The Princess Royal Season 1 Episode 6 - All Hallow’s Eve

The Princess Royal Season 1, Episode 6
All Hallow's Eve

Saturday TV Ratings 10/30/21: ABC College Football Takes Second, Slipping World Series Leads the Night (UPDATED)


Ratings Analysis: Though it was down a tenth from the third game, game 4 of the 'World Series' (2.29, -0.12) was five-hundredths higher than game 2 and led the Fox network to the top of the Saturday night pack. On the college football front, ABC's 'Penn St. v. OH St.' game (1.56) annihilated NBC's 'NC v. Notre Dame' telecast (0.48). CBS had a repeat of 'Magnum PI' (0.26), an encore of 'Blue Bloods' (0.25), and a stable edition of '48 Hours' (0.33). The CW remained invisible with 'Whose Line Is It Anyway?' (0.05) and a Halloween-themed 'World's Funniest Animals' (0.07).   

Finals Update: 'World Series Game 4' (+0.6), 'College Football: Penn St. v. OH St.' (+0.3), 'College Football: NC v. Notre Dame' (+0.1), and repeats of 'Magnum PI' (+0.1) and 'Blue Bloods' (+0.1) adjusted up.

NCIS: Los Angeles S13E03 Review [Indentured]

 


There is always something more engaging about an episode which opens in the middle of a case, particularly if the team are involved. "Indentured" sees a group of ATF agents embroiled in a heavy gunfight they are losing, their lead agent calling over the airwaves for help from any law enforcement officers who may be nearby. Sam and Callen hear and their response is all the more serious as they clearly know each other. Unfortunately, the bad guys overwhelm the ATF, and without mercy, the lead agent is shot dead. Sam and Callen arrive at the warehouse too late. Their involvement in the case was to support ATF in taking down a white supremacist arms dealer, but the inside man was made before this could occur, and so the case is taken over by NCIS. The killer, Lukas Meyer is known and the investigation is to find Meyer and stop the weapons sale.  This opening is reminiscent of S09E23, “A Line in the Sand” where the NCIS team were under heavy fire and coincidentally, both episodes are written by Frank Military.

 

As is mostly the case with episodes penned by Military, there is intense drama, a focus on character and a darkness which creeps around the edges.  Military was also responsible creating and playing last season’s villain Kessler (S12E05, “Raising the Dead” and so this episode is the perfect place for the threat of Kessler to resurface.  Kessler’s girlfriend’s decomposed body has been identified after washing up on the Florida shoreline back in July, The exchange between Kensi and Deeks in the bullpen clearly shows the latter moving into attack mode. He will not allow Kessler to get near to Kensi and that is by any method necessary. Kensi realises this and her facial expression is full of concern. She knows Deeks killed his former partner at LAPD for abusing a teenage prostitute, Tiffany. Deeks also tortured a cleric in S05E19 “Spoils of War” after Kensi disappears and is held captive in Afghanistan (also written by Military). Deeks has a dark side when it comes to women being threatened and abused by men...

 

There is much going on in this episode which takes the team in several directions simultaneously, maintaining interest and creating layers within the narrative. Kilbride takes Sam as a partner, dropping Callen out of the picture as he’s not former military, as Kilbride wants the trust of Ret. US Army General Collins, who was due to buy hundreds of AK47s from Meyer and has connections with a right wing militia group. He also wants to ensure that if Collins is innocent, that he can continue to run for senator without a blemish to his character, thus protecting the integrity of the election process. Callen teams up with Rountree whilst Kensi and Fatima go undercover at a rehab centre, to gain the trust of Meyer’s girlfriend Mia. Deeks tails Collins although how he can remain inconspicuous when driving a bright red truck is a mystery.  Maybe the bad guys are colour blind? There is also the revelation that Kilbride has a personal connection with Collins, leading to the team mistrusting Kilbride, and causing confrontations between Sam and Kilbride.  The theme of trust is part of the overarching framework of the show (usually with Callen), and it makes a pleasant change that Sam is at the forefront this time, and for someone other than Callen to butt heads with someone in a position of higher authority.  

 

The issue of trust runs both ways and in a twist it turns out that Kilbride is another one who does not trust easily. When the team arrive to storm the warehouse, ATF are already in position, and Kilbride walks out with Collins in handcuffs.  Trust has to be earned and it is in short supply between Kilbride and the agents. In a scene more familiar between Callen, Sam and Hetty, Kilbride engages with the partners by offering them a single malt to discuss that very topic. In answer to Callen’s questions, he hasn’t heard from Hetty and doesn’t know if she’s safe. He also reveals that he is now running the Office of Special Projects. It is unknown if this is temporary or permanent, or what role Hetty will have if she ever returns.

 

It has been a very long time since the Office of Special Projects, a team which (used) to specialise in undercover operations, actually went undercover. It’s an element which has been sorely missed and makes an impressive comeback. Deeks has fun with Kensi, creating a shared back story although there is a missing (cut) scene as Fatima’s involvement comes out of the blue. Fatima’s role undercover is to set up Kensi to gain Mia’s trust and the two women enjoy a fight scene, after Kensi finds Fatima bullying Mia.  It is also a reminder of how the team can fake such scenes, with the blood pouring from Fatima’s head coming from a red sponge squeezed against her forehead. It can also be implied that she surreptitiously spat back the liquor she swigged from the bottle swiped from Mia. The visual manipulation of Mia is matched by the psychological. Mia opens up to Kensi about how abusive and controlling Lukas Meyer is and Kensi offers to solve her problems by killing Meyer. A little later Kensi’s alias tears up, explaining how she killed the boyfriend who raped her. Unfortunately, Mia develops a strong liking for Kensi’s alias and feeds her a false address for Meyer, who later turns up dead from an oxycodone overdose, Mia’s drug of choice.


The story then moves on to one of moral ambiguity, covered by Deeks and Kensi at work and later at home in bed. Deeks is the voice of conscience, asking Kensi if she thinks she gave Mia the idea and the courage to kill Meyer. At this point he sounds a little accusatory which is ironic given his past actions. Mia later sends a video message to Kensi’s undercover cell phone which the couple watch in bed. Again Deeks offers Kensi the chance to pursue Mia, however she decides to wait until morning before calling in the lead.  Kensi is at peace with her decision which means Deeks is too, and the episode closes with saying ‘sweet dreams, my little velociraptor’. The screen turns black and there is a gentle baby dinosaur growl.

 

Daniela Ruah (Kensi) absolutely owns this episode with her undercover performance.  She was extremely convincing and manipulating - for the greater good. Undercover operations have been in short supply for the last three or four seasons, with characters maybe assuming a role for a minute or so. Hopefully this is the start of a return to how the team used to work missions. The use of slow motion captures the horror of the gunfight, and is utilised towards the end when Kilbride walks with Collins in cuffs, emphasising which side Kilbride is on. It has sometimes been used ineffectively, for too long a gun battle sequence, but the direction here is spot on. Overall this was a thoroughly enjoyable episode and season 13 is definitely off to a solid start.


The Bullpen Season 4 Episode 22: Changes (SEASON FINALE)

Friday TV Ratings 10/29/21: World Series Rises in Game Three, Shark Tank Scores Season High as 20/20 Rises Behind It (UPDATED)


Ratings Analysis: Despite airing on a Friday night, game 3 of the '2021 World Series' (2.41) eclipsed the rating of game 2 (2.24) by close to two-tenths, placing it just a tenth behind the rating of the first  game (2.52). Amidst the extra competition, ABC's 'Shark Tank' (0.57, +0.08) actually gained a tenth and posted a new season high. At 9, '20/20' (0.49, +0.14) rose by more than a tenth and obliterated its newsmagazine cousin 'Dateline' (0.33, -0.02). Though it paled in comparison to '20/20' at first glance, 'Dateline' deserves credit for more than doubling its lead-in, a rotten edition of NBC's 'Home Sweet Home' (0.16, -0.02). CBS went with encores of 'SWAT' (0.24), 'Magnum PI' (0.26), and 'Blue Bloods' (0.27), with each repeat rising from the previous. The CW's 'Scooby-Doo' special (0.09) matched what last week's 'Penn & Teller' garnered but 'Nancy Drew' (0.05) still dropped by a hundredth. 

Finals Update: '2021 World Series Game 3' (+0.5), 'Shark Tank' (+0.1), and repeats of 'Magnum PI' (+0.1) and 'Blue Bloods' (+0.1) adjusted up.

Put Me In Season 3 Episode 16: Take Me Out (SERIES FINALE)

Thursday TV Ratings 10/28/21: Toy Story of Terror! and Toy Story 4 Modest on ABC, Young Sheldon and United States of Al Rise, The Blacklist Dips (UPDATED)


Ratings Analysis: CBS's comedy block made notable gains throughout the evening, with 'Young Sheldon' (0.71, +0.08) and 'United States of Al' (0.53, +0.09) each climbing by nearly a full tenth.  'Ghosts' (0.57, +0.04) and 'B Positive' (0.43, +0.03) rose by a few hundredths in the 9pm hour, and drama 'Bull' (0.31) made no movement in either direction at 10. The news was no as bright on NBC as 'The Blacklist' (0.30, -0.09) dropped by a tenth from last week's lackluster return. A rerun of 'Law & Order: SVU' (0.26) capped off a disappointing night for the peacock network. Fox won big with its 'Packers v. Cardinals' NFL broadcast (5.59), the telecast blew the week-ago 'Broncos v. Browns' game (3.72) out of the water. ABC's showing of Halloween special 'Toy Story of Terror!' (0.41) went close to 60% below the 1.0 it garnered the last time it aired over two years ago (10/22/19). Afterwards, the broadcast debut of the 2019 sequel 'Toy Story 4' (0.35) was met with little fanfare and more than half that audience had departed by the time the 10:30pm encore of 'The Wonder Years' (0.17) rolled around. Over on the CW, 'Walker' (0.11) returned from a hiatus that lasted more than two months and shed a hundredth from its last showing. 'Legacies' (0.07) was down by two-hundredths from the week prior. 

Finals Update: 'Ghosts' (+0.1) and 'Toy Story 4' (+0.1) adjusted up.

United States of Al Season 2 Episode 4 Review

When Al (Adhir Kalyan) suddenly faints at a supermarket in front of Riley (Parker Young) and daughter Hazel (Farrah Mackenzie), he has to come to terms that he's under a lot of mental stress.

Our House Season 4 Episode 2 - Our Busch Gardens

Our House Season 4, Episode 2
Our Busch Gardens

NBC Renew/Cancel Week 5: Redemption for The Blacklist?

After a week off, the NBC Renew/Cancel returns with a new entry as The Blacklist makes a late-fall debut on the Peacock network. Keep reading for my initial thoughts on this long-running veteran.

Wednesday Cable Ratings 10/27/21: Full Frontal Ties Low after Hiatus, The Sinner Jumps, Weaker NBA Leads

Below are the top 25 programs on cable on Wednesday, 10/27/21. Items of note include Full Frontal with Samantha Bee on TBS, The Sinner on USA, and NBA on ESPN.

(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 10/27/21: The Goldbergs and Other ABC Comedies All Tie Lows, Survivor and Chicago Fire Slip Versus Down World Series (UPDATED)


Ratings Analysis: After rising on a year-to-year basis for Tuesday's broadcast, game two of the 'World Series' (2.24, -0.28) fell by three-tenths and came in a tenth below 2020's second game (2.3) on the Fox network. Barring it does not decline too much from here, this is still a very solid level for the annual championship to be at. CBS's 'Survivor' (0.84, -0.17) took a sizable hit against Fox's 'World Series' broadcast, falling by two-tenths to a new series low. Lead-out program 'Tough As Nails' (0.39) was only down by two-hundredths in comparison and 'CSI Vegas' (0.35) was steady with last week. On ABC, 'The Goldbergs' (0.58) and 'The Wonder Years' (0.43) got back four-hundredths apiece but 'The Conners' (0.51) lost a tenth and tied its series low. Struggling 'Home Economics' (0.30) rose by a single hundredth as 'A Million Little Things' (0.28) held flat. 'Chicago Med' (0.74) and 'Chicago PD' (0.70) gained a hundredth on NBC. Sandwiched in-between the two, 9pm drama 'Chicago Fire' (0.74) shed seven-hundredths. 'Legends of Tomorrow' (0.07) and 'Batwoman' (0.07) each lost a hundredth on the CW. 

Finals Update: 'World Series Game 2' (+0.4), 'The Goldbergs' (+0.1), and 'CSI Vegas' (0.1) adjusted up. 

Tuesday Cable Ratings 10/26/21: The Last OG Collapses in Premiere, American Crime Story: Impeachment Stable, Chucky Rises, NBA Leads

Below are the top 25 programs on cable on Tuesday, 10/26/21. Items of note include the season premiere of The Last OG on TBS, Chucky on USA and Syfy, and American Crime Story: Impeachment on FX.

(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.)

2021-22 Drama Scorecard (9/21 - 10/25): All American Debuts Strong on CW; Matches Series Low of A Million Little Things on ABC

 CW often belts shows out in the 2021-22 season with ratings between 0.05-0.10.  This made All American's 0.23 debut jolting as it not only almost quadrupled most of their shows, but cracked into the Top 100 of 125 shows on the air.  All American's ratings are indeed down from the prior season but demonstrate strong interest in the show.  Only one episode has aired so a renewal prediction will wait until next week.

More noticeable is that episode matched A Million Little Things' series low this season, and consequently it is ABC's lowest-rated drama until Queens' final numbers are posted.  In the prior season, ABC was a heavyweight in the drama category thanks to its winning block with Station 19, Grey's Anatomy and AMLT on Thursdays, plus a mild breakout hit with Big Sky on Tuesdays.  This season, all have lost massive ground, most noticeable Grey's and Station 19 who have lost 30-35%.  This dropped ABC's drama ranking from 2nd to 4th over one season.  Given these drops, deciphering which dramas will be axed is tedious.  The Rookie has been soft on Sundays, AMLT is hemorrhaging and Big Sky has collapsed and retains a paltry 55-60% of Grey's lead-in.  

Consequently, CBS has stabilized by utilizing the formula for procedural franchises.  Most of its helpings are delivering stable to above average, save for Bull and CSI: Vegas.  Their impatient changes last year are paying off and they no longer resemble America's most tired network.  FOX also rinsed and repeated last fall's strategy of testing out its weakest dramas in the fall behind decent to strong leads, both of which likely will be lopped off the schedule.  Little changes occurred on NBC as their Chicago and Law & Order franchise blocks deliver strong on Wednesday and Thursday, and dramas are strewn throughout the schedule.  La Brea made an impressive debut in This Is Us' vacant timeslot, but Ordinary Joe is under-performing in the post-Voice timeslot on Mondays.  New Amsterdam and Blacklist are bombing, but life at NBC is mostly stable with 6 winning dramas.






2021-22 Sitcom Scorecard (9/21 - 10/24): Full Season Orders for Home Economics and Wonder Years Does Not Equal High Renewal Odds

3 sitcoms received full season orders this week, staking their place on the schedule likely into May.  Ghosts not-too-surprisingly picked up a full order after successfully colonizing the Thursday 9:00 timeslot on CBS vacated by former heavyweight Mom.  The surprise came from ABC granting the same pass to Wonder Years and Home Economics, who's performance has been underwhelming and evident as both are in the lower reaches of the chart.  This indicates ABC is scrambling as their comedy block is in ruins.  Last season, it was struggling, and this season few hits punctuate their former glory in the 2010's.  Elsewhere, the FOX animation block on Sunday is performing their usual see-saw of NFL inflation, then crashes without a game pumping up their numbers.  Shining is the last stop in the block at 9:30 with Family Guy, who receives the least of the inflation and outperforms the prior two helpings scheduled before.



CERTAIN RENEWAL

All three deliveries in this category belong to CBS as they have demonstrated built-in audiences or potential for growth.  The Neighborhood continues a 4th season strong, and likely could match or pass ABC's Dancing With the Stars.  Following its success is the ultra-durable Bob+Abishola in its 3rd season, which retains 80% or more of its lead-in.  And Ghosts shook up Thursday evening by outshining its neighbors and holding the 9:00 hour strong.  So strong that in its 3rd episode, it matched ABC's ailing Grey's Anatomy. 

LIKELY RENEWAL

Both helpings in this category belong to ABC's strongest sitcoms.  So why aren't they certain renewals?  The Goldbergs is aging and became questionable for being ended when George Segal passed last season.  Its performance has proven durable after his departure, and ABC has not located a suitable replacement to take its place.  Wonder Years' collapse raises the question if Adam F. Goldberg can squeeze another season of formulamatic jokes out.  The much younger Conners has also proven durable and strong.  Every season poses the question if the series is profitable as the talents of John Goodman, Laurie Metcalf and Sara Gilbert come at a premium.  Both series have good prospects for returning for the 2022-23 season.

LEANS RENEWAL

Both sitcoms in this category garnered critical acclaim this season, and both are nestled in prime 8:30 timeslots between strong performers.  Yet neither appears to have developed strong internal bases, particularly Wonder Years who dipped as low as 0.39 recently.  Where Wonder Years holds the edge is they air on ABC, a network whose glorious comedy block of the 2010's is struggling and they are scrambling to locate hits.  ABC appeared to eye this series to potentially replace Goldbergs if the show ends this season but Wonder Years has failed to remotely meet that standard.  United States of Al does best fellow newbie B-Positive, but it also sits between two strong players.  CBS has proven impatient the last couple seasons if they do not see growth with series, leaving a moderate risk for United States of Al.  For now, both series are the better odds on their schedule but will need to be monitored as the season progresses.

LEANS CANCELLATION

B-Positive has established its appeal through great chemistry and punches of comic talent from Linda Lavin.  But it has squandered two strong lead-ins over its two seasons on the air.  With the transplant arc, the series appears to be struggling creatively.  CBS has too many other strong performers to give B-Positive a pass and may part if space is needed.  Unless United States of Al collapses, B-Positive is first on the chopping block.

LIKELY CANCELLATION

Home Economics' ratings do not reflect the creative quality, but rather the lack of interest viewers have demonstrated.  It received a late spring helping between The Goldbergs and The Connors yet underperformed for the brief exposure.  And it still has a strong lead-in behind The Conners but has failed to launch, dipping as low as 0.29 tested out behind a Conners repeat.  If ABC needs to clear space, Home Economics is the obvious choice as it underrates by a wide margin.


Tuesday TV Ratings 10/26/21: World Series Opens Higher Than 2020, The Bachelorette Eyes New Low, The Voice and La Brea Rise (UPDATED)


Ratings Analysis: The first game of the 2021 World Series (2.52) rose by a tenth from 2020's opening game (2.4), elevating Fox to the top of the Tuesday-night landscape. Seemingly unfazed by the extra competition, NBC's 'The Voice' (0.77) gained a tenth after setting a new low last week. Dramas 'La Brea' (0.59, +0.04) and 'New Amsterdam' (0.37, +0.03) each picked up a couple hundredths, with this marking the first time that 'Brea' has risen in its run. Over on ABC, 'The Bachelorette' (0.71, -0.08) and 'Queens' (0.31, -0.05) forfeited a few hundredths from premieres that were already underwhelming. 'Stargirl' (0.14, +0.04) and 'Supergirl' (0.09, +0.01) were both on the rise on the CW. CBS was once again in repeat-mode, broadcasting encores of 'FBI' (0.44), 'FBI: International' (0.37), and 'FBI: Most Wanted' (0.33). 

Finals Update: Game 1 of the '2021 World Series' (+0.2), NBC's 'The Voice' (+0.1), 'The Bachelorette' (+0.1), and the repeat of 'FBI: International' (+0.1) adjusted up.

Time

Show

18-49 Rating/Share

Viewers (mil)

Network

8 PM2021 World Series Game 12.52/1910.81Fox

The Voice0.77/56.71NBC

The Bachelorette0.71/52.87ABC

FBI (R)0.44/34.29CBS

DC's Stargirl0.14/10.62The CW
9 PMLa Brea0.59/45.20NBC

FBI: International (R)0.37/23.29CBS

Supergirl0.09/10.45The CW
10 PMNew Amsterdam0.37/33.53NBC

FBI: Most Wanted (R)0.33/33.20CBS

Queens0.31/21.48ABC
Key:
(R) = repeat

CBS Renew/Cancel (9/21 - 10/25) -- Full Season Pickups Move Ghosts and Others to Certain Renewal

Full-season pickups were offered to Ghosts, FBI: International and NCIS: Hawaii.  Smart decisions, as all are performing above bar or higher in their respective timeslots.  NCIS: Hawaii manages to easily retain its position leading its timeslot against ABC's weakened Good Doctor and NBC's failing Ordinary Joe.  Over on Tuesday, FBI: International manages the same anomaly against ABC's misfired Queens and NBC's stalling New Amsterdam.  Both procedural spinoffs debuted with compatible lead-ins and performed above-bar in difficult 10:00 timeslots, indicating the audience is interested.  Both have been upgraded the Certain Renewal.

Writer’s Block Season 3 Episode 4: It’s Over?

Monday Cable Ratings 10/25/21: American Dad! Halloween Special Hits Series Low, Halloween Baking Championship Ends on New Season High, NFL Monday Night Football Drops

Below are the top 25 programs on cable on Monday, 10/25/21. Items of note include the season finale of Halloween Baking Championship on Food, American Dad! on TBS, and WWE Raw on USA.

(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 10/24/21: Curb Your Enthusiasm and Insecure Return with New Lows, Hallmark’s The Santa Stakeout Strong, Outrageous Pumpkins Ends on Season Low

Below are the top 25 programs on cable on Sunday, 10/24/21. Items of note include the season premieres of Curb Your Enthusiasm and Insecure on HBO, and the season finale of Outrageous Pumpkins on Food Network.

(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 10/23/21: Boyfriends of Christmas Past Solid for Hallmark, MLB NLCS Wraps on a 2021 High, Ghost and Molly McGee Ties Series High

Below are the top 25 programs on cable on Saturday, 10/23/2021. Items of note include The Ghost and Molly McGee on Disney, Boyfriends of Christmas Past on Hallmark, and Justice with Judge Jeanine on Fox News.

(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.)

The Wonder Years and Home Economics Receive Full Seasons Orders from ABC

Just over a month after their premieres, ABC has handed out its first full season pickups of the season to a pair of their comedies. Freshman comedy The Wonder Years and sophomore comedy Home Economics have both been extended for full twenty-two episode seasons, following initial thirteen episode pickups. Neither show has been a particularly strong performer for ABC in live-plus same-day ratings, with The Wonder Years averaging 0.51 (and recently going as low as 0.39) and Home Economics averaging just a 0.36 (and going as low as 0.29). Despite this, The Wonder Years has been touted by ABC as a strong performer in delayed streaming viewing, while Home Economics has been an internal favorite at the network since its debut. The Wonder Years currently rates as the #4 new series of the season.

Monday TV Ratings 10/25/21: All American Returns Stable with Finale, Average Start for 4400, The Voice Rebounds (UPDATED)


Ratings Analysis: With popstar Ed Sheeran added to the roster of mentors, NBC's 'The Voice' (0.85) rose by a tenth from last week's Monday low. 'Ordinary Joe' (0.31, -0.06) failed to capitalize on the growth of its lead-in and dropped to its weakest rating yet. A horror-themed 'Dancing with the Stars' (0.71) fell by six-hundredths on ABC but 'The Good Doctor' (0.41) gained three-hundredths after taking the previous week off. A 'Masked Singer' clip show (0.39) couldn't drum up much fanfare on Fox, causing 'The Big Leap' (0.18, -0.05) to sink to a new level of atrocity. The CW's 'All American' (0.23) was steady with its third-season finale for its season four launch. New drama '4400' (0.10) retained less than half of its lead-in but debuted at a pretty atypical rating for the network. CBS was absent from the original programming sphere, opting instead to air encores of 'The Neighborhood' (0.48), 'Bob Hearts Abishola' (0.38), 'NCIS' (0.29), and 'NCIS: Hawai'i' (0.26). The lineup resembled a descending staircase, with each repeat going below the previous. 

Finals Update: The repeat of 'NCIS: Hawai'i' (+0.1) adjusted up. 'Ordinary Joe' (-0.1) adjusted down.

Marietta Season 4 Episode 2 - Bewitched, Bothered & Bewildered

Marietta Season 4, Episode 2
Bewitched, Bothered & Bewildered

ABC Renew/Cancel Week 5: ABC’s Queens Will Abdicate Their Throne

A new drama premiered last week on ABC, and it's time for my thoughts on this show's long-term prospects. Keep reading for my initial thoughts on Queens.

Friday Cable Ratings 10/22/21: You, Me & The Christmas Trees Solid on Hallmark, Patrick Star Show Returns Higher, Real Time with Bill Maher Nears Low

Below are the top 25 programs on cable on Friday, 10/22/21. Items of note include Sydney to the Max on Disney Channel, The Patrick Star Show on Nickelodeon, and You, Me & the Christmas Trees on Hallmark.

(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.)

Thursday Cable Ratings 10/21/21: President Biden Town Hall Decent on CNN, What We Do In The Shadows Steady at Low, MLB NCLS Slips but Leads

Below are the top 25 programs on cable on Thursday, 10/21/21. Items of note include What We Do In The Shadows on FX, Tacoma FD on TruTV, and Thursday Night Football on NFL Network.

(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.)

Sunday TV Ratings 10/24/21: Family Guy Steady as Bob’s Burgers Slips, NFL Lower, The Equalizer and The Simpsons Tick Up


Ratings Analysis: Fox's 'The Simpsons' (0.59) rose by six-hundredths when stacked up against last week's outing, clearly benefiting from the NFL-boosted repeats of itself (0.51) and 'Bob's' (0.54) that occupied the 7pm hour. 'The Great North' (0.42, +0.02) and 'Family Guy' (0.52, +0.05) each picked up a couple hundredths at 8:30 and 9:30 respectively, but 'Bob's Burgers' (0.46) was frozen at its week-ago number at 9. Over on NBC, the 'Colts v. 49ers' NFL game (4.36, -0.23) was roughly two-tenths below the October 17th 'Seahawks v. Steelers' game (4.59). 'Football Night in America' (2.0/3.2) topped both the 7pm and 8pm hours. CBS's 'NFL Overrun' (4.56) dropped by nearly 25%, but '60 Minutes' (1.44) only lost two-tenths from its previous installment. 'The Equalizer' (0.84) bucked that trend by rising by a tenth while 'NCIS: Los Angeles' (0.56, -0.01) and streaming-bound 'SEAL Team' (0.40, -0.04) experienced some minor declines. ABC was entirely in rerun mode but the encores of 'America's Funniest Home Videos' (0.46), 'Celebrity Wheel' (0.47) and 'Supermarket Sweep' (0.37) were almost indistinguishable from what they post for original episodes. A 10pm encore of the 'Queens' pilot (0.17) completely tanked in the demo and couldn't even clear the one-million mark in total viewers. 'Legends of the Hidden Temple' (0.08) picked up three-hundredths on the CW and led into a pair of 'Masters of Illusion' repeats (0.08/0.05). 

Finals Update: CBS's 'NFL Overrun' (+1.8), NBC's 'Colts v. 49ers' NFL game (+1.1), Fox's 'Bob's Burgers' (+0.1), and ABC's reruns of 'America's Funniest Home Videos' (+0.1), 'Celebrity Wheel of Fortune' (+0.1), and 'Supermarket Sweep' (+0.1) all adjusted up. The 7pm rerun of 'The Simpsons' (-0.2) adjusted down on Fox.

The Princess Royal Season 1 Episode 5 - Waterloo


The Princess Royal Season 1, Episode 5
Waterloo

The Ratings Don’t Lie: CNN and MSNBC Would Benefit From a Second Trump Presidency

The Ratings Junkie Sunday, October 24, 2021

 

Former President Trump endorsing Senator Chuck Grassley for re-election at a ‘Save America’ rally. [Source: Newsmax]

NCIS: Los Angeles S13E02 Review

 


NCIS: Los Angeles is first and foremost an entertainment show. It uses the established formula of crime procedurals so the viewer essentially knows what to expect from each episode. But at least several times a season, the show breaks from this convention to deliver very dark episodes or episodes with a lot less action and more reflection, frequently both will touch on a subject matter which may either be considered taboo, or a subject not usually tackled in depth by the show. Fukushu tackles the serious subject of racism and does so in a manner which involves numerous conversations, frequently with characters reflecting on their own experiences, making the episode stand out from the usual fare.

The episode opens with a gentle and tranquil scene. An older man is fishing on an empty beach, his catch escaping him. He slowly walks back to his truck, the peaceful scene nosily and suddenly interrupted by a passing vehicle, the young lady on her cell. The equilibrium is re-established but as he places his rod in the back of his truck, he is brutally attacked from behind by two masked men dressed in black, and is repeatedly punched and kicked, then left for dead.

The feel of this episode is very similar to that of S11E11 'Answers', also written by Kyle Harimoto, (which followed the extremely intense episode 'Mother'). The volume of serious conversations naturally slows down the pacing, and instead of high speed chases, fight scenes and explosions, there is reflection, shared experiences and a disappointment and disbelieve this could happen in America. Unfortunately this serves to alienate the viewers who tune in to watch for pure entertainment, and the repetitiveness of some of the conversations has a tendency to lay on the message a little too thickly at times. That is not to say that the show should avoid tricky topics. In the past they have covered or touched on cults (S07E07 An Unlocked Mind), white supremacists in Rage (S06E20), child suicide bombers (S07E19) The 7th Child and burying children alive (S02E04) Little Angels. By coincidence those episodes were all written by Frank Military, and include fairly high intensity drama however they do not scrutinise the subject matter. Harimoto tackles racism head on, and arguably bashes the viewer over the head with the message. Can more be less? Is subtly a better method? The reality is that sometimes subtly just doesn't work and whichever method was chosen, someone somewhere would be disappointed. Racism is rife and the bottom line is that it is right to tackle what should not even be a topic, let alone a contentious one.

The initial message of the episode is to rise above the racists. Jack Tanaka, the LAPD officer son of the victim, Craig Tanaka, a Vietnam veteran and highly respected member of the community who is seriously injured in hospital, readily agrees not to have any part in the case or to hunt for the men responsible, for fear of jeopardising any prosecution. This magnanimous and noble action. he attributes to his father who is an extremely disciplined man, thus leading to a sub theme about fathers, quite typical for the show. Sam comments his father was also disciplined as does Kilbride when he reveals to Rountree why the team have this case. Rountree reveals he would not do anything for his father (his sister is his family - clearly a story there to delve into another time). There is a great moment of mentoring between Sam and Fatima, particularly when the latter talks about her own experiences with racism, mostly because she wears a hijab. He warns her about assuming the attack on Tanaka was racially motivated but encourages her to trust her instincts, which are formed by her frames of personal reference. Kensi and Deeks do not reflect on their parentage and instead reflect on what they could offer an adopted child of another race.

Unfortunately, the message that violence is not the answer to violent racism is dropped like a stone when Jack Tanaka uses his connections to locate the suspects - a father and son - kidnaps and beats them, whilst filming a clip of them admitting the attack. The message becomes a warning of violence, that Asian-Americans will not take this hatred lying down, they are not a passive race. The flip side again reverts to the role of the father. A racist father who has spent years instilling inherent hatred into his son, the unwritten statement that this has been repeated throughout the generations.

There is an awful lot packed into the episode which is identified early with the abbreviated opening credits sequence. The team are together in their familiar shared spaces; the gym (albeit without Callen), the bullpen (minus Fatima and Rountree which leads into an amusing scene later where the pair comment about their lack of allocated desk space to Kilbride. A number of conversations take place in cars although the initial car scene when Kilbride video calls the team, is almost deliberately fake, reminiscent of 60s/70s TV / films. It is important to try different things, whether they be filmic styles or subjects, particularly when they are important and as relevant as race-hate. In this instance the delivery of the topic was a touch too heavy handed, but the cast and crew should be fully commended for such a great effort.