This week on the ABC Renew/Cancel, three new shows join the table after the launch of the Thursday lineup, somehow leaving just one show yet to premiere on ABC this fall. Keep reading for the initial predictions for new show Doctor Odyssey and returning champions 9-1-1 and Grey's Anatomy.
The NBC Renew/Cancel returns this week, as NBC's scripted shows begin to return from the summer hiatus. In this first edition, a new entry gets its first-ever prediction, while venerable veterans return in unusually weakened condition. Keep reading to see where Brilliant Minds and the Chicagos will wind up after their first airings!
Analysis to come.
It's a new season, and the ABC Renew/Cancel is back for another year of predictions. While ABC's scripted lineup remains leaner than usual, it's still good to have their shows back in the fall at all, as last season was sorely missing any scripted content from ABC. Only one scripted show has debuted so far this season, but it's a brand-new show we've not discussed before, so keep reading for my initial thoughts on High Potential!
The summer season truly seems to have sped by this season, with late starts by ABC helping to make this summer feel shorter than ever. It was also a summer that felt light on original programming, with CBS, ABC and NBC all offering less than usual, and even Fox cutting down on summer content from last season. Nonetheless, some shows remained, and you can read my final predictions for all of them below:
Ratings Analysis: On ABC, AI and the Future: An Oprah Winfrey Special (0.18) posted a rating that was nearly 60% below the Winfrey-hosted weight loss special (0.43) from March. Later in the night, Lucky 13 (0.15, -0.04) lost some momentum. CBS's Big Brother (0.57, +0.01) was a hundredth higher than it was last week. America's Got Talent (0.35, -0.08) crashed on NBC and led into comedy series Mr. Throwback (0.20). MLB on Fox (0.28) did not move the needle in a noticeable way. Totally Funny Animals (0.04, -0.01) lost a hundredth on the CW, while Totally Funny Kids (0.05, +0.01) gained one. Key: (R) = repeat.
Ratings Analysis: CBS's Big Brother (0.61, -0.03) was down slightly from last Wednesday but still topped the night. MasterChef (0.30, -0.03) also slipped on Fox. America's Got Talent (0.43, +0.09) surged on NBC and led into a Seth Meyers election special (0.24). ABC aired more encores of Abbott Elementary (0.23/0.17/0.17/0.16) and Shark Tank (0.14). Repeats of Sullivan's Crossing (0.03) and Police 24/7 (0.03) made up the CW's lineup. Key: (R) = repeat.
Ratings Analysis: Tuesday night's debate between former president Donald Trump and vice-president Kamala Harris proved to be a much bigger draw than the Biden-Trump debate from June. ABC hosted the debate and led the way with a massive 4.22 rating in the Adults 18-49 demographic, rising over 170% from the June debate (1.56). NBC (2.41) took second, while Fox (1.25) placed third. CBS (1.09) once more trailed the other networks in the key demo. After the debate, ABC (3.42) maintained its lead with debate analysis. NBC (1.53) remained in second, while CBS (0.77) was last again. In the 8 p.m. hour, ABC's "pre-game" show (1.39) topped its time slot. NBC (0.62) came in second, CBS (0.42) took third, and Fox (0.22) settled for a distant fourth. Counterprogramming was scarce, but the CW offered repeats of The Conners (0.04/0.05/0.05/0.05) for viewers uninterested in the debate. Key: (R) = repeat.
Ratings Analysis: American Ninja Warrior (0.24, -0.01) and The Wall (0.12, -0.02) both slipped for their NBC finales. On Fox, Name That Tune (0.15, +0.02) ticked up for its finale, but The 1% Club (0.16, -0.02) dipped. ABC's Jets v. 49ers NFL game (2.15) dominated on broadcast. CBS aired repeats of NCIS (0.23) and NCIS: Sydney (0.20/0.19). All American: Homecoming (0.03, -0.02) dropped on the CW, but 61st Street (0.02, 0.00) held steady. Key: (R) = repeat. (F) = finale.
Ratings Analysis: With the help of the almighty NFL boost, new Fox cartoon Universal Basic Guys (1.18) debuted with a rating noticeably higher than the year-ago Krapopolis (0.88). It's worth noting that The OT (3.19) was only a tenth higher than it was on the night of Krap's series debut (3.09), but Basic Guys was still three-tenths higher than Krap. Later in the night, an original Bob's Burgers (0.55) and The Great North (0.26, +0.15) enjoyed some indirect football assistance. Over on CBS, Tulsa King (0.27, +0.14) and Big Brother (0.59, +0.18) soared. 60 Minutes (0.47) held its own in the 7 p.m. hour. NBC's Rams v. Lions NFL game (5.41) topped the night. ABC aired repeats of America's Funniest Home Videos (0.16/0.25/0.22/0.15). The Chosen (0.02, -0.02) slipped on the CW. Key: (R) = repeat. (F) = finale.
Ratings Analysis: NBC's college football game (1.48) easily fended off ABC's (0.65) in the Adults 18-49 demographic, leading the Peacock network to Saturday night victory. MLB on Fox (0.18) paled in comparison to last week, and their college football game (0.25) underwhelmed. CBS aired repeats of The Equalizer (0.12) and 48 Hours (0.18/0.17). The CW re-aired I Am Johnny Cash (0.04). Key: (R) = repeat.
Ratings Analysis: In its final Fox broadcast, WWE Smackdown (0.45, -0.08) slipped but maintained its lead. On NBC, the 2024 Paris Paralympics (0.16) remained a poor performer, dropping once more from its America's Got Talent repeat lead-in (0.23). ABC's 20/20 (0.26) built significantly on the repeat of Shark Tank (0.18) that led into it. Let's Make a Deal Primetime (0.21, +0.01) inched up on CBS, but Lingo (0.15, -0.04) declined. The CW aired the premiere of Whose Line Is It Anyway? (0.05/0.05), Totally Funny Animals (0.05, +0.02), and Totally Funny Kids (0.04, 0.00). Key: (P) = premiere. (R) = repeat.
Ratings Analysis: NBC's Ravens v. Chiefs NFL game (6.61) was down a bit from last year's Lions v. Chiefs game (6.85) in the Adults 18-49 demographic but still topped the night. On CBS, Big Brother (0.56, -0.08) dropped from last week's episode. ABC's Lucky 13 (0.19, +0.03) was up, even as Press Your Luck (0.19) went into repeat-mode. Fox aired a repeat of MasterChef (0.10). The CW had original episodes of Totally Funny Animals (0.03) and Totally Funny Kids (0.04). Key: (R) = repeat.
Ratings Analysis: Fox's MasterChef (0.33, +0.12) jumped to a new season high after a few sluggish showings but still only placed third in the 8 p.m. time slot. CBS's Big Brother (0.64, +0.10) was a full tenth higher than it was last week, and The Real CSI: Miami (0.19, +0.02) was up a bit as well for its season finale. America's Got Talent (0.34, +0.04) gained a few ticks on NBC. ABC went with repeats of Abbott Elementary (0.16/0.17/0.16/0.15) and 9-1-1 (0.12). Reruns of Sullivan's Crossing (0.03) and Police 24/7 (0.05) aired on the CW. Key: (R) = repeat. (F) = finale.
Ratings Analysis: It was a disappointing night for NBC as American Ninja Warrior (0.25, -0.04) and The Wall (0.14, -0.04) both dealt with noticeable declines. The drops were even worse for Fox game shows Name That Tune (0.13, -0.05) and The 1% Club (0.18, -0.06). ABC's Celebrity Family Feud repeats (0.24/0.22/0.16) were a notch above CBS's drama encores (0.18/0.16/0.14) in each hour. All American: Homecoming (0.05, -0.01) dipped on the CW, but 61st Street (0.02, 0.00) held even. Key: (R) = repeat.
This week, two ABC summer shows take the spotlight, as one of them ends its season and the other gets a prediction change.
Ratings Analysis: ABC's broadcast of the USC v. LSU college football game (2.19) topped the night in the Adults 18-49 demographic and brought in over 8.6 million total viewers. On Fox, The Great North (0.11, -0.05) returned in abysmal fashion and declined from the Family Guy repeat (0.13) that led into it. Tulsa King (0.13, -0.13) and Big Brother (0.41, -0.11) plummeted on CBS. Over on NBC, the 2024 Paris Paralympics (0.20, +0.05) picked up a bit. Totally Funny Kids (0.05, +0.01) and Totally Funny Animals (0.04, +0.01) inched up on the CW, with Animals leading into the season premiere of The Chosen (0.04). Key: (P) = premiere. (R) = repeat.
Fox is hanging up on 9-1-1: Lone Star. The procedural drama, the first and thus far only spinoff of Ryan Murphy's Fox-turned-ABC smash hit 9-1-1, will end its run after its upcoming fifth season. This official announcement comes after months of speculation and hints from its cast and crew, and over a year after it last aired. Due to the WGA and SAG strikes, Fox opted against bringing the show back last season, even as other Fox originals returned during the season. Things looked bleak for the show back when it was last renewed, as its higher-rated parent series was canceled by Fox due to high costs, only remaining on the air due to a pickup at ABC, which is owned by 9-1-1's producer Disney. With lower ratings, similar high costs and over a year-long hiatus behind it, Lone Star never looked promising for a similar save by ABC. When it last aired in the 2022-23 season, the show averaged 0.45, roughly 107% of the league average and enough to easily be Fox's #2 show of the season. Rob Lowe, Gina Torres, Rosen Rubinstein, Natasha Karam and Rafael L. Silva starred in the series. This is a correct pre-season prediction by The TV Ratings Guide.
Ratings Analysis: ABC's "Notre Dame v. Texas A&M" college football game (2.10) dominated in the Adults 18-49 demographic, with NBC's game (0.59) taking a distant second. MLB on Fox (0.37) took third on broadcast, while CBS's "UCLA v. HI" game (0.22) settled for fourth. College football on the CW (0.07) tied Hallmark's Head Over Heels (0.07).
