Written Passing the Grade by Bridger Cunningham.
DISCLAIMER: The Sitcom Scorecard's predictions are independent in data, opinions and forecasting. Frankly, this author doesn't want that responsibility as these articles can be nuckin' futs!
Winter Olympics and dodging poorly-rated nights will be the game this February, so enjoy original sitcoms before the repeats take over. This week left several vacancies on the schedule as FOX said no thanks, and ABC only allowed one of their seven players to showcase. Rather than reflect on who wasn't here this week, let's discuss who actually showed up for class.
CBS Mondays delivered another sturdy (?) evening on January 29 with only the first hour ticking down. Kevin Can Wait (1.2) and Man With a Plan (1.1) each ticked down one tenth, while Superior Donuts (1.0) and 9JKL held steady. Tuesday, January 30 allowed Fresh Off The Boat to burn off two episodes opposite the State of The Union address, delivering tepid entries (1.0, 0.9). Lest remember the series has five episodes to go before calling it a season on March 20.
Thursday, February 1 delivered another sturdy, deserving evening for CBS. The Big Bang Theory (2.9) held steady, Young Sheldon (2.3) and Mom (1.5) dropped a tenth, and Life in Pieces (1.2) held its steady course. NBC, however, failed to make the grade. Superstore (1.1) marked off one tenth of last week's Nielsen price, and The Good Place (1.1) was even for its finale. Will and Grace (1.2) dropped a tenth, and AP Bio premiered to a dreadful 0.8. Not only do these ratings scream "F---ed" for AP Bio, but NBC sitcoms now trail the pack and have fallen behind FOX.
February will be sparse for original sitcoms, with few to no entries on the horizon between February 7-25, so standby as the Sitcom Scorecard has it "February Finale" next week. Or some much corny marketing ploy to read.
Let's talk fractions, folks. Every network now gets them. Some only get them on sparse occasions like an uninvited houseguest, while other networks flaunt through them like a rummage sale or thrift store. AP Bio's premiere was stark disappointment this Thursday as it failed to clear the 1.0 bar, the lowest-rated sitcom premiere ever. Furthermore, NBC's sitcoms traipsed in 2nd place at the beginning of the season and now rest in 4th. Recent history shows not a single sitcom on the air has premiered to fractional ratings and survived the season. Making history did this on FOX last year and boxed in the Abyss. Even poorly rated Powerless gave NBC one helping above the 1.0 bar, so AP Bio's foreshadowed run is looking bleak.
If a sitcom is housed on CBS, clearing the 1.0 bar regularly is a minimal requirement. Occasional hiccups below that line are overlooked, but frequent divisions in fractions are warrant for cancellation. On their schedule, Man With a Plan, Superior Donuts and 9JKL have all belted these numbers out. MWAP was a one-time offense with a 0.9, SD housed two alarming 0.8 helpings, and 9JKL seldom cracks the 1.0 line anymore, often embarrassing the network with a 0.7. CBS has renewed shows which held occasional 0.9 ratings, but would they consider leniency with a 0.8? Superior Donuts is on the radar.
Over at ABC, two existing shows have gone fractional -- Fresh Off The Boat, and Speechless. Both have the occasional 0.9, and the network recently trimmed both of their episode orders. Fans fret not, as the network has renewed shows which have dipped as low as 0.8 in the past, and these franchises have occasional offenses vs habitual behaviors like Tuesday 9:30 shows.
On FOX, every show has been fractional! The bar has never dipped below 0.6, yet the network expects regular 0.7+ performance. And NBC? Their bar has dropped low at points, with Great News registering a 0.4 weeks ago. NBC has also renewed shows which drop as low as 0.6, so Great News' prognosis looks fleeting. Fractions are becoming a norm for network television, so they no longer warrant cancellation. The next question is which show will begin delivering more fractional entries?