This week on the ABC Renew/Cancel, a under-discussed but very valuable drama asset takes the spotlight, with further analysis on one of ABC's biggest busts of the season.
Certain Cancellation:
N/A
Likely Cancellation:
Alaska Daily (0.23, 0.17-0.32)
The Company You Keep (0.26, 0.23-0.29)
Leans Cancellation:
N/A
Leans Renewal:
Big Sky (0.25, 0.19-0.31)
Home Economics (0.35, 0.30-0.41)
Not Dead Yet (0.34, 0.25-0.44)
Will Trent (0.30, 0.25-0.38)
Coming Soon:
Station 19: Station 19 is a show that tends to slip under the radar, due to its reliable solid ratings that are mostly stagnant over the course of the season. Over nine episodes aired this season, Station 19 has drawn a 0.5 in eight of those episodes, with the single 0.4 being a 0.44. Its ratings are pretty boring, but boring is pretty good in this day and age when so many shows are sinking to new lows left and right. That stability is extremely valuable for ABC, and it's helped keep Station 19 a top three scripted show for ABC for four seasons now. This season, it ranks #3, only two hundredths behind #1 show The Conners and a single hundredth behind #2 show Abbott Elementary - and it's rated above both of those shows in both weeks since its midseason return. Notably, it rates above parent show Grey's Anatomy for the first time ever in the L+SD 18-49 demo, with a two-hundredth lead. As that show weakens in the aftermath of star Ellen Pompeo's exit, Station 19 is likely to continue looking better and better, with an outside shot of becoming the network's #1 series this season if it continues to outpace those comedies. So while I haven't given the show much attention this season, that is in no way a knock on its performance, as the show remains a huge winner for ABC. It is getting up there in age - it's now in its sixth season, meaning contracts will need to be renegotiated - but there's little doubt that it'll be around for a while yet. It's a CERTAIN RENEWAL.
The Company You Keep: ABC's newest series managed to show a bit of life in its second week by growing three hundredths - it wasn't much, but any gain at all was notable with a premiere so weak. In week three, however, it gave it all back and then some, dropping to another rounded 0.2 in prelims, but failing to adjust up in the finals, with a 0.23. That was still somehow enough to more than double The Blacklist (its timeslot rival), but with its American Idol lead-in remaining at 0.7, beating The Blacklist is not exactly impressive, it's the bare minimum. With The Rookie: Feds looking likely for a renewal and Will Trent performing better in a much tougher slot, I'm not seeing much of any reason for ABC to need a second season of The Company You Keep, even if it is drawing slightly higher ratings than fellow freshman flop Alaska Daily. Even in that cast, its delayed viewing gains for the premiere don't seem to be as impressive as Alaska Daily's, so it's hard to even see ABC picking Company over that show. Both are likely goners, especially with little open space on the ABC lineup and at least four drama pilots lined up by ABC. It's a LIKELY CANCELLATION.
What do you think of my predictions? What are your predictions? Let me know in the comments and vote in the poll of the week!
