Below are the predictions for Week 8 of CBS Renew/Cancel, followed by an analysis of key series. Underneath is the weekly poll and an interactive schedule, which you can use to make and share your own predictions. Let me know what you think in the comments!
-George & Mandy’s First Marriage upgraded from Likely Renew to Certain Renew
Key
Week 8 Predictions
Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage
Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage has remained remarkably strong on the linear schedule through its first five airings, a feat that was far from guaranteed. It is currently CBS’s second-highest-rated scripted series in the Adults 18-49 demo in Live + Same Day viewing, and their highest-rated comedy in the same metric.
We now also know exactly where this spinoff of a spinoff stands in multi-platform ratings. It’s averaging a 1.25 Adults 18-49 demo rating through November 10 with just over 10.1 million viewers. That’s enough to be CBS’s fourth-highest-rated scripted series in the key demo as well as their fourth-most-viewed. Sure, it’s not quite the streaming player that lead-outs Ghosts and Matlock are, but neither are the vast majority of other programs. Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage clearly has an audience beyond Thursday nights on CBS, which bodes well for its future.
Now compare that to Monday flagship sitcom The Neighborhood and new sitcom Poppa’s House, which stream worse than other CBS shows with comparable ratings (The Neighborhood is a mainstay on Paramount+’s Top 10 list, but also has over 120 episodes to choose from). Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage has done all CBS could possibly hope for, and is upgraded this week to Certain Renew.
Elsbeth
Like Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage, Elsbeth does well on streaming. Despite coming in tenth place on CBS in total viewers in Live + Same Day viewing among scripted series, Elsbeth is the fifth-most-viewed scripted series on CBS through November 10 when streaming is factored in — and sixth-most-viewed across all of broadcast television. Despite this, it’s still the least-viewed show on CBS Thursdays in multi-platform, and multi-platform demo ratings are not readily available. It’d be surprising if a third season of Elsbeth isn’t produced, but I’m reluctant to upgrade it this early in the season.
Keeping its linear ratings in mind, CBS may look for a new time slot for Elsbeth should it get renewed. Which time slots are open will depend on the midseason schedule. While CBS midseason premieres typically don’t have a strong track record, Tracker was a notable exception last season. It’s quite possible Watson surprises in a similar fashion. It also remains to be seen just how low Elsbeth will go in the Adults 18-49 demo Live + Same Day, as well as how much weight CBS will put into the multi-platform growth going into the Skydance sale. If Elsbeth continues on this path, it will be due for an upgrade. For now though, it’s a bit too soon.
Poll
Interactive Schedule
| The TV Ratings Guide | 8:00 | 8:30 | 9:00 | 9:30 | 10:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | The Neighborhood | Poppa’s House | NCIS | NCIS: Origins | |
| Tues | FBI | FBI: International | FBI: Most Wanted | ||
| Wed | Survivor | The Summit | |||
| Thurs | Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage | Ghosts | Matlock | Elsbeth | |
| Fri | S.W.A.T. | Fire Country | Blue Bloods | ||
| Sun | Tracker | The Equalizer | Encores | ||
Renewed
Certain Renew
Likely Renew
Leans Renew
Tilts Renew
Tilts Cancel
Leans Cancel
Likely Cancel
Certain Cancel
Canceled