Welcome to Week 1 of CBS Renew/Cancel. As the traditional season has been delayed due to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, CBS has opted for a strike-proof schedule filled mostly with reality shows and reruns with staggered premiered. Below are the predictions for the shows that have already premiered, followed by an analysis.
60 Minutes and 48 Hours
60 Minutes and 48 Hours are two of very few series on the fall schedule CBS announced in May that actually made it to the finalized fall schedule. There’s good reason for this too; being newsmagazines, they’re the ultimate strike-proof programming. Nothing suggests that CBS is looking to give up airing either show any time soon, making both certain renewals.
Big Brother
Big Brother is spilling into the fall season on CBS’s strike-proof schedule. It’s been a strong performer this summer, averaging a 0.66 Live + Same Day Adults 18-49 Rating so far. CBS risks overexposure with Big Brother the way ABC overexposed The Bachelor to get through COVID, but with so many holes on the schedule it’s convenient to have something high-rated that they can schedule several nights a week. Big Brother is a certain renewal and likely won’t be going anywhere any time soon.
The Challenge: USA
The Challenge: USA is what can be considered a third-tier reality show for CBS. It’s not on the ratings level of a Big Brother or Survivor, nor is it resilient and as well-known as The Amazing Race or the prime time versions of The Price Is Right and Let’s Make A Deal. CBS can often have a hard time getting reality shows to resonate outside of their long-running staples though, and it’s arguably doing enough to hang in there for another season. Since ratings are mediocre and we don’t know how the deals the studios make with the WGA and SAG-AFTRA will affect television, a Leans Renew prediction is in store.
Buddy Games
Buddy Games is the first new unscripted series on CBS’s fall schedule. It will run through early November sandwiched between Big Brother and The Challenge: USA until the original British version of Ghosts takes over the time slot. I don’t expect an immediate decision to be made on Buddy Games, and ultimately a renewal or cancelation will probably come down to schedule space. Its retention out of Big Brother certainly makes it look like a flop, but if CBS judges the 0.28 average by itself they could consider bringing it back as reality filler. For now it’s Leans Cancel, with a prediction change possible depending on how the upcoming new reality series do as well as the outcome of the strikes.
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