Friday TV Ratings 9/17/21: Big Brother Hits New Series Low but Tops WWE SmackDown, Soul of a Nation Special Low (UPDATED)

Preliminary Analysis: Fox's 'WWE Smackdown' (0.5) lost a tenth and found itself in the #2 position for the first time in a while. The top spot was secured by a special Friday edition of 'Big Brother' (0.6). The CBS series trailed its usual weekday performance but narrowly eclipsed 'WWE', leading CBS to an 8pm win. A stable 'Greatest #AtHome Videos' (0.2) and an anemic 'Blue Bloods' rerun (0.1) fell dramatically from that point. ABC had a dismal 'Soul of a Nation' (0.2) and a slightly stronger '20/20' (0.3). NBC's average was a touch above the alphabet network thanks to a repeat of 'American Ninja Warrior' (0.4) and 'Dateline' (0.3). The series finale of 'Burden of Truth' (0.1) and 'Dynasty' (0.1) did not budge on the CW. 

Finals Update: WWE SmackDown (+0.1) adjusted up.

Friday TV Ratings 9/10/21: The Race Against Time: The CIA and 9/11 Trails 20/20 9/11 Special, WWE SmackDown Leads

Preliminary Analysis: Fox was still not dethroned from Friday night dominance as a stable 'WWE Smackdown' (0.6) was unsurprisingly the highest-rated broadcast of the evening. ABC settled for second place with a repeat of 'Shark Tank' (0.3) and a 9/11-based '20/20' (0.4). CBS's 'CIA and 9/11' special (0.3) was slightly higher than previous timeslot occupant 'Secret Celebrity Renovation' and led into another 'Blue Bloods' repeat (0.2). NBC saw no movement in either direction from an encore of 'American Ninja Warrior' (0.3) and 'Dateline' (0.3). 'Burden of Truth' (0.1) and 'Dynasty' (0.1) both gained a precious tenth on the CW. 

Final numbers to come.

Friday TV Ratings 9/3/21: CBS Sunday Morning: The Pet Project Abysmal, WWE SmackDown Remains #1 (UPDATED)

Preliminary Analysis: Only three things in life are guaranteed: death, taxes, and Fox's 'WWE Smackdown' (0.6) topping yet another Friday evening. The wrestling series held even with last week and doubled its nearest competitor. CBS was on the decline as both 'Secret Celebrity Renovation' (0.2) and 'The Greatest #AtHome Videos' (0.2) gave back a tenth. To make matters worse, a 'CBS Sunday Morning' special about the Pet Project (0.1) completely tanked in the 10pm slot, going below every non-CW entry. CBS was further humiliated by the fact that ABC's reruns of 'Shark Tank' (0.3) and '20/20' (0.3) rated higher than their originals. NBC matched the alphabet network with encores of 'American Ninja Warrior' (0.3) and 'Dateline' (0.3). 'Burden of Truth' (0.1) and 'Dynasty' (0.1) both rose by a tick on the CW, placing them a notch above the dreaded 0.0 rating for the time being. 

Finals Update: Secret Celebrity Renovation (+0.1) and repeats of Shark Tank (+0.1) and 20/20 (+0.1) adjusted up.

Burden of Truth (-0.1) and Dynasty (-0.1) adjusted down.

Friday TV Ratings 8/27/21: WWE SmackDown Leads, Secret Celebrity Renovation and Greatest #AtHome Videos Rise (UPDATED)

Preliminary Analysis: Fox's broadcast of 'WWE Smackdown' (0.7) led the way as it always does, rising a tenth from last week. CBS seemed to be impacted by football preemptions, with 'Secret Celebrity Renovation' (0.5) up by two-tenths and 'The Greatest #AtHome Videos' (0.4) a tenth higher than the week prior. A repeat of 'Blue Bloods' (0.3) took the second-place spot in the 10pm slot. On NBC, 'Dateline' (0.4) picked up a tenth behind a rerun of 'American Ninja Warrior' (0.4). ABC had sturdy repeats of 'Shark Tank' (0.4) and '20/20' (0.4). T.he CW's 'Burden of Truth' (0.1) tied its week-ago preliminary rating while 'Dynasty' (0.1) inched up.

Finals Update: WWE SmackDown (-0.1), Secret Celebrity Renovation (-0.2), The Greatest #AtHome Videos (-0.1), Burden of Truth (-0.1), Dynasty (-0.1) and repeats of Shark Tank (-0.1), Blue Bloods (-0.1), American Ninja Warrior (-0.1), and Dateline NBC (-0.1) adjusted down.

Friday TV Ratings 8/20/21: Greatest #AtHome Videos Returns with a New Low, WWE SmackDown Stays on Top, Dynasty Slips (UPDATED)

Preliminary Analysis: To the surprise of no one, Fox's 'WWE Smackdown' (0.6) was the evening's highest-rated program. The wrestling-competition program held steady with its previous telecast. On CBS, the premiere of 'The Greatest #AtHome Videos' (0.3) went a tenth below the last time it was on the air back in July 2020. 'Secret Celebrity Renovation' (0.3) held even in the 8pm slot while a repeat of 'Blue Bloods' (0.2) posted a modest rating at 10. ABC's rerun duo of 'Shark Tank' (0.4) and '20/20' (0.3) outpaced NBC's 'American Ninja Warrior' (0.3) and 'Dateline' (0.3) encores. The CW had a flat 'Burden of Truth' (0.1), but 'Dynasty' (0.0) dropped back down into irrelevancy. 

Finals Update: Repeats of American Ninja Warrior (-0.1) and Dateline NBC (-0.1) adjusted down.