Below is the table for Week 12 of CBS Renew/Cancel, including predictions for all CBS scripted shows that have premiered so far in the 2022-23 TV season. Once again, there are no prediction or rank changes this week. In lieu of discussing shows that have changed in predictions or ranks, this column features a look into the outlook of new drama So Help Me Todd.
So Help Me Todd is inherently at a disadvantage against many other CBS shows. It’s not tied into a franchise and does not appear as though it could spawn a franchise itself, nor is it the typical type of CBS drama that would easily sell into syndication. Its retention from Ghosts is also rather weak. Plus, if CBS decides they want to re-introduce a second comedy hour on Thursday to supplement the two highest-rated live action sitcoms on television, So Help Me Todd would have to move somewhere else if renewed. There’s plenty working against So Help Me Todd, which is why it’s remained in a Cancel category all season long. This week is its 7th consecutive in the Leans Cancel category, the longest streak in a single category among all three new shows.
While its prospects are certainly not great, there are still plausible scenarios that would move So Help Me Todd into a Renew category. The most likely one of these involves East New York having a really bad spring. The warning signs for that are already in place: East New York’s Wednesday rerun rated a 0.14 A18-49 rating with a 1.6 W18-49 share and a 1.4 M18-49 share. Comparatively, its Amazing Race lead-in posted a 0.48 A18-49 rating with a 4.6 W18-49 share and a 4.4 M18-49 share. Of course, this was an out of time slot rerun airing, but the fact that there was so little interest does not bode well. Given So Help Me Todd is distributed by Paramount and East New York is distributed by Warner, it’s plausible CBS picks So Help Me Todd over East New York if the two perform similarly in the spring.
Like all low-rated new shows, So Help Me Todd would also benefit from the network simply having a bad development season. Even if CBS realizes So Help Me Todd is not a hit, they could take a look at their development and figure it’s not worth the risk of assuming any of those shows would do better. Given CBS picked up no new comedies this season and replaced the Thursday comedy hour with So Help Me Todd, one could argue this wouldn’t be the first time So Help Me Todd benefitted from a poor pilot season.