Been wondering why NCIS: Los Angeles abruptly dropped Hetty from its roster? It turns out Linda Hunt stepped away to prepare for a riveting procedural drama. Hunt plays Linda Huntudown, a wealthy patron of a retirement home who spends her days airing her thoughts and opinions in the internet on articles. After she Spotted an Assassin trolling others, she decides to void her will, disinheriting her spoiled, unemployed grandchildren and use her hard-earned assets to hunt down people who troll others on the net.
CBS promises this shall be a non-violent show, instead as Linda decides to use other means to stop trolls from using fake accounts, embarrassing people with atrocious grammar and stopping sociopaths by doing background checks to take them down a peg. She calls out grouchy curmudgeons, mocks people with poor grammar, and trolls the bastards right back! And the irony is she regularly researches and integrates younger catchphrase and lingo, leaving the frustrated people she confronts just believing she is a bored housewife or basement-dwelling virgin with too much time to kill. The network hopes to showcase the 76-year old veteran actress to appeal to the target demo. Look for Linda Huntudown to debut on Thursday, September 31, 2022.
Below are the top 50 programs on cable on Wednesday, 3/30/22. Items of note include NBA on ESPN, Snowfall on FX, and the season finale of Astrid & Lilly Save The World on Syfy.
One of CBS's longest-running franchises will continue onward into next season, as the Tiffany Network has announced that its trio of current NCIS series have all been picked up for additional seasons. All three shows have performed well for CBS this season, with NCIS rating as their #3 drama, NCIS: Hawaii rating as their #4 drama, and NCIS: LA rating as their #7 drama. NCIS made a move this season from its longtime Tuesday slot to a Monday slot behind Bob Hearts Abishola. It fell 30% from last season, but improved upon the previous time slot occupant (All Rise), helping to launch NCIS: Hawaii and revitalize CBS's struggling Monday night lineup, all while losing the show's star, Mark Harmon. NCIS will enter its landmark 20th season next year, while NCIS: Los Angeles will enter an impressive 14th season and the fledgling NCIS: Hawaii will enter season two. All three shows are correct predictions for The TV Ratings Guide.
Below are the top 50 programs on cable on Tuesday, 3/29/22. Items of note include NBA on TNT, The Five on Fox News, and Curse of Oak Island on History.
Ratings Analysis: CBS's 'Survivor' (0.90, +0.06) climbed to its highest 2022 rating to date and topped a rather quiet Wednesday evening. Lead-out program 'Beyond the Edge' (0.35, -0.04) slipped to its lowest rating yet but at least 'Good Sam' (0.24, +0.02) perked up at 10. Fox reality series 'The Masked Singer' (0.81, +0.09) gained close to a tenth, but 'Domino Masters' (0.38, -0.06) dropped down to the lackluster rating it posted in its first two weeks. On the CW, 'The Flash' (0.08, -0.06) and 'Kung Fu' (0.07, -0.04) both crashed to new series lows. ABC's 20/20 special about the past twenty-four months (0.25) could only tie the 'Home Economics' rerun (0.25) that preceded it and trailed repeats of 'The Goldbergs' (0.32), 'The Wonder Years' (0.28), and 'The Conners' (0.28). NBC's encores of 'Chicago Med' (0.40), 'Chicago Fire' (0.47), and 'Chicago PD' (0.41) handily outperformed the alphabet network's efforts.
Finals Update: 'Survivor' (+0.1), 'The Masked Singer' (+0.1), and the repeat of 'Chicago Fire' (+0.1) adjusted up.
Donald Glover (left), Brian Tyree Henry (right). Credit: FX
Three Slaps
On March 26, 2018, Jennifer and Sarah Hart drove their SUV off a cliff and killed the six black children they had adopted in a horrific murder-suicide. This shameful tragedy may not have gotten much attention from the mainstream press but it clearly caught the eyes of Donald Glover and Hiro Murai. 'Three Slaps' cuts back on the comedy in order to bring this gut-wrenching story to the small screen in a Get Out-style fashion. Though it may appear to be detached from the main narrative of Atlanta, the themes of white saviorism and adolescent trauma feel right at home in the dramedy's landscape.
After a chilling dream sequence that takes place in an abandoned lake, viewers are met with the character of Loquareeous, a young boy who misbehaves in class and deals with frequent visits to the principal's office. Though it's quite painful to see him chastised by his mother and slapped by his grandfather, it is nothing compared to when his mom lets Child Services take Loquareeous to his new home. Upon arrival, the fabricated sweetness of his new caretaker Amber mixed with the blunt, irritable nature of her wife Gayle is nothing short of skin-crawling. From there, Loquareeous meets his new, silent siblings, eats Amber's "fried chicken", and is forced to slave away for the farmer's market that the two ladies are a part of.
Outside of a cheeky reference to rapper NBA Youngboy, there's little to laugh at here and this is clearly a strategic choice to drive home the horror aspect of 'Three Slaps'. The episode ultimately escalates as it progresses, going from mildly discomforting to traumatizing within the span of just thirty minutes. This culminates with the caretakers murdering a social worker that comes in to check on the kids and leads to the murder-suicide that almost takes the lives of the adopted children. Thankfully, Glover's version of this real-life tragedy ends with the kids surviving and Loquareeous finding his way back to his mother's house. Even though it is revealed that the entire ordeal was a dream Earn was having, that fails to make the events of this outing any less haunting.
'Three Slaps' blends the eerie stylings of 'Teddy Perkins' with the childhood angst found in 'FUBU' to concoct a spine-chilling premiere. It's difficult to label this episode as enjoyable or entertaining because of the troubling nature of what's being depicted, but the content is still incredibly captivating. Though it may seem like this installment is pointless filler, it is clearly going to be part of a larger narrative that Atlanta will be crafting this season. This episode is a masterclass in horror and the team behind the series deserves major praise for shining light on such a catastrophic crime.
Stray Thoughts
If it weren't for the Black Panther 2 and Rihanna references, I would have assumed this episode was a flashback to a character's childhood, possibly Darius.
I wonder if the inclusion of American Dad had any deeper meaning to it.
So was the lake scene at the start a dream within a dream?
While the first two seasons of Atlanta primarily took place in the titular city, it's only natural that the series would change the scenery as it enters another chapter. With Paperboi becoming a much larger act and Earn growing more competent in his role as manager, 'Sinterklaas is Coming to Town' reveals that a lot has changed in four years but there are still enough familiar beats to showcase the infectious chemistry between the core characters.
'Sinterklaas' begins with a groggy and sick Earn frantically scrambling out of his hotel room to secure the $20,000 needed to get Alfred out of a Dutch prison. Although this appears to be an alarming situation at first glance, it is soon revealed that Paperboi's jail cell resembles a cozy suite more than a security facility. Some of the most entertaining moments come when Brian Tyree Henry's character treats his cell like a luxurious resort, choosing to order all the food he can stomach and taking a peaceful nap even after Earn pays his bail.
The newfound stardom that Alfred basks in is even more enjoyable to witness, with his fans holding up "Free Paperboi" posters and Alfred returning the favor by showering them with paper bills. After that situation is resolved, the Earn and Alfred storyline takes on a refreshingly relaxed tone. Earn is far less neurotic and insecure than he was in past seasons while Alfred is in a surprisingly calm mood. The only conflict that emerges is when Alfred decides not to perform at the venue due to the blackface-wearing audience members. This ends with a hilarious moment where the event manager becomes furious with Earn and chases him down. He ultimately beats up someone wearing blackface that he mistakes for Glover's character, meaning that Earn was essentially saved by the racism that made him uneasy.
The side-plot of 'Sinterklaas' centers on the unlikely duo of Darius and Van as they deal with a death doula and watch the suffocation of Tupac (or a Tupac lookalike). The inclusion of Tupac here is reminiscent of the black Justin Bieber from season 1's 'Nobody Beats the Biebs' since both feature a well-known figure taking on an unusual likeliness. Outside of the references to the rap icon, Darius once more steals the show with his deadpan delivery and eccentric brand of one-liners. Lines like "this city is my Jesus" or his explanation of how he got his balls crushed in Nigeria illustrate why his presence has been sorely missed. They may not have as much chemistry as the others but it's still engaging to see the interactions between Darius and Van, on top of learning more about the mental state of Zazie Beatz's character.
'Sinterklaas is Coming to Town' is a flawless return to the type of absurdist comedy that Atlanta excels at. It serves as a pleasant reintroduction to the cast of characters that have made this show so engaging from the start. When it comes to the uncomfortable nature of the blackface scenes, it seems like some of the elements of 'Three Slaps' are seeping through and will continue to control the atmosphere of this season. There could not be a better way to bring these characters back after such an extensive hiatus and the events of episode two will make longtime viewers excited for what's in store for the rest of the dramedy's third season.
Stray Thoughts
Both 'Three Slaps' and 'Sinterklaas' reference Rihanna.
Alfred being in a European jail is likely a callback to the A$AP Rocky fiasco.
I wonder if Earn will continue to be sick and if it has something to do with Covid.
It's a shame we don't get to see what happened to Clark County after the events of the season two finale.
Two veteran 10 PM ABC dramas will be back for at least one more season each, with The Good Doctor and The Rookie both securing pickups for the 2022-23 TV season today. Though both have seen sizable declines this season, they remain the top-performing 10 PM dramas on ABC, easily out-rating Big Sky, A Million Little Things, Queens and the already-canceled Promised Land. The Good Doctor, which stars Freddie Highmore, Richard Schiff, Hill Harper, Paige Spara, Will Yun Lee and Fiona Gubelmann, will enter its sixth season. The Rookie, starring Nathan Fillion, Alyssa Diaz, Richard T. Jones, Eric Winter and Jenna Dewan, will enter its fifth season. Both are correct predictions for The TV Ratings Guide.
Ratings Analysis: Fox game show 'Name That Tune' (0.38) was a shell of its former self on premiere night, going below every season one rating and falling by almost 50% from its 2021 debut (0.72). Earlier in the evening, drama 'The Resident' (0.44, -0.02) shed two-hundredths in its return from a 21-day hiatus. NBC comedies 'Young Rock' (0.34, -0.08) and 'Mr. Mayor' (0.29, -0.02) plunged to new lows in the 8PM hour. Dramas 'This Is Us' (0.68, -0.07) and 'The Thing About Pam' (0.31, -0.04) also declined at 9 and 10 respectively. 'Judge Steve Harvey' (0.40, -0.06) and 'Abbott Elementary' (0.49, -0.05) slipped on ABC, with Harvey's program falling to its lowest rating on record. In the back-half of the night, 'Black-ish' (0.34, +0.02) and 'To Tell the Truth' (0.33, +0.07) were able to pick up some steam. CBS's 'FBI' (0.66) held even but spinoff shows 'FBI: International' (0.56, +0.04) and 'FBI: Most Wanted' (0.57, +0.04) rose by four-hundredths apiece. CW dramas 'Superman & Lois' (0.11, -0.02) and 'Naomi' (0.06, -0.01) saw their numbers shrink
Finals Update: 'FBI' (+0.1), 'FBI: International' (+0.1), 'This Is Us' (+0.1), and 'Abbott Elementary' (+0.1) adjusted up.
Below are the top 50 programs on cable on Monday, 3/28/22. Items of note include Better Things on FX, the season finale of Snowpiercer on TNT, and Killing Eve on AMC.
Below are the top 50 programs on cable on Saturday, 3/26/2022. Items of note include NCAA Basketball Tournament on TBS, Women's NCAA Basketball on ESPN, and The Owl House on Disney.
Ratings Analysis: After a mediocre launch last week, NBC's 'American Song Contest' (0.34, -0.15) completely collapsed for episode two and took 'The Endgame' (0.20, -0.07) down with it. 'Song Contest' lost over 30% from its premiere rating and was below every ABC, CBS, and Fox telecast. Dramas '9-1-1' (0.69, -0.09) and '9-1-1: Lone Star' (0.50, -0.07) also suffered sizable hits on the Fox network. ABC had more positive news as both 'American Idol' (0.74, +0.01) and 'The Good Doctor' (0.44, +0.06) rose from their week-ago outings. On CBS, 'The Neighborhood' (0.63) held steady, 'Bob Hearts Abishola' (0.52, +0.01) gained a hundredth, and 'NCIS' (0.54, -0.01) lost one. 10PM drama 'NCIS: Hawai'i' (0.49, -0.03) did not benefit from having a crossover with its parent program. 'All American' (0.16, -0.01) and 'All American: Homecoming' (0.11, -0.02) dropped by a hundredth and two-hundredths respectively on the CW.
This week on the ABC Renew/Cancel, I have an update on one of ABC's longest-running comedy series - The Goldbergs. Keep reading for my extended thoughts on ABC's signature comedy set in 1980something.
Below are the top 50 programs on cable on Friday, 3/25/22. Items of note include the NCAA College Basketball Tournament on TNT, TBS & TruTV, Real Time with Bill Maher on HBO, and RuPaul's Drag Race on VH1.
Below are the top 50 programs on cable on Thursday, 3/24/22. Items of note include Top Chef on Bravo, the season finale of Grown-ish on Freeform, and The Five on Fox News.
Ratings Analysis: After years of dwindling ratings, the 94th edition of 'The Oscars' (3.76) grew by a whopping 77% from the 2021 ceremony (2.12) and rose by over six million in the total viewers department (16.6 million vs. 10.4 million). ABC's 'Red Carpet' special (1.22) preceded the main event and barreled past the pre-show from the year prior (0.66). In spite of the increased competition, Fox weathered the blow quite nicely as 'The Simpsons' (0.36, +0.07), 'The Great North' (0.27, +0.01), and 'Family Guy' (0.37, +0.04) all made visible gains. 'Bob's Burgers' (0.33, -0.02) was unable to follow that trend and ended up tying its series low. The 7PM hour was occupied by 'NASCAR' (0.58) and a rerun of 'Welcome to Flatch' (0.24). On CBS, '60 Minutes' (0.97, -0.07) lost seven-hundredths and led into two hours of 'NCIS: Los Angeles' (0.59/0.52). The first episode was the highest-rated since its season premiere while the second was a hundredth shy of last week. 'SWAT' (0.46, -0.03) took a hit in the 10PM timeslot. Leading out of an encore of 'American Song Contest' (0.17), NBC's 'Weakest Link' (0.23, -0.04) lost four-hundredths and was followed by a rising 'Transplant' (0.15, +0.02). The CW's 'Riverdale' (0.06, +0.01) picked up a hundredth and led into the finale of 'March' (0.0).
Finals Update: 'The Oscars' (+0.9), 'SWAT' (+0.1), 'The Simpsons' (+0.1), and 'Family Guy' (+0.1) adjusted up. 'The Oscars Red Carpet' (-0.5), '60 Minutes' (-0.4), and the repeat of 'Welcome to Flatch' (-0.1) adjusted down.
Ratings Analysis: NBC's broadcast of the 'World Figure Skating Championships' (0.09) barely even registered in the Adults 18-49 demographic and could only scrape together one million in total viewers. 'SNL Vintage' (0.15) built from that horrific rating at 10PM but was still lower than its usual delivery. CBS had reruns of 'FBI' (0.22) and '48 Hours' (0.34) alongside an original episode of '48 Hours' (0.34, +0.06) that topped the night altogether. ABC's reruns of 'Step Into the Movies' (0.15) and 'American Idol' (0.17) narrowly outpaced Fox's encores of '9-1-1' (0.14) and 'The Cleaning Lady' (0.11). On the CW, 'World's Funniest Animals' (0.06, +0.01) picked up a hundredth but trailed the repeats of 'Whose Line Is It Anyway?' (0.07/0.10) that preceded it. The 9:30PM 'Funniest Animals' rerun (0.06) matched the original that aired at 9.
Finals Update: 'SNL Vintage' (+0.1) and the repeat of 'Step Into the Movies' (+0.1) adjusted up.
Ratings Analysis: The March Madness ratings continued to improve on CBS as the 'St. Peter's v. Purdue' NCAA Tournament' (2.26) and the 'NC v. UCLA' telecast (2.37) both comfortably outrated the games from Thursday night (1.86/2.17). Despite the new highs on CBS, ABC staples 'Shark Tank' (0.49, +0.01) and '20/20' (0.35, +0.08) posted stronger ratings than they did the week prior. NBC drama 'The Blacklist' (0.24, +0.01) gained a single hundredth, but 'Dateline' (0.27, -0.08) crumbled in the 9PM hour. On Fox, wrestling program 'WWE Smackdown' (0.49, -0.09) was nearly a tenth shy of its previous episode. Over on the CW, drama offering 'Charmed' (0.04, -0.05) crashed to a new low as 'Dynasty' (0.03, -0.03) tied its prior low-point.
Finals Update: 'NCAA Tournament: NC v. UCLA' (+0.7), 'Shark Tank' (+0.1), and 'WWE Smackdown' (+0.1) adjusted up. 'NCAA Tournament: St. Peter's v. Purdue' (-0.1) adjusted down.
Ratings Analysis: CBS got a monster rating out of the 'AR v. Gonzaga' NCAA Tournament (1.86) and broke the 2.0 threshold for the first time this month with an even bulkier 'TX Tech v. Duke' match-up (2.17). Though overshadowed by March Madness, ABC dramas 'Station 19' (0.61, +0.07), 'Grey's Anatomy' (0.64, +0.13), and 'Big Sky' (0.33, +0.08) made significant gains after sinking to series lows the week prior. Fox's 'MasterChef Junior' (0.40, +0.01) rose by a single hundredth from last week's disappointing return, and 'Welcome To Flatch' (0.20) held flat at its miserable premiere rating. In-between those two, 'Call Me Kat' (0.33, -0.03) declined by three-hundredths on a week-to-week basis. NBC had a trio of repeats with 'Law & Order' (0.32), 'Law & Order: SVU' (0.43), and 'Law & Order: Organized Crime' (0.31). The CW had sluggish encores of 'Walker' (0.05) and 'Legacies' (0.02).
Finals Update: 'NCAA Tournament: Texas Tech v. Duke' (+0.3) adjusted up. 'NCAA Tournament: Arkansas v. Gonzaga' (-0.2) adjusted down.
This week on the NBC Renew/Cancel, focus is back on The Endgame! Keep reading to see if a prediction change is in store for NBC's only new drama with its fate still up in the air.
Ratings Analysis: On a night where no show declined, ABC sitcom 'Home Economics' (0.37, +0.06) posted the most impressive gain of them all. The struggling comedy rose to its strongest rating since early February and widened the gap between it and 8:30PM sitcom 'The Wonder Years' (0.31, +0.01). 'The Goldbergs' (0.48, +0.02), 'The Conners' (0.48, +0.02), and 'A Million Little Things' (0.26, +0.03) also enjoyed some upticks. CBS's 'Good Sam' (0.22, +0.01) picked up a hundredth, 'Survivor' (0.84, +0.02) gained two, and 'Beyond the Edge' (0.39, +0.03) rose by three. Fox reality series 'The Masked Singer' (0.72, +0.01) inched up, and 'Domino Masters' (0.44, +0.06) climbed to its highest rating yet. 'The Flash' (0.14, +0.02) and 'Kung Fu' (0.11, +0.03) recovered on the CW, with the latter posting a season high. NBC aired repeats of 'Chicago Med' (0.34), 'Chicago Fire' (0.38), and 'Chicago PD' (0.37).
Finals Update: 'The Conners' (+0.1) and 'Home Economics' (+0.1) adjusted up. 'The Flash' (-0.1) adjusted down.
Ratings Analysis: After nearly two months off the air, ABC's 'Judge Steve Harvey' (0.46, -0.14) slipped to its lowest rating to date in the 8 o'clock timeslot. Sitcoms 'Abbott Elementary' (0.54, -0.10) and 'Black-ish' (0.32, -0.11) suffered similar blows after taking a month off but avoided hitting new lows. 'To Tell the Truth' (0.26, -0.03) shed three-hundredths at 10. CBS's 'FBI' (0.66, +0.01) gained a hundredth, 'FBI: International' (0.52) held flat, and 'FBI: Most Wanted' (0.53, -0.01) lost a hundredth. On NBC, comedies 'Young Rock' (0.42, -0.01) and 'Mr. Mayor' (0.31, -0.04) shed a few ticks as dramas 'This Is Us' (0.75, +0.07) and 'The Thing About Pam' (0.35, +0.04) rose by seven-hundredths and four-hundredths respectively. On Fox, the 'iHeartRadio Music Awards' (0.49) improved by 4% from the 2021 ceremony (0.47). 'Superman & Lois' (0.13) was flat on the CW, but 'Naomi' (0.07, +0.01) inched up.
Finals Update: 'FBI' (+0.1), 'Judge Steve Harvey' (+0.1), 'To Tell the Truth' (+0.1), 'This Is Us' (+0.1), and 'The Thing About Pam' (+0.1) adjusted up.
Below are the top 50 programs on cable on Monday, 3/21/22. Items of note include Better Things on FX, Snowpiercer on TNT, and the season finale of The Gilded Age on HBO.
The CW has once again renewed a collection of series well before the Upfronts, but they're leaving more shows up in the air this year than usual. Seven series - including top-rated series All American, Superman & Lois and The Flash, as well as Walker, Nancy Drew, Kung Fu and Riverdale - have secured renewals for next season. That leaves numerous shows with fates still to be determined, including Batwoman, Legends of Tomorrow, Charmed, Dynasty, All American: Homecoming, Naomi, 4400, Legacies and In the Dark. Most of these shows rate towards the bottom of the CW pack, with only Homecoming and Naomi matching or exceeding the 0.10 mark. The CW's smaller early mass renewal comes amid talks of a sale which may lead to more cancellations than usual for a network that has become known in recent years for renewing nearly all of its shows. If the network is sold, its new owner is likely to have a say in which - if any - of these series will return next season. All seven renewals are correct predictions for The TV Ratings Guide.
Below are the top 50 programs on cable on Saturday, 3/12/2022. Items of note include Amphibia on Disney, Fox & Friends on Fox News, and NCAA Tournament on ESPN.
Ratings Analysis: NBC's 'American Song Contest' (0.49) failed to make much of an impression for its series premiere and found itself in a distant fourth-place in the 8PM timeslot. To make matters worse, 'The Endgame' (0.27, -0.06) lost six-hundredths and was dead-last at 10. On ABC, the first Monday edition of 'American Idol' (0.73) was eight-hundredths higher than Sunday's episode (0.65) but failed to top the night. Veteran drama 'The Good Doctor' (0.38, -0.06) tied its series low in the 10PM hour. Fox's '9-1-1' (0.78, -0.06) fell by six-hundredths for its spring premiere, but '9-1-1: Lone Star' (0.57, +0.02) picked up two-hundredths in its move to the 9PM slot. 'The Neighborhood' (0.63, -0.01) and 'NCIS' (0.55, -0.01) lost a hundredth apiece as 'Bob Hearts Abisohla' (0.51, -0.09) dealt with a much steeper decline. At 10, 'NCIS: Hawai'i' (0.52, +0.06) climbed to its highest rating without a football lead-in. 'All American' (0.17) and 'All American: Homecoming' (0.13) were stable on the CW.
Finals Update: '9-1-1' (+0.1), 'American Song Contest' (+0.1), '9-1-1: Lone Star' (+0.1), and 'NCIS' (+0.1) adjusted up.
Below are the top 50 programs on cable on Friday, 3/18/22. Items of note include the NCAA CollegE Basketball Tournament on TNT, TBS & TruTV, Real Time with Bill Maher on HBO, and RuPaul's Drag Race on VH1.
Ratings Analysis: 'An Audience with Adele' (0.34) made very little noise on NBC and was a far cry from the singer's CBS special that aired in November 2021 (1.65). The only silver lining was that the English songwriter did manage to beat the 'America's Got Talent: Extreme' rerun (0.20) and 'Weakest Link' original (0.27, +0.06) that came before it. On ABC, 'American Idol' (0.65, -0.30) plummeted to a new season low, but the 10PM 'Step Into the Movies' special (0.34) was only four-hundredths lower than last week's episode of 'The Rookie' (0.38). A solid repeat of 'America's Funniest Home Videos' (0.41) occupied the 7PM hour. Thanks to a boost from March Madness, '60 Minutes' (1.04, +0.31) grew by three-tenths and climbed to a level it normally doesn't touch outside of the fall months. CBS dramas 'The Equalizer' (0.65, +0.03), 'NCIS: Los Angeles' (0.53, +0.09), and 'SWAT' (0.49, +0.02) had more modest gains when compared to 'Minutes'. Fox used 'NASCAR' (0.55) to help a 'Welcome to Flatch' pilot encore (0.23) outpace its first-run broadcast (0.20). From there, animated staple 'The Simpsons' (0.29, -0.03) slipped to a new series low, but 'The Great North' (0.26, +0.03) and 'Bob's Burgers' (0.35, +0.02) improved from the depressed ratings they posted a week prior. 'Family Guy' (0.33) held flat in the 9:30PM timeslot. The CW's 'Riverdale' (0.05, -0.01) tied its series low for its first Sunday episode as 'March' (0.02, -0.01) also shed a hundredth.
Finals Update: 'American Idol' (+0.1), 'Weakest Link' (+0.1), 'The Great North' (+0.1), and 'Bob's Burgers' (+0.1) adjusted up. '60 Minutes' (-1.1), 'The Equalizer' (-0.1), and 'NCIS: Los Angeles' (-0.1) adjusted down.
Ratings Analysis: The 'St. Peter's v. Murray St.' NCAA broadcast (1.86) proved to be the strongest one yet, placing CBS at the top of the pack for the third night in a row. ABC's 'Rangers v. Lightning' NHL game (0.24) secured second place but had an audience that was over seven times smaller than the March Madness game. NBC had little luck with a rerun of 'Law & Order' (0.11), but the 9PM encore of 'Dateline' (0.22) and 'SNL Vintage' (0.23) picked up the slack from there. Fox went with puny repeats of '9-1-1' (0.13) and 'The Cleaning Lady' (0.09). The CW's 'Great Chocolate Showdown' (0.06) was flat for its season finale as 'World's Funniest Animals' (0.05, +0.03) climbed higher for a 'National Puppy Day' edition.
Finals Update: 'NCAA Tournament: Saint Peter's v. Murray State' (+0.5) adjusted up.
Ratings Analysis: The 'Cal St. Fullerton v. Duke' NCAA Tournament (0.77) made a bit of a soft landing on CBS, but the 'Davidson v. MI St.' match-up (1.38) created far more noise at 9:30PM. Despite the March Madness competition, Fox's 'WWE Smackdown' (0.58, +0.01) picked up an extra hundredth. The same could not be said for the programs on ABC as 'Shark Tank' (0.48, -0.07) dropped to its season low and '20/20' (0.27, -0.22) completely fell off a cliff. NBC's 'The Blacklist' (0.23, -0.08) also slipped to its lowest rating to date, but 'Dateline' (0.35, +0.08) grew by eight-hundredths at 9. After last week's lackluster returns, CW dramas 'Charmed' (0.09, +0.02) and 'Dynasty' (0.06, +0.01) gained two-hundredths and a hundredth respectively.
Finals Update: 'NCAA Tournament: Cal State Fullerton v. Duke' (+0.1), 'NCAA Tournament: Davidson v. Michigan State' (+0.3), 'WWE SmackDown' (+0.1), 'Shark Tank' (+0.1), and 'Dateline NBC' (+0.1) adjusted up.
Below are the top 50 programs on cable on Thursday, 3/17/22. Items of note include Top Chef on Bravo, the season finale of Single Drunk Female on Freeform, and The Five on Fox News.
Below are the latest renew/cancel predictions for the Fox network in the 2021-22 television season. The numbers listed in the table are the ratings that these shows have garnered in the Adults 18-49 demographic. One new series have entered the table since the previous update. As always, only scripted programming will be taken into account in this column.
Welcome To Flatch: Fox's latest addition to its sitcom library debuted with a pitiful 0.20rating in the Adults 18-49 demographic and barely cleared the one-million mark in terms of total viewers. These numbers would be miserable enough on their own but it also managed to lose nearly 50% of its 'Call Me Kat' lead-in (0.36). 'Welcome To Flatch' is already the lowest-rated series on Fox and, like nearly every show to air on television, will likely drop from its premiere rating. Unless 'Flatch' magically grows an audience overnight, this comedy series will not be welcome on the Fox network by the time the fall season arrives. Status: LIKELY CANCEL
Call Me Kat: Since the previous column, sophomore comedy 'Call Me Kat' has been upgraded from "Likely Cancellation" to "Likely Renewal". Though it has definitely struggled this season, it recently shot up to a 0.36rating on March 17th. That may not seem very solid on paper but it serves as the program's strongest 2022 performance without football help. This rating also eclipses the latest episode of every sitcom in the "Animation Domination" block, making 'Kat' the highest-rated Fox sitcom of the week. Considering that most shows crumble this late in the game, 'Kat' is beginning to look somewhat serviceable. Fox also airs reruns of the Mayim Bialik comedy every Sunday night, signaling that they are invested in making sure it gets more exposure. 'Call Me Kat' is far from a lock but a renewal seems far more likely than it did two months ago. Status:LIKELY RENEWAL
The Cleaning Lady: This Elodie Yung drama closed out its first season with an adequate 0.39 rating and retained a solid 71% of '9-1-1: Lone Star' (0.55) on finale night. 'The Cleaning Lady' was a modest success for the Fox network and even managed to outdo its premiere rating on January 24th (0.53) and January 31st (0.55) respectively. While it did tie its series low for its season closer, the Yung vehicle has likely done just enough to avoid cancellation. Status: LIKELY RENEWAL
Pivoting: 'Pivoting' ended its inaugural season with a lifeless 0.18rating and went as low as a 0.15during its short stint on Thursday nights. The sitcom was consistently below one million in total viewers for its final three installments and has an average that barely puts it above recently-canceled 'Big Leap'. All signs point to 'Pivoting' succumbing to an early demise, it is not likely to survive past these initial ten episodes. Status: LIKELY CANCEL
The Big Leap: Fox officially canceled'The Big Leap' on March 4, 2022. Before this news came out, the drama had been in the "Certain Cancellation" category for quite some time, thus making it a correct prediction. Status: CANCELLED
Ratings Analysis: March Madness catapulted CBS to the top of the pack as the 'St. Peter's v. KY' game (1.35) and 'San Fran. v. Murray St.' match-up (0.83) were the two highest-rated telecasts on primetime. 'Law & Order' (0.56, +0.02) and 'Law & Order: Organized Crime' (0.54, +0.02) gained two-hundredths apiece on NBC, but 'Law & Order: SVU' (0.65) posted the same rating for the third week in a row. On Fox, 'MasterChef Junior' (0.39) proved to be a slight improvement over 'Joe Millionaire' but returned well below its 2019 levels. 'Call Me Kat' (0.36, +0.11) surged to its highest rating in over two months at 9 but that did nothing to help the series premiere of new sitcom 'Welcome To Flatch' (0.20). 'Flatch' was the lowest-rated original of the night and was only two-hundredths higher than the finale of 'Pivoting'. ABC dramas 'Station 19' (0.54, -0.07), 'Grey's Anatomy' (0.51, -0.10), and 'Big Sky' (0.25, -0.02) all dropped to new series lows. The CW aired reruns of 'Walker' (0.08) and 'Legacies' (0.03).
Finals Update: 'NCAA Tournament: Saint Peter's v. Kentucky' (+0.1), 'Law & Order' (+0.1), 'Law & Order: SVU' (+0.1), 'MasterChef Junior' (+0.1), 'Call Me Kat' (+0.1), and 'Big Sky' (+0.1) adjusted up. 'NCAA Tournament: San Francisco v. Murray State' (-0.3) adjusted down.
This week on the NBC Renew/Cancel, two sophomore comedies enter the spread, with initial predictions for Young Rock and Mr. Mayor. Keep reading to see where these two shows end up!
Below are the top 50 programs on cable on Wednesday, 3/16/22. Items of note include the midseason finale of Resident Alien on Syfy, the season finale of South Park on Comedy Central, and the season premiere of Temptation Island on USA.
