Nielsen experienced delays from MLK Day weekend which trickled into the entire week, and thus why this anthology article series was delayed one week. And what a pity, as FOX and CW added 10 dramas into the roster over a 2-week period. Given fast-national ratings always use rounded tenth digits, they can be misleading and why TVRG is waiting until final digits add an extra hundredth space. Good examples are CW's All American and Walker, who's fast-national rating was 0.4. After the dust settled and final ratings came in, both registered respectable 0.39 and 0.37 entries.
Among the 10 new entries, FOX' 4th season of 9-1-1 entered high into the arena within 0.005 of NBC's collapsing This Is Us. Next week should make the game interesting as 9-1-1's fast nationals demonstrated stability for it's 9-1-1 franchises. Once shows deliver two episodes, their renewal offs are declared (and may change due to performance deeper into the season). The 9-1-1 procedurals are surefire to renew, but the game will change with their two remaining procedurals. 4th season The Resident has been declared On the Bubble. Debuting strong with a 0.65, it shed an entire tenth to a mediocre 0.55 entry in episode 2. FOX has no reservations clipping a series short before reaching syndication thresholds, so the series had better watch out.
As for Prodigal Son, the acclaim is there. The cast is appealing, the writing crisp. But its ratings are mediocre despite Tuesdays softening across the board. It has registered as "Leans Cancellation" as schedule space is a premium on FOX due to NFL and foregoing the 10:00 timeslots. FOX feasibly could open a fifth hour for dramas if they do away with Thursday night sitcoms, but they could also opt for new life with stronger performers. As predicted, FOX blasted into the middle of the chart for Drama averages past a tired CBS into 3rd, reaching closer to ABC's 2nd place average. Other changes for renewal predictions include NBC's Blacklist being downgraded to "Leans Cancellation." The critically-lauded series is in its 8th season, and a troubling sign was NBC airing back-to-back repeats of freshman sitcom The Mayor in Blacklist's timeslot resulting in near-identical ratings.
