This week on the ABC Renew/Cancel, we take another look at ABC's lone freshman comedy before the Thursday block returns later this week!
Certain Cancellation:
N/A
Likely Cancellation:
N/A
Leans Cancellation:
Doctor Odyssey (0.29, 0.22-0.40)
Leans Renewal:
The Rookie (0.28, 0.22-0.34)
Already Ending:
The Conners
Already Renewed:
Abbott Elementary
High Potential
Shifting Gears: Two weeks ago, I upgraded Shifting Gears, marking the show as a lock to return. Naturally, the first episode that aired after that upgrade say the show sinking 30% to a new series low, hitting 0.30. While a drop does make sense, seeing as CBS was much tougher competition this time around with the return of Survivor, it's still a big drop from one episode to the next. Abbott Elementary wasn't nearly as impacted, only dropping three hundredths from its previous episode, rising out of Shifting Gears. While 0.30 is still an acceptable number, and matches Will Trent's rating in the same slot the prior night, it does raise some questions about Shifting Gears' future. ABC came in last place among the four major networks in the 8 PM hour, after tying for first the last time the comedies aired (when the Chicagos were off), and coming second the week before that (when the Chicagos were airing). I'm not sure if this comedy block is strong enough to compete against powerhouses from the other three networks, but they don't necessarily have to win in order to be relative successes for ABC. Even if Shifting Gears does start reliably putting up 0.3s (which isn't a guarantee yet), that's still enough. While Abbott had a worse time slot in the fall, it was rating pretty similar to how Shifting Gears rated last week, and its renewal was never in doubt. A drop in the ratings won't stop Shifting Gears from getting a second season, but ABC may not be able to rely on it to launch a new show, or a new comedy block, next season. It looks right now like a utility player, a show that does well enough to come back, but maybe not enough to be the centerpiece of a lineup. Nevertheless, it remains a CERTAIN RENEWAL.
Interactive Schedule:
| The TV Ratings Guide | 8:00 | 8:30 | 9:00 | 9:30 | 10:00 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | The Bachelor | The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives | ||||
| Tues | Will Trent | High Potential | The Rookie | |||
| Wed | Shifting Gears | Abbott Elementary | Celebrity Jeopardy! | What Would You Do? | ||
| Thurs | Extreme Makeover: Home Edition | Scamanda | Perfect Wife | |||
| Fri | Shark Tank | 20/20 | ||||
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!
