This week on the Summer Renew/Cancel, numerous ABC shows join the fray as the network solidifies its summer lineup. Keep reading for initial predictions on their Sunday and Thursday lineups.
Certain to be Canceled:
The Wonder Years (0.21, 0.18-0.25)
Likely to be Canceled:
HouseBroken (0.12, 0.09-0.18)
Tough As Nails (0.20, 0.18-0.23)
Leans Cancellation:
Beat Shazam (0.21, 0.17-0.26)
Hot Wheels: Ultimate Challenge (0.28, 0.25-0.33)
The Prank Panel (0.31, 0.30-0.31)
Stars on Mars (0.19, 0.17-0.24)
Leans Renewal:
Crime Scene Kitchen (0.20, 0.18-0.24)
Don't Forget The Lyrics! (0.23, 0.20-0.25)
Gordon Ramsay's Food Stars (0.27, 0.26-0.29)
LA Fire & Rescue (0.26, 0.23-0.29)
Likely to be Renewed:
The $100,000 Pyramid (0.29)
The Chase (0.34, 0.30-0.37)
Claim To Fame (0.34, 0.29-0.40)
Weakest Link (0.26, 0.20-0.32)
Certain to be Renewed:
American Ninja Warrior (0.37, 0.34-0.43)
America's Got Talent (0.64, 0.58-0.68)
The Bachelorette (0.33, 0.27-0.36)
Celebrity Family Feud (0.38)
Generation Gap (0.40, 0.35-0.44)
MasterChef (0.39, 0.33-0.42)
Yet to Premiere:
Big Brother
The Challenge: USA
Mysteries Decoded
Superfan
Fate Determined:
Gotham Knights (Canceled)
Superman & Lois (Renewed)
The Prank Panel: ABC's latest unscripted entry made its timeslot debut last week, after a preview of it aired in May to little fanfare. Despite a much weaker lead-in, the show did manage to perform a little better, growing a single hundredth from its premiere to a 0.31. However, even with ratings rising slightly, that result is still exceptionally poor: both its lead-in (a repeat of America's Funniest Home Videos) and its lead-out (Celebrity Family Feud) rated over half a tenth better, with 0.38s. It's also down over 50% from what Feud did in this slot for its premiere a year ago. ABC canceled The Final Straw last season, which averaged the exact same rating that Prank Panel is currently averaging. While ratings in general are down, I don't think this is going to be enough for the Prank Panel, as it's very clear ABC can do better in this slot. It LEANS CANCELLATION to start, mainly due to ABC giving it priority treatment (giving it post-Jeopardy and pre-NBA Finals previews and a strong slot), but it could easily be looking at a downgrade in the future if things get uglier.
Celebrity Family Feud: Speaking of which, Celebrity Family Feud also premiered last week to a new series low as it moved to 9 PM. That 0.38 is below many repeat airings earlier in the summer, and an indication that a rough summer is ahead for one of modern TV's summer staples. Even with this looking apparent, the show remains on a clear path to renewal. As said above, it is an excellent repeater, matching or exceeding the ratings for its original airings while in repeats. It also remains a top performer for ABC, even in its diminished state, rating as ABC's #2 show this summer so far (just Generation Gap boasts higher ratings). It's a CERTAIN RENEWAL.
Generation Gap: Speaking of which, this game show returned for season two a few weeks ago, and I never gave it an initial prediction. While its premiere rating was fine, week two saw a surge to a 0.44, making it ABC's top summer performer for this still-young summer season. Only two episodes in its first season performed better than that, making this performance even more impressive. It was a relatively easy pickup last season, and with similar ratings this time around, it should be an easy pickup again. It's a CERTAIN RENEWAL.
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!