AMC:
Dispatches From Elsewhere: The newest AMC show, Dispatches from Elsewhere has had multiple opportunities to do big business in the ratings. Between a premiere behind The Walking Dead and getting to air behind Better Call Saul, there's no way to say AMC isn't trying. And unfortunately, those attempts to make it a ratings hit have failed. The show is averaging 0.07 in its timeslot and it hit 0.05 for the last episode. Despite the big names starring in it (Jason Segel, Oscar winner Sally Field, and Oscar nominee Richard E. Grant), it just hasn't caught on. It's billed as an anthology, so it'll be easy for AMC to claim it was only meant to last a single season, and thus, it'll be easy to dispatch Dispatches. It's a LIKELY CANCELLATION.
The Terror: AMC axed Lodge 49, which aired alongside The Terror from August to October of 2019, in late October, a few weeks after airing. They gave no renewal decision on The Terror at that time, and they still haven't. In January, there was discussion that they were still assessing a renewal for The Terror, but there hasn't been news about it since. From a critical perspective, it would make some sense that they'd want to bring it back. It's been a critically successful show for them. However, it was a massive dud ratings-wise, at least in season two. With a 77% decline from season one, the show averaged just 0.08. It even went as low as 0.04, which is somehow still far better than Lodge 49. Judging based on those ratings and the time that's passed since season two, I don't think it's going to be back for a third season, and it's a LIKELY CANCELLATION.
FX:
Better Things: This was probably my hardest decision of all in this renew/cancel update. This is a show that I really thing is on the bubble. Part of the reason I feel that way is that Baskets, a show with similar ratings and acclaim, ended after four seasons last year and it wasn't previously announced as the final season. Every show is a different case, but I feel that that could happen to Better Things. It's not exactly a ratings magnet for FX (though the 0.17 for its most recent episode was encouraging), and they have plenty of shows, so they don't really need it. If star/creator/director/writer Pamela Adlon isn't ready to end the show after four seasons, I do think they'll bring it back, which is why I believe it LEANS RENEWAL.
Breeders: It's not been on the air very long, premiering less than two weeks ago, but FX's newest comedy didn't make much of a splash. The show is averaging only a 0.09 so far, which isn't. impressive at all. However, FX has been willing to give multiple seasons to their lower-rated comedies, and in particular, their comedies that have earned acclaim and Emmy nominations. Better Things and Baskets weren't big hits when they premiered, but the acclaim behind them and their later Emmy nominations helped them earn at least four seasons apiece. BReeders has been positively received by critics and has garnered some Emmy buzz for its star, Martin Freeman. FX is behind their shows, and I'm betting on them being behind this one too. It LEANS RENEWAL.
USA:
The Sinner: What once was a massive player for USA simply no longer is. Shows decline, that's a simple fact, but the rate that this show has declined at is worrying, to say the least. Season one had a decent start but exploded to 0.77 by season's end, averaging 0.53. Season two was stable, ranging from 0.31 to 0.24 with a 0.28 average. A large decline, but the show was still one of the top scripted programs on USA. Season three has averaged 0.16 so far and hit 0.12 just this week. It's not doing anything to demand a renewal at this point, and with the declines it's had, I don't think it's worth it for USA to bring it back. For the most part, it doesn't need a final season for closure, since it takes on a new case each season, which is why I feel comfortable enough to give it a LEANS CANCELLATION prediction.
The Biggest Loser: USA's revival of the well-known NBC weight-loss show hasn't been a ratings powerhouse, but it's done respectably. Its 0.21 average-to-date makes it an average player for USA. It's probably not terribly expensive to produce, either, so there aren't any signs that they'd dump the show. It starts out as a LIKELY RENEWAL.
Briarpatch: In an unusual move, USA moved this show from Thursdays to Mondays behind WWE Raw after just two episodes. The show was bombing there, and the move to Mondays boosted it to what was easily a new high. It's now averaging 0.14. Considering that WWE Raw is typically hitting 0.7, that's not terribly impressive. If they were trying to save the show, it didn't really work. They may still renew it, but at this point I think it's safe to say it LEANS CANCELLATION, which is at least higher than it would've been if it was still on Thursdays getting 0.07s.
What do you think of my predictions? What are your predictions? Let me know in the comments below and don't forget to vote in the poll!
