judges, Ken Jeong. The series debuted in January 2019 and has been the #1 show on TV ever since that season. Nick Cannon hosts the series, while Nicole Scherzinger ,Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg and Robin Thicke judge alongside Jeong. This is a correct prediction for The TV Ratings Guide.

Sunday Cable Ratings 11/29/20: The Undoing Soars for Finale, Fargo Slips for Season Ender, If I Only Had Christmas Extremely Strong

Below are the top 25 programs on cable on Sunday, 11/29/20. Items of note include the miniseries The Undoing on HBO, the season finale of Fargo on FX, and If I Only Had Christmas on Hallmark.
(Note: Click any show with its name in orange to be taken to its page in the TV Ratings Guide Cable Ratings Database.) 

Tuesday TV Ratings 12/1/20: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Strong, The Bachelorette and The Voice Slip (UPDATED)

Preliminary Analysis: ABC's 'The Bachelorette' (1.2) inched down from its last episode but lead-out drama 'Big Sky' (0.7) remained resilient, holding steady with its premiere for the second week in a row. Elsewhere, CBS's annual broadcast of 'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer' (1.1) came within striking distance of 'Bachelorette' and is the only Christmas special this year to post a 1.0 A18-49 rating or higher thus far. Despite the strength of 'Rudolph', lead-out game show 'Let's Make a Deal' (0.5) inched down from the 0.6 rating it posted on October 27th. An 'FBI: Most Wanted' repeat (0.3) closed things out. Elsewhere, NBC's 'The Voice' (0.7) took a brutal three-tenth hit, falling to a new season low in the process. The former reality juggernaut led into a 'Weakest Link' encore (0.5) and a stable edition of 'Transplant' (0.4). Fox's 'Cosmos' (0.2) fell to a new series low while 'Next' (0.2) held even. 'Swamp Thing' (0.1) and 'Tell Me a Story' (0.1) were flat on the CW.

Finals Update: The Voice (+0.1), Let's Make a Deal Primetime Special (+0.1), Cosmos: Possible Worlds (+0.1) and repeats of Weakest Link (+0.1) and FBI: Most Wanted (+0.1) adjusted up.

College Season 3 Episode 8: Terms of Eviction

 

Friday Cable Ratings 11/27/20: Five Star Christmas Strong on Hallmark, Fox News Stays Extremely Low, College Football Leads

Below are the top 25 programs on cable on Friday, 11/27/20. Items of note include Five Star Christmas on Hallmark, Tucker Carlson Tonight on Fox News, and Raven's Home on Disney Channel.

(Note: Click the name of any show with its title in purple or blue to be taken to its page in the TV Ratings Guide Cable Ratings Database.)

Thanksgiving Daytime Ratings: Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Has Massive Result, Washington/Cowboys NFL Game Huge

Thanksgiving 2020 saw multiple high-publicized, heavily-watched special airings outside of primetime. Perhaps most beloved of all is the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, which drew a huge 5.8 for NBC and nearly 22 million viewers. Behind it, the National Dog Show had a strong 3.1 with about 12 million tuning in. Two daytime NFL games also aired, with Fox's Washington/Cowboys posting a huge result that later boosted The Masked Singer to nearly a series high.

Monday TV Ratings 11/30/20: Disney Holiday Singalong Easily Leads the Night, CMA Country Christmas Also Solid, Filthy Rich Steady for Series Finale (UPDATED)

Preliminary Analysis: ABC installed a 'Disney Holiday Singalong' (1.2) in the 8pm hour and was instantly rewarded with solid ratings. Although this Disney singalong went below the one from April (2.6) and May (1.4), it remained strong enough to outperform all competing networks. 'CMA Country Christmas' (0.8) was the direct lead-out to the special and rose a tenth from last year thanks to its robust lead-in. At 10pm, 'The Good Doctor' (0.7) managed to rise a tick from its previous episode. NBC's 'The Voice' (0.9) matched last week's data-point while 'Weakest Link' (0.6) inched up in the 10pm slot. On CBS, 'The Neighborhood' (0.9) rose a tenth from last week while 'Bob Hearts Abishola' (0.6), 'All Rise' (0.5), and 'Bull' (0.5) were all steady. The series finale of 'Filthy Rich' (0.3) held even on Fox and tied its 'LA's Finest' (0.3) lead-in. The CW went with repeats of 'Whose Line' (0.2/0.1) and 'Penn & Teller' (0.1).

Finals Update: The Neighborhood (-0.1), CMA Country Christmas (-0.1) and The Good Doctor (-0.1) adjusted down.

Thursday Cable Ratings 11/26/20: Christmas By Starlight Becomes Top-Rated Hallmark Christmas Film of 2020, The Bottom Falls Out for Fox News, The Wizard of Oz and Friends Thanksgiving Episodes Give TBS a Strong Day

Below are the top 25 programs on cable on Thursday, 11/26/20. Items of note include Christmas By Starlight on Hallmark, Tucker Carlson Tonight on Fox News, and The Wizard of Oz on TBS.

(Note: Click the names of the shows written in purple or blue to be taken to their pages in the TV Ratings Guide Cable Database.)

Marietta Season 3 Episode 8 - Because You Loved Me

Marietta Season 3 Episode 8

Because You Loved Me

Saturday Cable Ratings 11/28/20: Christmas Waltz Is Most-Watched Hallmark Christmas Movie of 2020 So Far, LSU and Texas A&M College Football Game Leads, Judge Jeanine Down Further

Below are the top 25 programs on cable on Saturday, 11/28/20. Items of note include Christmas Waltz on Hallmark, College Football on ESPN, and Merry Liddle Christmas Wedding on CNN.

(Note: Click the name of any show with its title in red to be taken to its page in the TV Ratings Guide Cable Ratings Database.)

ABC Renew/Cancel Week 5: A Veteran Comedy Downgrades

Over the course of the season,  I've been pretty steady with my predictions. I haven't upgraded or downgraded anything since my initial predictions for each show, and it's time for that to change. One particular show is on the move in the downward direction. Keep reading to see what it is!

5 Takeaways from the Latest Ratings for Newsmax TV

Greg Kelly Reports on Wednesday
Source: Newsmax TV via YouTube

Wednesday Cable Ratings 11/25/20: Good Morning Christmas! and Cuomo Prime Time Lead, Fox News Keeps Dropping, Last Word Tops Maddow; PLUS: Newsmax TV Ratings

Below are the top 25 programs on cable on Wednesday, 11/25/20. Items of note include Good Morning Christmas on Lifetime, Cuomo Prime Time on CNN, and Tucker Carlson Tonight on Fox News.

(Click the names of the shows written in teal or blue to be taken to their pages in the TV Ratings Guide Cable Database.)

NCIS: Los Angeles S12E03 Review

 

There are effectively three permanent cast members missing at the moment, with reminders of two covered in the ‘previously on NCIS: Los Angeles’. Hetty is AWOL with Nell covering her position as Acting Operations Manager, and Eric is on an extended vacation.  Deeks too is out of action as LAPD is undertaking an internal review to avoid public defunding, resulting in the suspension of all liaison positions. This was his opening scene with Kensi, who suggested he attends FLETC and becomes an NCIS agent. But Deeks is on a downer and believes he’d be shipped off to the other side of the world.  His return to LAPD manages the viewers expectations for minimal appearances over coming episodes (note in real life this allowed actor Eric Christian Olsen to spend time with his newly born daughter).

‘Angry Karen’ opens with Nell talking Sam in as he waits to meet a whistle blower with information vital to national security. Unfortunately the whistle blower, Donald Harris attempts to run Sam down, propelling himself through the windscreen of his car in the process.  The team proceed to investigate why he tried to kill Sam, and what information he was due to divulge. 

This is a busy episode with numerous settings covered by the various team members, clearly a luxury now afforded with a large team.  Rountree is stationed at the hospital, Sam and Callen team up at certain points but split to interview Harris’ roommate and the missing accountant’s Captain respectively. Kensi also relishes working solo for once, although she later partners with Fatima.   Despite this constant movement, the plot is not complex and the investigations are easy to follow, which makes Nell’s purpose in this episode rather perplexing. She repeatedly recaps and summarises information from previous scenes to characters such as Kensi and Callen. This is an unnecessary break in the storytelling only serves as padding - although maybe the team were having trouble with their earwigs as they were using their cells more than usual! 

There was some great character moments as expected from writer/showrunner R. Scott Gemmill. Rountree spent most of the episode bored during his hospital duty and, with his burgeoning kinship with other newbie Fatima, he called her to say he was bored and hungry! His shining moment came when he challenged a nurse with a face mask, stating “I’m a federal agent big dawg” and chased him into an elevator with a trolley.  Likewise Callen’s best moment - which also happened to be the funniest - was his greeting to the ‘human directionalist’ (AKA man twirling a sign dressed as a lizard), and whose tail came off when Callen stood on it.  He also raised his hackles to Sam, before the big guy landed a punch. Kensi’s ‘gnome violence’ joke was retold to Deeks in the bar and her laughing at her own jokes and Deeks’ reaction was perfect and so natural.

Running alongside the case is the theme of development.  Callen shows Fatima how to connect IT equipment to a car and extract information from the car, a task Eric would usually undertake and certainly a skill Callen rarely has a chance to demonstrate.  Nell is experiencing a crisis of confidence and repeatedly doubts herself.  She babbles away to Sam who really just states the obvious to her, that she is capable and doing a fine job. There is no questioning why she sent Sam to a meet without Callen as back up and at no point is it referenced that the team were pressuring Callen to take Hetty’s job.  This is very different to the overly self-assured Nell who was introduced in season 2 however the potential which Hetty originally saw is clearly still present - and Nell is proving her right even if she questions her own abilities. The closing scene sees Callen approaching Nell’s (aka Hetty’s) desk, just as he has done with Hetty in the past. There is no animosity, just a gentle rebuke that she hasn’t offered him a drink.   

‘Angry Karen’ suffers from a lack of cohesion, despite Nell’s attempt at being the glue which holds them together. The separation of the team results in an unusual lack of energy in certain scenes, for example Sam’s interview with the housemate suffers with him unable to play off Callen. Likewise there is no bullpen banter or post-case drinks for the field agents at The Squid & Dagger. The main action of a car chase and gunfight is reserved for the climax, with Callen throwing himself out of the Charger to come up behind the Navy Commander to point a gun at the back of his head. There is a notably low body count in season 12, most likely linked to both budget constraints and the tempering down of the use of violence by law enforcement. This has resulted in a shift in the style of storytelling. Gone is the frenetically  paced, action packed episodes and instead there a pedestrian feel with a focus on the investigation. In the past, slower episodes have been character focused (not present here) and this new version of NCIS: Los Angeles will take some getting used to.

 

Note: ‘Angry Karen’ is pejorative slang for an angry, demanding white woman and was the name given to the fictional weapon which was duping the navy out of millions.

A Virtual Scrawl

Sunday TV Ratings 11/29/20: Prep & Landing Performs Modestly and Drags Down Supermarket Sweep and Millionaire, NFL Sunday Night Football Down

Saturday TV Ratings 11/28/20: Robbie the Reindeer and The Story of Santa Claus Drop from 2019, 48 Hours Leads

Preliminary Analysis: CBS picked out a few more items from its treasure trove of holiday cartoons, installing a pair of 'Robbie the Reindeer' specials (0.3/0.3) in the 8pm hour and 'The Story of Santa Claus' (0.2) at 9. Compared to last year, 'Robbie' and 'Santa' were both down two-tenths. The Tiffany network closed things out with a night-topping '48 Hours' (0.4). On ABC, the 'OK v. WV' College Football game (0.3) was a tick above Fox's 'AZ v. UCLA' game (0.2). NBC went with a repeat of 'The Voice' (0.3) and 'SNL Vintage' (0.3).

Final numbers to come.

Eli’s Front Office: A Bullpen Special