CBS Renew/Cancel Week 14: Poppa Is Not Wanted In CBS’s House

 

Below are the Week 14 predictions for CBS Renew/Cancel, followed by an analysis and a poll. Underneath that is the interactive schedule, where you can create and share your own predictions. Let us know what you think in the comments!

Prediction Changes
-Poppa’s House is downgraded from Leans Renew to Leans Cancel
-Watson debuts as Leans Renew

Key







Week 14 Predictions








Poppa’s House
CBS’s new Monday sitcom Poppa’s House starring Damon Wayans and Damon Wayans Jr. had one job: be a time slot hit. It didn’t have to lead off a night like Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage, nor did it have the legacy of an IP to uphold like NCIS: Origins and Matlock (and Georgie & Mandy for that matter). All it had to do was retain enough of The Neighborhood’s lead-in, sliding into Bob Hearts Abishola’s role but for presumably a lower production cost. 

At first, Poppa’s House was doing its job. Had it stayed that way, CBS likely would be content keeping it in its current time slot next season, with The Neighborhood or its potential spinoff airing at the top of the hour. Its midseason premiere’s performance was inexcusable, notching just a 0.30 Adults 18-49 Live + Same Day rating after The Neighborhood’s 0.42 and before NCIS’s 0.37. While it could rebound a bit, the showing proves Poppa’s House to be one of the weakest shows on CBS’s schedule. That’s not a position a new show wants to be in. 

Unless it rebounds, Poppa’s House is starting to look like one of the only other non-Bob Hearts Abishola shows to air after The Neighborhood. That show would be Happy Together, which also starred Damon Wayans Jr. and was paired up with The Neighborhood in the fall of its first season. Happy Together aired out its original 13 episode order, but did not receive a backorder and was canceled at the end of the season. Its ratings weren’t as terrible as you may remember, but they also didn’t meet the high standards CBS held, and still hold, their comedies to. Unless it rebounds quickly, it’s looking like Poppa’s House will go out in the same fashion. 

Not helping matters for Poppa’s House is that CBS just does not seem to like the show all that much. It’s not as prominently featured on Paramount+ or the CBS app as you would think it would be, and hardly mentioned in press releases given its multi-platform ratings are lacking (although still ahead of The Neighborhood for its first few episodes). Poppa’s House also is not part of an IP, and is very unlikely to spawn one as well. This also arguably hurts its prospects on a network that very publicly wants to focus on brands and IPs. Unless Poppa’s House regains its one strength — retaining a strong portion of The Neighborhood’s lead-in — it’s headed toward cancelation.

Watson
Watson’s premiere underwhelmed for the standards of a series premiere airing after the AFC Championship Game. With a 1.60 Adults 18-49 Live + Same Day rating and 9.58 million viewers, Watson was an improvement in viewership but underperformed in the demo from the previous week’s Hollywood Squares. The latter aired after an AFC playoff game, notching 34% retention from the Post Game Show compared to Watson’s 22% retention.

If that’s any indication, Watson’s probably going to get canceled at the end of the season. It may well take The Equalizer down with it, putting the nail in the coffin on the veteran drama tasked with airing after it. However, it’s simply too soon to presume this to be the case. Tracker underperformed after the Super Bowl last season, but held up nicely compared to most everything else in subsequent airings. Unlike Tracker though, Watson is not showing signs of becoming a strong streaming player. It debuted at #2 on Paramount+’s Top 10 list, but fell out the next day. 

I do want to give Watson the benefit of the doubt though, and not judge its season based off an inflated out-of-time slot premiere. That being said, I wouldn’t be surprised if this is the only week where a renewal is predicted. 

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 Hollywood Squares The Price Is Right At Night Raid The Cage
Thurs Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage Ghosts Matlock Elsbeth
Fri NCIS: Sydney Fire Country S.W.A.T.
Sun Tracker Watson The Equalizer
Renewed
Certain Renew
Likely Renew
Leans Renew
Tilts Renew
Tilts Cancel
Leans Cancel
Likely Cancel
Certain Cancel
Canceled

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