Wednesday TV Ratings 4/14/21: The Conners and The Goldbergs Steady as Home Economics and A Million Little Things Take Hits, Tough as Nails Rises for Finale

Preliminary Analysis: After a fairly promising start, ABC's 'Home Economics' (0.4) lost two-tenths from its premiere, despite the stability of its 'Goldbergs' lead-in (0.6). Barring an upward adjustment, 'Economics' is already below the season low of previous timeslot occupant 'American Housewife' (0.45). Later on, 'The Conners' (0.6) was relatively steady while 'Call Your Mother' (0.3) shed a clean 50% of its lead-in. At 10, 'A Million Little Things' (0.3) dipped to a new series low for its second Wednesday episode. On the heels of its two-season renewal, CBS's 'Tough As Nails' (0.5) gained a tenth for its season finale. Repeats of 'United States of AI' (0.3/0.3) and 'SWAT' (0.2) followed from there. Fox once again took the lead, with 'The Masked Singer' (1.1) and 'Game of Talents' (0.6) unchanged from last week. NBC had sturdy encores of 'Chicago Med' (0.5), 'Chicago Fire' (0.5), and 'Chicago PD' (0.4). Episode two of 'Kung Fu' (0.2) and the twelfth 'Nancy Drew' (0.1) held even on the CW. 

Final numbers to come.

What Are The Odds?: Week 2

 

Tuesday Cable Ratings 4/13/21: Mayans MC and Queen Sugar Rise, Chad Inches Down, CNN Tonight Remains #1 in Cable News as MSNBC Bombs

Below are the top 25 programs on cable on Tuesday, 4/13/21. Items of note include Chad on TBS, Mayans MC on FX, and Queen Sugar on OWN.

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

Tuesday TV Ratings 4/13/21: Big Sky Returns with a New Low, Prodigal Son Returns Steady, Young Rock Ticks Up (UPDATED)

Preliminary Analysis: Following an eight-week break, a defeated 'Big Sky' (0.5/0.4) came back onto the scene in catastrophic shape. The ABC drama hit a new low at 9 for the first-half of its return, only to fall even further in its signature 10pm slot. Previously, the series had never gone below a 0.6 A18-49 rating, with this performance going roughly 30% below its final, pre-hiatus episode (0.66). 'Big Sky' had little lead-in help from 'Pooch Perfect' (0.4), with the dog program remaining in troubling territory, but that was also the same rating it had to lead out of in mid-February. Fox's dramas were fresh off month-long breaks, with 'The Resident' (0.5) down a notch and 'Prodigal Son' (0.4) relatively unchanged. On NBC, 'Young Rock' (0.6) got back a tenth as 'This Is Us' (0.7) lost one in the 9pm slot. In-between, 'Kenan' (0.4) and 'New Amsterdam' (0.4) were frozen at concerning levels. CBS had encores of 'NCIS' (0.4), 'FBI' (0.4), and 'FBI: Most Wanted' (0.3). 'The Flash' (0.3) held steady on the CW, but 'Supergirl' (0.1) fell by a few hundredths. 

Finals Update: This Is Us (+0.1), Supergirl (+0.1) and the repeat of FBI: Most Wanted (+0.1) adjusted up.

College Season 3 Episode 21: Career Fair

 

Monday Cable Ratings 4/12/21: Spring Baking Championship Rises, WWE Raw Wins the Night, Breeders and Running Wild Slip, CNN Tonight and Tucker Carlson Lead Cable News

Below are the top 25 programs on cable on Monday, 4/12/21. Items of note include Spring Baking Championship on Food Network, Breeders on FX, and Running Wild on NatGeo.

(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.)

Sunday Cable Ratings 4/11/21: Shameless Hits Season High for Series Finale, The Nevers Off To Modest Start, Fear The Walking Dead Returns Steady

Below are the top 25 programs on cable on Sunday, 4/11/21. Items of note include the series finale of Shameless on Showtime, the series premiere of The Nevers on HBO, and the midseason premiere of Fear The Walking Dead on AMC.

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

Saturday Cable Ratings 4/10/21: Amphibia Ticks Up, Final Space Ticks Down Again, NASCAR Wins the Night

Below are the top 25 programs on cable on Saturday, 4/10/2021. Items of note include Amphibia on Disney Channel, Final Space on Adult Swim, and As Luck Would Have It on Hallmark.

(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.)

Monday TV Ratings 4/12/21: American Idol Beats The Voice, Bob Hearts Abishola and The Neighborhood Down After Break (UPDATED)

Preliminary Analysis: ABC's 'American Idol' (0.7) rose a tenth in the 8pm slot, matching a declining edition of 'The Voice' (0.7) on NBC. The peacock network still had ABC beat in the 10pm slot, as a steady 'Debris' (0.4) outpaced the alphabet network's encore of the 'Rebel' pilot (0.3). CBS's entire lineup was back from a month-long break, with 'The Neighborhood' (0.6) and 'Bob Hearts Abishola' (0.5) shedding one-tenth apiece. Amidst the comedy slippage, dramas 'All Rise' (0.4) and 'Bull' (0.4) were flat. On Fox, the 'America's Most Wanted' finale (0.3) ticked down, even as its '9-1-1' encore lead-in (0.4) gained a tenth. The CW's 'All American' (0.2) dropped by a tenth, but 'Black Lightning' (0.1) didn't budge.

Finals Update: American Idol (+0.1) and the repeat of Rebel (+0.1) adjusted up.

Marietta Season 3 Episode 24 - Going to the Chapel?

Marietta Season 3 Episode 24

Going to the Chapel?

ABC Renew/Cancel Week 21: Rebel Without a Cause

In the past week, ABC launched new additions to both its Wednesday and Thursday lineups, bringing in new series Rebel and Home conmics. Keep reading to see my outlook for both of them!

Friday Cable Ratings 4/9/21: Wynonna Earp Series Finale and Drag Race Rise, Sydney to the Max Slips, The Masters Leads

Below are the top 25 programs on cable on Friday, 4/9/21. Items of note include series finale of Wynonna Earp on Syfy, RuPaul's Drag Race on VH1, and Sydney to the Max on Disney.

(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.)

Sunday TV Ratings 4/11/21: Good Girls Steady Behind Rising Zoeys Playlist, The Masters Coverage Leads, Family Guy and Bless the Harts Rise, The Rookie and The Great North Slip (UPDATED)

Preliminary Analysis: A sizable boost from 'The Masters' (1.6) helped CBS's '60 Minutes' (0.8) rise by three-tenths from its last episode. That number will likely adjust down in finals, but the news series will probably remain ahead of the 0.5 rating it posted a week prior. Repeats of 'The Equalizer' (0.5), 'NCIS: Los Angeles' (0.4), and 'NCIS: New Orleans' (0.4) filled out the lineup from there. 'America's Funniest Home Videos' (0.6) and 'American Idol' (0.8) held steady on ABC as 'The Rookie' (0.4) lost a tenth in the 10pm slot. NBC's 'Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist' (0.3) picked up a tenth behind a pair of 'Ellen's Game of Games' encores (0.2/0.3). 'Good Girls' posted its 4th-straight 0.3 rating at 10. Airing after a 'Simpsons' rerun (0.2), Fox's 'Bless the Harts' (0.2) got back a precious tenth after last week's horrific low. Anchors 'The Simpsons' (0.4) and 'Bob's Burgers' (0.4) didn't budge, but 'The Great North' (0.3) inched down at 8:30 while 'Family Guy' (0.5) ticked up at 9:30. 'Batwoman' (0.1) and 'Charmed' (0.1) neither rose nor fell on The CW. 

Finals Update: 'The Masters' (+0.2), '60 Minutes' (+0.1), 'Bless the Harts' (+0.1), 'The Great North' (+0.1), 'Bob's Burgers' (+0.1), and the repeat of 'Ellen's Game of Games' (+0.1) adjusted up.

2020-21 Season To Date Report (9/6-4/8): American Idol, The Voice and The Masked Singer Weaken With Each Episode

Scripted shows are already plunging down deep into the lower ranks, and now the onset erosions have come for even the sturdiest of 2021 reality TV shows.  Prior seasons had NFL, reality TV shows and an occasional scripted show like This is Us peppered into the top 10.  The Voice and The Masked Singer were always vexed at the front, and even American Idol managed to squeeze into the top 20.  Flash forward to spring 2021, and only the spring version of The Masked Singer remains in the top 20.  The Voice now rests in entirety in the 20's, and American Idol is losing its voice at 32nd and 45th places, respectively.

Several blame ABC and NBC for stacking them on top of each other competitively and are cannibalizing each other.  However, both are aged franchises.  While The Bachelor and Bachelorette are also aged, they have been periodically updated.  The ratings losses that came for scripted shows a few seasons back have now come for reality shows as perking above the 1.0 benchmark is a novelty and treat in 2021 often awarded only to sports.  Does this mean Reality TV is declining?  Not at all.  It may shine a light that it is time to update the brands, but Reality TV is still less costly and more lucrative for broadcast networks.

This is Us' tumble this season is devastating to the ratings community as it was the last of the mammoth hits produced by a network.  Once the #1 scripted show legions ahead of the competition, it now rests in 3rd place and sliding closer to the likes of CBS' FBI mainstay.  Watch the upcoming weeks as more renewals and cancellations are coming, most recently with CBS surprising viewers by axing MacGyver.

TVRG widened the data net for the ratings by moving the start point from September 20 to September 6, 2020, now leaving 183 shows in the charts with a few more entries coming.  This chart will lead to the site's first-ever in-house produced Ratings History article for the season, coming in late May.  In the past, articles from Variety, Deadline and several wonderful sister sites like TV By The Numbers and Spotted Ratings.  Check out Ratings History by clicking on the library icon at the top of the site.

2020-21 Drama Scorecard (3/27-4/8): Did MacGyver Deserve Its Callous Cancellation?

 Last week, CBS made the unfortunate announcement MacGyver after 5 seasons.  This announcement blindsided fans, as well as renewal predictions as it was prior listed as a Certain Renewal.  Though MacGyver's ratings were middling, they were solid and helped CBS retain a stronghold on an undesirable evening.  The network has been one of the most tired and predictable among the five players, relying too heavily on outdated procedurals and canned laughter sitcoms.  It appears CBS is ready to renovate their house as they already axed sturdy players NCIS: New Orleans and MacGyver.  Both were not standout performers but met the benchmark for passable and held value for viewers.  Both had potential to run for an additional two seasons had they been permitted.

The question remains if it is worse to have shows tragically taken too soon like MacGyver, or overstay their welcome and rot on the schedule like NBC's The Blacklist?  CBS has a history of drastic revamps dating back to 50 years ago when The Rural Purge took out 9 shows with country themes in favor of updated and socially relevant shows.  They also performed a similar revamp in 2001 with the breakout success of shows like procedural CSI and reality-based Survivor.  As head-scratching as these moves are, it could lead to excitement and fresh blood come fall 2021.

Notice a few more entries in the chart?  TVRG widened the net for tracked seasonal data from September 21, 2020 to September 6, 2020.  NBC also unveiled modest Manifest and sturdy Law and Order: Organized Crime, and ABC limped out of the gate with Rebel.

The "Final Season" vs "Cancelled" classification has been a topic among readers given shows since December have been declared their last season since December.  On this chart, NCIS: New Orleans was prior listed as "Final Season" due to being ended early enough to facilitate a proper ending.  However, CW declared final seasons long before 4 of their shows launched.  The classification for "Final Season" now requires the shows are to be announced ending prior to the season launch.

2020-21 Scorecard (3/27-4/8): Home Economics Demonstrates Network Sitcoms Are Becoming a Rarity

 

All 27 of the in-season sitcoms have debuted and displayed ratings, leaving the future state of broadcast network sitcoms questionable.  None of the entries from the class of 2020-21 have demonstrated they have established an independent audience without a strong lead-in.  The latest entry, Home Economics rested nicely on ABC between The Goldbergs and The Conners (two former heavyweights now weakened with time).  It matched American Housewife's trend in how it would rate on stronger night, and its ratings are passable.  But could they survive in the 9:30 slot behind The Conners or in the dreadful Tuesday timeslots?

Over at CBS, United States of Al also matched B Positive's performance at 8:30 nestled between Young Sheldon and Mom.  B-Positive in turn suffered a steep drop at 9:30 leading out of Mom, similar to how The Unicorn rated.  Dropping from season high 0.68 to a dreadful 0.42 demonstrates it failed to establish an audience, leading to it being downgraded to Leans Cancellation.  The trouble with CBS is they cancelled Mom mid-season, taking out one of the stronger tentpoles in the lineup.  If CBS opts to open the 9:00 hour to dramas, this could lead to a culling of one to all of their sitcoms not renewed yet.

FOX's The Moodys have such appalling ratings they are registered below NBC's failure Connecting....  However, FOX somehow renewed this stinker after similar performances last year, so could the network place it on display to embarrass itself again next year?  Due to the unlikely renewal that took place last year, it only registers as a Likely Cancellation vs a Certain Cancellation.

With heavyweights Mom and Superstore on their way out, the future state of sitcoms is questionable.  ABC's former power lineup is in shambles, NBC is getting stampeded off of Thursday nights and FOX and CBS have also experienced their share of weaker shows.  1973-74 and 2009-10 set a record low sitcom count with 23, and 2021-22 may potentially lower this bar.

The topic of "Cancelled" vs "Final Season" has been a hot topic to discuss as of late.  However, the standards were redefined recently due to CBS' callous oustings of Mom, NCIS: New Orleans and MacGyver.  Yes, these series were declared ending early enough to wrap properly.  However, the network did not make a formal announcement prior to launching the current seasons like FOX did with Last Man Standing.  Therefore, Mom and Superstore unfortunately have been reclassified as Cancelled.  

Saturday TV Ratings 4/10/21: Saturday Night Live Ticks Down, Modest NBA Leads Primetime (UPDATED)

Preliminary Analysis: The new episode of 'Saturday Night Live' with host Carey Mulligan and musical guest Kid Cudi garnered a 1.5 in top 25 markets. Earlier in the night, NBC aired reruns of 'Law & Order: SVU' (0.2), 'Organized Crime' (0.3), and 'SNL Vintage' (0.3). ABC had a low-rated 'Lakers v. Nets' NBA game (0.4) that still topped all other programs airing from 8 to 11. 'NBA Countdown' (0.4) occupied the 8pm slot for the alphabet network. CBS had an encore of 'Bull' (0.2) and two hours of '48 Hours' (0.2/0.3). Fox was well behind the others with anemic repeats of 'The Masked Singer' (0.1) and 'Game of Talents' (0.1).

Finals Update: NBA: Lakers v. Nets (+0.2) and the repeat of Game of Talents (+0.1) adjusted up. NBA Countdown (-0.1) and the repeat of Law & Order: Organized Crime (-0.1 adjusted down.

Bar Exam Season 3 Episode 14: Climate Change Education Act

NCIS: Los Angeles Season 12 Episode 13 Review

Red Rover, Red Rover is a children's game where one team calls for a member of the other team to come over and try to break through their ranks. If caught, they then form part of the opposition team and the game starts again. It is a very apt title for an episode in which Katya calls for Anna to be sent to her although in this version, the game is much more complex and deadly. Red Rover is a continuation of the last episode Can't Take My Eyes Off You, which aired a month ago. The obligatory recap serves as a reminder that Kapitan Gonchgarov was poisoned and Callen was accused of being a Russian asset by DOJ Special Agent Carlson. Callen later found Anna working with the Russian FSB agents to find Katya, who faked a defection, shot and kidnapped Joelle. Anna was arrested and Joelle's severed finger delivered to Callen. It is quite the recap and the race is on to rescue Joelle, make sure Arkady is safe and to apprehend Katya.

Friday TV Ratings 4/9/21: MacGyver Down After Cancellation, First-Place Shark Tank Rises (UPDATED)

Preliminary Analysis: Fresh off its cancellation, CBS's 'MacGyver' (0.4) seemed to justify the network's decision. The 5th season drama not only lost a tenth but also tied its series low. 'Magnum PI' (0.5) was steady in the 9pm slot, but 'Blue Bloods' (0.5) came back down after last week's strong showing (0.65). The 'Blue Bloods' slippage meant that a rising 'Shark Tank' (0.7) was able to top the night unchallenged. ABC capped off their night with a stable, two-hour edition of 20/20 (0.5). On NBC, a repeat of 'The Blacklist' (0.3) wasn't far off from the rating of its week-ago original (0.36). Later in the evening, 'Dateline' (0.4) got back a tenth despite the smaller lead-in. Fox's 'WWE Smackdown' (0.6) remained a solid offering and matched its previous broadcast. The CW had a batch of 'Whose Line Is It Anyway?' repeats (0.2/0.1) and an original 'Penn & Teller: Fool Us' (0.1).

Finals Update: Shark Tank (+0.1) and MacGyver (+0.1) adjusted up.

Weekly Questions #3: An Open-Ended Discussion

 

The CW Renew/Cancel Part 4: Kung Fu Will Fight Another Season

The CW premiered a new show this week, at long last giving me something to discuss in this column after a lengthy drought. Keep reading to see my initial thoughts on Kung Fu.

Thursday Cable Ratings 4/8/21: Everything’s Gonna Be Okay Returns Higher, Wipeout Stays Strong, NBA Leads

Below are the top 25 programs on cable on Thursday, 4/8/21. Items of note include the premiere of Everything's Gonna Be Okay on Freeform, Top Chef on Bravo, and Wipeout 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.)

Thursday TV Ratings 4/8/21: Rebel Off to Modest Start, Law & Order Shows See Big Drops but Remain Strong, United States of Al Steady (UPDATED)

Preliminary Analysis: After a monstrous crossover event, it was inevitable that 'Law & Order: SVU' (0.9) and the second episode of 'Law & Order: Organized Crime' (0.8) would suffer steep declines. While the two programs fell by nearly 50% in the A18-49 demographic, they remain stronger than a good majority of broadcast dramas. 'SVU' in particular is still well above the 0.6s and 0.7s it was posting before the crossover. Earlier in the night, 'Manifest' (0.5) shed a tenth-and-a-half from its week-ago premiere (0.65). On ABC, 'Station 19' (0.7) lost a tenth as 'Grey's Anatomy' (0.9) held even. The latter led into the series premiere of Katy Sagal drama 'Rebel' (0.5). The Sagal series performed a good bit better than last week's 'A Million Little Things' (0.39) but that's still far from an encouraging starting point. CBS was steady across the board with comedies 'Young Sheldon' (0.7), 'United States of AI' (0.6), 'Mom' (0.6), and 'B Positive' (0.4). 10pm drama 'Clarice' (0.3) ticked up at the tail-end of the lineup. Fox's 'Last Man Standing' (0.4) moved to the 9pm slot for its final stretch of episodes but couldn't seem to benefit from the stronger 'Hell's Kitchen' lead-in (0.7). 'The Moodys' (0.3) remained in dismal territory at 9:30. 'Walker' (0.2) inched down on the CW and led into a stable 'Legacies' (0.1).

Finals Update: Station 19 (+0.1), Young Sheldon (+0.1) and B Positive (+0.1) adjusted up.

Our House Season 3 Episode 18 - Our Awesome ’80s!

Our House Season 3, Episode 18
Our Awesome '80s!

NBC Renew/Cancel Week 18: Law & Order: Organized Crime Organizes NBC’s Biggest Debut in Years

It was a big Thursday for NBC last week, with Chris Meloni making a heavily-buzzed return to the Law & Order franchise with a new spinoff, as well as Manifest making its third season debut. Keep reading to see my initial predictions for these two series.

Wednesday Cable Ratings 4/7/21: Queen of the South Returns Near Series Low, Snowfall Rises, The Challenge Edges Out NBA

Below are the top 25 programs on cable on Wednesday, 4/7/21. Items of note include the final season premiere of Queen of the South on USA, NBA on ESPN, and Snowfall on FX.

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

Wednesday TV Ratings 4/7/21: Home Economics Has OK Start, Kung Fu Solid for The CW, The Goldbergs and The Conners Rise (UPDATED)

Preliminary Analysis: ABC unveiled new comedy 'Home Economics' (0.5) at 8:30 in rather passable fashion. This rating was slightly above the week-ago 'American Housewife' finale (0.47) but a good bit behind its stable 'Goldbergs' lead-in (0.6) and rising 'Conners' lead-out (0.6/0.6). At 10, 'A Million Little Things' (0.4) made a seamless transition to Wednesday nights, tying its latest Thursday episode. NBC had a rough evening as 'Chicago Fire' (0.7) and 'Chicago PD' (0.7) each took alarming three-tenth dips. In comparison, 8pm anchor 'Chicago Med' (0.8) only lost a tenth. 'The Masked Singer' (1.1) ticked down on Fox but will likely get that tenth back after finals. 'Game of Talents' (0.6) was frozen at last week's number. CBS's 'Tough as Nails' (0.4) tied its previous installment, but 'SEAL Team' (0.4) and 'SWAT' (0.4) lost one-tenth and two-tenths respectively. On the CW, the series premiere of 'Kung Fu' (0.2) had a fairly respectable start by the network's standards. That momentum helped 'Nancy Drew' (0.1) rise from last week's horrid 0.0 preliminary rating.

Finals Update: 'The Goldbergs' (+0.1), 'Home Economics' (+0.1), both episodes of 'The Conners' (+0.1, +0.1), 'Chicago Fire' (+0.1), and 'Chicago PD' (+0.1) adjusted up.

MacGyver Canceled by CBS

CBS is saying farewell to yet another veteran series: MacGyver has been canceled after five seasons. The Friday staple has been an OK performer for the Tiffany Network throughout its run, but was never a hit for the network. It's the third veteran cancellation of the season, after comedy Mom and fellow procedural NCIS: New Orleans. The series fell near the middle of the CBS scripted ratings pack, rating as the #8 drama and #14 scripted series overall among 21 series. The show has averaged a 0.51 so far in season five, marking a 23% drop. The series was at the center of a lawsuit alleging that the plaintiffs were owed payments due to a deal made for the original MacGyver series from the 80s and 90s. It remains to be seen whether that lawsuit had anything to do with the cancellation, though the series was said to boast high production costs, only made higher in the age of COVID. MacGyver starred Lucas Till, Tristan Mays, Justin Hires, Meredith Eaton, Levy Tran and Henry Ian Cusick. The series finale will air April 30. It will be the fifteenth episode of the season and ninety-fourth overall.

What Are The Odds? Episode 1

 

Fox Announces Summer Premiere Dates

Hours after ABC announced their summer lineup, Fox is following up with their own. The lineup will include the recently-renewed Duncanville, new animated comedy Housebroken, MasterChef and Mental Samurai. Below is the full list of dates:

Tuesday Cable Ratings 4/6/21: Chad Off to a Decent Start, Mayans MC and Queen Sugar Slip, Curse of Oak Island Tops NBA

Below are the top 25 programs on cable on Tuesday, 4/6/21. Items of note include the series premiere of Chad on TBS, Mayans MC on FX, and Temptation Island on USA.

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