Thursday TV Ratings 9/25/25: Law & Order: SVU Returns Heavily Down, Law & Order, Hell’s Kitchen, Special Forces and The Amazing Race All Return to New Series Lows [+ Analysis]
NBC dramas Law & Order (0.23) and Law & Order: SVU (0.28) were both down from their May finales, and the former set a new series low. On ABC, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (0.27, +0.02) was up slightly for its season finale. Big Brother (0.46, -0.23) was way down from last week on CBS and led into the premiere of The Amazing Race (0.24). Hell's Kitchen (0.18) and Special Forces (0.16) also had disappointing returns on Fox. Police 24/7 (0.04/0.03) remained a CW staple. Key: (P) = premiere. (R) = repeat. (F) = finale.
The Great North Canceled After Five Seasons
RJ Decker Ordered to Series by ABC
FOX Renew/Cancel Week 1: Doc Has More Patients Than Before + 2024-25 Recap
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Photo Credit: FOX |
Below are the September 28th Fox renew/cancel predictions for the 2025-26 television season. The table embedded includes the Adults 18-49 ratings average of each program. The "Y2Y (year-to-year) Change" column compares a show's current average to its average from the previous season. Due to the changing nature of broadcast television, reality programming will be included in the chart.
Doc: Fox gave last season's breakout drama an NFL lead-in for its second season premiere, boosting it to a 0.79 rating in the Adults 18-49 demographic. While this number is not a good representation of the show's true strength, the fact that Fox gave it this opportunity means that the series is still a priority. Since then, a repeat of the premiere episode built on the return of Murder in a Small Town, which is a fairly promising sign. Doc has a strong streaming presence and respectable live ratings on a network with little scripted depth, so it begins as a Certain Renewal.
99 to Beat: New game show 99 to Beat also got some football help on premiere night, debuting with a 0.76 Adults 18-49 rating. Afterward, an encore of the pilot posted a 0.20 rating. This series is in good shape for the time being. It starts with the Likely Renewal distinction.
The Floor: Rob Lowe game show The Floor had a disappointing start to the season, returning with a new series low (0.25) in the key demo. However, this is still a decent rating for Fox, and the year-to-year trend above is only as harsh as it is because last season's average included a Super Bowl-inflated installment. This rating puts it above everything that wasn't inflated by football, so it is highly unlikely that it is in danger. The Floor is a Certain Renewal.
Celebrity Weakest Link: Celebrity Weakest Link posted a 0.21 rating for its premiere, building noticeably from its Name That Tune lead-in. In week two, it dipped to a 0.20 and tied its lead-in. Fox will gladly take these numbers. It is a Likely Renewal.
Name That Tune: Name That Tune started the season with a tepid 0.18 rating but then grew to a 0.20. It is doing about the same as it was in summer 2024, so there is no reason to believe that Fox will do away with it. Tune starts a Likely Renewal.
Murder in a Small Town: Sophomore drama Murder in a Small Town returned with a 0.15 rating in the Adults 18-49 demographic. The good news for Murder is that this was not a new series low, and its Hulu performance shows that there is reasonable interest in it outside of broadcast. The fate of this series is largely in the hands of Global, the Canadian network that airs Murder. This is definitely the shakiest Likely Renewal in the chart, but it starts in the green nonetheless.
2024-25 Recap
Of the 16 shows listed, 2 were renewed before an official prediction could be made, and 2 have not been officially renewed or canceled. The Great North wrapped up its season on September 14th, but its fate remains up in the air. Likewise, Accused has not been directly canceled, despite being left off the fall schedule. Among the other 12, there were a total of 11 correct predictions, giving The TV Ratings Guide a 92% accuracy score for this column.
The TV Ratings Guide | 8:00 | 8:30 | 9:00 | 9:30 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Mon | Name That Tune | Celebrity Weakest Link | ||
Tues | Murder in a Small Town | Doc | ||
Wed | The Floor | 99 To Beat | ||
Thurs | Hell's Kitchen | Special Forces: World's Toughest Test | ||
Fri | College Football | |||
Sun | The Simpsons | Universal Basic Guys | Krapopolis | Bob's Burgers |
Wednesday TV Ratings 9/24/25: Shark Tank Down in New Time Slot, The Golden Bachelor Collapses in Return, Survivor Also Returns Lower [+ Analysis]
The Golden Bachelor (0.28) collapsed in its ABC return, down 65% in the key demo when compared to its season finale from November 2023 (0.80). At ten, reality mainstay Shark Tank (0.20) struggled in its new slot, dropping noticeably from its May finale (0.28). On CBS, Survivor (0.60) was a little more than a tenth behind its last original broadcast, and Big Brother (0.40, -0.23) lost a large chunk of last week's rating. America's Got Talent (0.29, -0.01) dipped for its NBC finale. Fox game show The Floor (0.25) was a tenth below its April finale (0.35) in its return. The CW series premiere of Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent (0.03) could only tie last week's Family Law finale (0.03). Key: (P) = premiere. (R) = repeat. (F) = finale.
NBC Renew/Cancel Week 1: Renewing Brilliant Minds Was Not a Brilliant Move
Tuesday TV Ratings 9/23/25: Jimmy Kimmel Live! Returns with 10-Year Demo High and All-Time In-Slot Viewer High, Murder in a Small Town Returns Slightly Lower, The Voice Rises [+ Analysis]
Jimmy Kimmel Live! was back on the air in most of the country after a widely publicized suspension, and it came with a massive ratings explosion. The late-night staple soared to a 0.87 rating in the Adults 18-49 demographic and was viewed by over six million overall. Kimmel maintained a mere 0.13 average last season, so this serves as an unprecedented jump and its highest rating in ten years. ABC had good luck during prime time hours as well, as High Potential (0.34, 0.00) held steady, and Dancing with the Stars (1.02, -0.04) was only down slightly from last week's monster premiere rating. On NBC, The Voice (0.41) was up from Monday, but America's Got Talent (0.30, -0.10) lost a full tenth. CBS aired repeats of NCIS (0.13/0.14/0.12). On Fox, Murder in a Small Town (0.15) returned with a lower rating than its November 2024 finale (0.19). WWE NXT (0.12, -0.05) took a hit on the CW. Key: (P) = premiere. (R) = repeat.
New Show Preseason Power Rankings: Where Spinoffs and More Scrubs Stand Headed Into The 2025-26 TV Season
Monday TV Ratings 9/22/25: Brilliant Minds Returns to New Series Low, The Voice Hits New Premiere Low, Name That Tune and Halloween Baking Championship Rise [+ Analysis]
NBC's The Voice (0.36) was down by a whopping 25% from its year-ago premiere (0.48), and drama Brilliant Minds (0.16) returned with a new series low at ten. ABC's showing of the Lions v. Ravens NFL game (2.31) was higher than all non-cable broadcasts. CBS aired repeats of The Neighborhood (0.15/0.16), FBI (0.09), and Watson (0.08). Name That Tune (0.20, +0.02) was up from last week's Fox premiere, but Celebrity Weakest Link (0.20, -0.01) lost a hundredth. The CW aired encores of Penn & Teller: Fool Us (0.03) and Masters of Illusion (0.03). Key: (P) = premiere. (R) = repeat.
Sunday TV Ratings 9/21/25: 99 to Beat Post-NFL Preview OK, Big Brother Sinks to Season Low at 10 PM, Halloween Wars Returns Stable [+ Analysis]
Fox had a smaller NFL lead-in than last week, but the series premiere of 99 to Beat (0.76) was only a few ticks behind Doc's football-fueled return (0.79). However, the boost was almost completely gone at nine for the Fox Fall Preview special (0.22). On CBS, Big Brother (0.36) struggled in the 10 p.m. slot but more than doubled its lead-in: A Grammy Salute to Earth, Wind & Fire (0.17). ABC went with The Happiest Story on Earth: 70 Years of Disneyland (0.15). NFL on NBC (5.33) was up from last week. The CW aired the film Pretty Woman (0.06). Key: (R) = repeat.
RSN Mini-Scenario 4: The Los Angeles Collapse
Saturday TV Ratings 9/20/25: Florida/Miami College Football Game Dominates, The Groomsmen: Last Dance Modest for Hallmark, On Patrol: Live Steady [+ Analysis]
Baywatch Reboot Ordered to Series by Fox for 2026-27 Season
It's been in development for some time, but Fox's Baywatch reboot is finally coming to fruition. Fox has officially ordered the project to series, handing it a twelve-episode order for the 2026-27 TV season, eschewing a pilot and ordering it straight to series. The original show's setting of Los Angeles is in consideration as a potential setting, as is Australia. It's not the network's only lifeguard series in recent years, as last year's Rescue: HI-Surf featured a similar premise. That show was a ratings misfire, averaging just 0.22 in the key 18-49 demo despite a 1.1 post-NFL premiere rating, and being canceled after just a single season, despite Fox being high enough on it to give it a nineteen-episode order from the jump. Clearly, Fox is hoping that the nostalgia is still there for Baywatch and that that will keep it from being a HI-Surf-esque ratings debacle. The original series ran for just one season on NBC before being canceled due to tepid ratings, but it lived on in first-run syndication, airing a further ten seasons there. It was later rebooted in the form of a 2017 comedy film starring The Rock and Zac Efron, and was a commercial success. With no pilot being filmed, there's no cast in place yet for this reboot, but it is said that there will be an entirely-new cast, rather than bringing back any regulars from Baywatch's original run.
ABC Renew/Cancel Week 1: Poor Retention or Not, High Potential Still Has High Potential
Friday TV Ratings 9/19/25: Liberty/Mercury WNBA Playoffs Matchup Rises for Game 3, The Rainmaker and On Patrol: Live Rise, College Football Easily Leads [+ Analysis]
College football on Fox (0.58) led the way in the Adults 18-49 demographic, rising noticeably from last week's broadcast. CBS aired Big Brother: Unlocked (0.19) and a Fall First Look (0.08). ABC went with an encore of High Potential (0.10) and 20/20 (0.15). NBC aired a repeat of America's Got Talent (0.13) and Dateline (0.18). The CW aired encores of Penn & Teller: Fool Us (0.03) and Totally Funny Animals (0.02/0.03). Key: (R) = repeat. (F) = finale.
Thursday TV Ratings 9/18/25: WNBA Playoffs Decline for Decisive Game Three Matchups, Big Brother and Celebrity Family Feud Rise, Robert Redford Special on ABC Low [+ Analysis]
CBS's Big Brother (0.69, +0.12) was up by more than a full tenth from last Thursday, and ABC's Celebrity Family Feud (0.35, +0.08) also made a noticeable recovery. At ten, a special about the late actor Robert Redford (0.14) topped its hour despite poor retention. NBC aired encores of Law & Order (0.13/0.13) and Law & Order: SVU (0.11). MLB on Fox (0.22) was down from last week. The CW aired original episodes of Police 24/7 (0.06/0.07). Key: (R) = repeat.
Wednesday TV Ratings 9/17/25: MasterChef Rises for Finale, WNBA Playoffs Top Cable, Big Brother Down from Last Wednesday [+ Analysis]
On Fox, MasterChef (0.22, +0.03) rose for its finale, while the CW's Family Law (0.03/0.03) was stable for its season closer. Big Brother (0.63, -0.02) was down from last week on CBS, but America's Got Talent (0.30, +0.02) climbed higher on NBC. ABC aired repeats of Shifting Gears (0.21/0.19), Abbott Elementary (0.13/0.11), and Shark Tank (0.11). Key: (R) = repeat. (F) = finale.
NBC Adds Stumble and The Paper to Fall Schedule
NBC has once again updated their fall schedule, and will now debut a new scripted series this fall after all. Stumble, the recently-ordered cheerleading comedy starring Jenn Lyon, will now premiere on Friday, November 7, airing behind Happy's Place. Reba McEntire's sophomore sitcom was initially set to air double episodes this fall, but will now air once weekly at 8 PM, and will also premiere on November 7, as previously announced. Stumble is not the only change to the NBC fall schedule. Peacock's The Paper, a spinoff of The Office, will now get a broadcast run, something long rumored to be in the cards. It will air Monday nights after St. Denis Medical, debuting November 10. That's one week after St. Denis Medical's premiere, so while the plans to double-pump St. Denis Medical are now scrapped, it will likely still have a two-episode premiere. This is the second alteration to the network's initial schedule, after they previously pulled season two of The Hunting Party from the fall lineup in favor of a linear run of the Peacock-exclusive season of Law & Order: Organized Crime. This news means that new sitcom The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins will now be the only midseason debut of a new scripted series on NBC this season.
Tuesday TV Ratings 9/16/25: Dancing with the Stars Erupts to Highest Premiere Rating Since 2020, High Potential Returns Down, WNBA Playoffs Rise [+ Analysis]
ABC's Dancing with the Stars made its return in explosive fashion, beginning the season with a mammoth 1.06 rating in the Adults 18-49 demographic, a whopping 45% improvement on last year's premiere (0.73). At ten, High Potential (0.34) retained less than a third of its Dancing lead-in for its season premiere, but the series was only a hundredth shy of its year-ago launch (0.35). America's Got Talent (0.40, +0.02) was up from last week on NBC, but a 10 p.m. fall preview special (0.13) did not impress. CBS aired repeats of NCIS (0.17) and NCIS: Origins (0.12/0.10). On Fox, The 1% Club (0.25/0.23) finished strong. WWE NXT (0.17, +0.03) gained some momentum on the CW. Key: (P) = premiere. (R) = repeat. (F) = finale.
Monday TV Ratings 9/15/25: Celebrity Weakest Link and Name That Tune Off to OK Starts, High Potential Hits Series High for Post-NFL Repeat, Halloween Baking Championship Stable in Return [+ Analysis]
It was a mediocre start to the season for Fox as game show Name That Tune (0.18) returned with a barely passable rating, losing to CBS's repeat of The Neighborhood (0.27) head-on. However, Celebrity Weakest Link (0.21) built from Tune for its series debut, showing a little more life than its lead-in. On ABC, a football-boosted rerun of High Potential (0.51) went higher than any of the drama's original broadcasts from the 2024-2025 television season. NBC re-aired Opry 100: A Live Celebration (0.14). The CW went with repeats of Penn & Teller: Fool Us (0.03) and Masters of Illusion (0.04). Key: (P) = premiere. (R) = repeat.
Sunday TV Ratings 9/14/25: Emmys Rise to Multi-Year High, Doc Modest in Post-NFL Preview, The Great North Ends on Season High, WNBA Playoffs Open Steady with 2024 Cable Games [+ Analysis]
The 77th Primetime Emmy Awards posted a 1.28 rating on CBS, up more than 24% in the Adults 18-49 demographic from last year's show (1.03). On Fox, sophomore drama Doc (0.79) soared to a new series high for its season premiere, with the help of ample NFL inflation of course. In the 9 p.m. hour, The Great North (0.27/0.22) closed out its fifth season with a season high. NBC's Falcons v. Vikings NFL broadcast (4.67) was more than a full point below last week's game (5.80). ABC's broadcast of the movie Jungle Cruise (0.12) underwhelmed but tripled the CW's showing of The Notebook (0.04). Key: (P) = premiere. (R) = repeat. (F) = finale.
Friday TV Ratings 9/12/25: College Football on ESPN Leads, The Rainmaker and Real Time with Bill Maher Rise, WWE SmackDown Slides [+ Analysis]
Fox's college football showing (0.33) was ahead of the other broadcast network offerings on Friday night, with ABC repeats of Shark Tank (0.19) and 20/20 (0.14) coming in second. CBS aired reruns of Fire Country (0.13/0.10) and Blue Bloods (0.11). NBC went with encores of America's Got Talent (0.13) and Dateline (0.12). The CW was close behind with its NASCAR broadcast (0.10). Key: (R) = repeat.
Thursday TV Ratings 9/11/25: Celebrity Family Feud Hits Season Low, Big Brother Drops, Hannity Tops Cable [+ Analysis]
Celebrity Family Feud (0.27, -0.03) dropped to a new low on ABC and lost to MLB on Fox (0.28). CBS's Big Brother (0.57, -0.16) nosedived but remained #1 in the Adults 18-49 demographic. NBC aired repeats of Law & Order (0.14/0.09) and Law & Order: SVU (0.12). The CW aired the special Bill O'Reilly: Confronting Evil (0.03). Key: (R) = repeat.
Wednesday TV Ratings 9/10/25: Match Game Rises for Finale at Special Time, Big Brother Drops, Downton Abbey Special Abysmal [+ Analysis]
Tuesday TV Ratings 9/9/25: Big Brother Stays Strong on Special Night, Alien: Earth Hits Series High, Songs & Stories with Kelly Clarkson Rises for Finale [+ Analysis]
CBS's Big Brother (0.65) was down from Thursday but was the highest-rated program of the night nonetheless. On NBC, America's Got Talent (0.38, -0.02) dipped, but Songs & Stories with Kelly Clarkson (0.17, +0.02) was up for its finale. ABC aired High Potential encores (0.22/0.18/0.15). Fox's 1% Club (0.21/0.24) was steady at eight and then grew at nine. WWE NXT (0.14, 0.00) matched last week's installment on the CW. Key: (R) = repeat. (F) = finale.
Monday TV Ratings 9/8/25: Monday Night Football Up from 2024 Start, LEGO Masters Jr. and The Quiz with Balls End Steady, The Neighborhood Repeat is Top Non-Sports Program [+ Analysis]
ABC outpaced the major broadcast networks on Monday night with a strong Vikings v. Bears NFL telecast (2.17), coming second only to ESPN's showing (3.24). On CBS, reruns of The Neighborhood (0.33/0.27) continued to be a force, easily besting the finales of LEGO Masters Jr. (0.15, 0.00) and The Quiz with Balls (0.18, 0.00). NBC aired repeats of America's Got Talent (0.12) and Survival Mode (0.09). The CW aired encores of Penn & Teller (0.03) and Masters of Illusion (0.04). Key: (R) = repeat.
Sunday TV Ratings 9/7/25: MTV Video Music Awards Strong in CBS Debut but Down on MTV, Task Debuts Low on HBO, The Great North Hits Series Low for Special Airing [+ Analysis]
In its first CBS broadcast, the MTV Video Music Awards posted a strong 1.26 rating in the Adults 18-49 demographic, benefiting massively from its NFL lead-in (6.26). NBC also made serious noise with its mammoth Ravens v. Bills NFL game (5.80). ABC aired Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (0.13). On Fox, The Great North (0.08, -0.06) plummeted to a new low after a rerun of Animal Control (0.08). The CW aired the 2004 blockbuster Shrek 2 (0.04). Key: (R) = repeat.
RSN Interactive Mini-Scenario 2: The Santa Fe Phone Call + Vote to Decide Which Station Should Get RSN’s Attention Next
Friday TV Ratings 9/5/25: WWE SmackDown Rebounds, The Rainmaker Ticks Down, Big Brother Unlocked Leads Broadcast on a Weak Night [+ Analysis]
CBS's Big Brother: Unlocked (0.23) was the top-rated offering on broadcast on Friday night, with ABC repeats of Shark Tank (0.15) and 20/20 (0.17) close behind. NBC's reruns of America's Got Talent (0.12) and Dateline (0.13) were a notch below that, and Fox's women's volleyball broadcast (0.07) fell even lower. The CW aired encores of Penn & Teller (0.06) and Totally Funny Animals (0.05/0.04). Key: (R) = repeat.