CBS holds the highest number of scripted series unleashed in the season to date with 18 entries. With such a dull pallet, how is it possible to scratch a headline? How about deliver 4 shows who hit their seasonal highs this season!? Follow the yellow brick road for the evenings and their ratings:
Sunday, January 24: The NCIS spawn took the evening off so CBS could give FBI (1.98) some overdue exposure, drafting a series high and gaining 1.33 obscene ratings points from their last outing.
Monday, January 25: The Neighborhood (1.00) gained two solid tenths with a seasonal high, and also becoming the first scripted series of the season to earn a non-fractional rating without football. Bob Hearts Abishola (0.77) also saw its seasonal high after gaining 0.11, as All Rise (0.51) lost 0.003, apparently handed over to Bull (0.50) who gained the same helping.
Tuesday, January 26: Gains brought NCIS (0.97) close to the 1.0 line for a seasonal high having gained 0.21. Did exposure to NFL help bolster FBI? The halo punted out of the goalpost (0.83), its 2nd-lowest rating of the season. Foul! And FBI: Most Wanted? It bounced 0.11 with a sturdy 0.67 rating.
Wednesday, January 27: SEAL Team (0.54) clapped their fins to a gain of 0.006 while SWAT (0.40), was steady. Can't this show contribute any growth to the lineup despite ultra-compatible scheduling?
Thursday, January 28: Remember home alone when the misunderstood child was left in an empty house? The Unicorn (0.35) experienced this as its three sitcom siblings left the nest. Instead of enjoying some space and growing, it shed 0.006.
Despite 4 of its stronger entries igniting series highs, the network averaged hemorrhaged 0.008, dropping CBS' scripted average dropped a hair. Sources of the hemorrhage appear to be FBI's freefall following an NFL rise as well as flatlines in The Unicorn and All Rise. If space is needed, both of the last two mentions are out the door. Given CBS Mondays are sturdy as well as the first hour of the Thursday sitcoms, CBS could opt to swap the extra hour of comedies from Thursday to Monday. All depends on the success of Clarice, slated to arrive February 11. If CBS manages to locate a hit, they may consider shifting the tone to dramatic as the evening fades on. This push could become a reality if Mom bows out after 8 seasons. Why would CBS invest in a fading evening when its Monday comedies are delivering strong and updating the sitcom franchise? Imagine the compatibility of moving B-Positive's forced laughtrack to 9:00 on Monday, followed by a new pilot. And on Thursdays, leaving a new comedy to launch behind Young Sheldon. Below are the episodes' ratings in entirety for the 2020-21 season with seasonal highs and lows highlighted.
