Summer Renew/Cancel Wrap-Up: Final Calls for Lucky 13, The Quiz with Balls, Beat Shazam, Food Stars & More as the Sun Sets on Summer

The summer season truly seems to have sped by this season, with late starts by ABC helping to make this summer feel shorter than ever. It was also a summer that felt light on original programming, with CBS, ABC and NBC all offering less than usual, and even Fox cutting down on summer content from last season. Nonetheless, some shows remained, and you can read my final predictions for all of them below:

Summer Renew/Cancel Week 9: Unlucky 13

This week, two ABC summer shows take the spotlight, as one of them ends its season and the other gets a prediction change.

Wednesday TV Ratings 8/28/24: Claim to Fame and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire End Down, Toby Keith Special Solid on NBC [+ Analysis]

Ratings Analysis: ABC's Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (0.29, -0.03) and Claim to Fame (0.22, -0.02) both declined for their respective finales on Wednesday night. On NBC, America's Got Talent (0.30, +0.05) recovered after last week's lackluster showing and led into a strong Toby Keith: American Icon (0.33) special. CBS's Big Brother (0.54, -0.02) and The Real CSI: Miami (0.17, -0.04) slipped. Fox's MasterChef (0.21, 0.00) held steady. Sullivan's Crossing (0.03) and Police 24/7 (0.06) were in repeat-mode on the CW. Key: (R) = repeat. (F) = finale.

Summer Renew/Cancel Week 8: Lingo, Sashay Away

The Summer Renew/Cancel returns this week after a few weeks off, with a focus on some shows that have fallen under the radar a bit this season, plus a look at an ABC bubble series whose renewal odds have cooled a bit since our last update!

Wednesday TV Ratings 8/14/24: America’s Got Talent Drops to All-Time Low, MasterChef Also Slides, Big Brother Jumps [+ Analysis]

Ratings Analysis: America's Got Talent (0.34, -0.10) lost a tenth on NBC and led into a solid rerun of a Tonight Show special (0.31). Fox's MasterChef (0.23, -0.07) also plummeted after being off the air for nearly a month. Big Brother (0.61, +0.04) and The Real CSI: Miami (0.21, +0.02) were both up from last week on CBS. Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (0.33, +0.04) and Claim to Fame (0.24, +0.04) also rose on ABC. The CW went with repeats of Sullivan's Crossing (0.04) and Wild Cards (0.03). Key: (R) = repeat.

Wednesday TV Ratings 8/7/24: Summer Olympics Jump, Big Brother Hits Season High, Claim to Fame Sets New Low [+ Analysis]

Ratings Analysis: After dealing with a noticeable decline on Tuesday night, the Summer Olympics (2.30, +0.18) made a bit of a recovery on NBC. On CBS, Big Brother (0.57, +0.07) soared to a new season high, and The Real CSI: Miami (0.19, +0.04) also improved. Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (0.29, -0.02) and Claim to Fame (0.20, -0.01) declined on ABC. Fox aired repeats of MasterChef (0.13) and Beat Shazam (0.11). The CW went with reruns of Sullivan's Crossing (0.03) and Wild Cards (0.04). Key: (R) = repeat.

Wednesday TV Ratings 7/31/24: Summer Olympics and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire Decline, Claim to Fame Stumbles to New Low [+ Analysis]

Ratings Analysis: On NBC, the Summer Olympics (2.33, -0.77) dealt with a 25% decline, but a weakened Olympics was still leagues above all other offerings on Wednesday night. Over on CBS, Big Brother (0.50, -0.02) ticked down, but The Real CSI: Miami (0.15, +0.01) inched up. Who Wants to Be A Millionaire (0.31, -0.06) and Claim to Fame (0.21, -0.01) slipped on ABC. Fox had repeat showings of MasterChef (0.15) and Beat Shazam (0.13). The CW went with encores of Sullivan's Crossing (0.04) and Wild Cards (0.04). Key: (R) = repeat.

Summer Renew/Cancel Week 7: Fox Will Remember Don’t Forget the Lyrics

This week on the Summer Renew/Cancel, one of the most-discussed shows of the season exits the airwaves, while several more enter hiatuses as the Summer Olympics begin. Plus, an updated prediction for one other show that has gone under-the-radar this season!

Wednesday TV Ratings 7/24/24: ABC Dominates Coverage of President Biden Address, Big Brother Down, Claim to Fame Hits Series Low [+ Analysis]

Ratings Analysis: Coverage of President Biden's address occupied the 8 p.m. time slot on Wednesday evening, with ABC (0.69) taking the lead as usual. CBS (0.43) and NBC (0.39) were in second and third respectively, while Fox (0.27) found itself in last place. After the address, Fox aired the season finale of Gordon Ramsay's Food Stars (0.16, +0.01) and got a slight uptick out of it. On ABC, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (0.37, -0.01) dipped, while Claim to Fame (0.22, -0.08) plummeted. CBS's Big Brother (0.52, -0.04) was down from its premiere rating from last Wednesday, and The Real CSI: Miami (0.14, -0.05) also declined. NBC went with repeats of Chicago Med (0.18), Fire (0.16), and PD (0.15). The CW aired encores of Sullivan's Crossing (0.04) and Wild Cards (0.03). Key: (R) = repeat. (F) = finale. 

Wednesday TV Ratings 7/17/24: Big Brother Returns Down, Claim to Fame Recovers as Millionaire Slips, Republican National Convention Rises [+ Analysis]

Ratings Analysis: CBS's Big Brother (0.56) topped the night but returned with a rating that was 22% lower than last year's premiere (0.72). On ABC, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (0.38, -0.06) declined from last week's premiere, but Claim to Fame (0.30, +0.04) improved. The CW aired repeats of Police 24/7 (0.05) and Wild Cards (0.05). MasterChef (0.30, -0.01) and Food Stars (0.15, -0.04) dropped on Fox. In Republican National Convention news, NBC's coverage (0.27, +0.06) took the lead away from ABC (0.24, -0.01). CBS (0.19, +0.03) lagged behind the other two once again. Key: (P) = premiere. (R) = repeat.

Summer Renew/Cancel Week 5: ABC Enriches Itself with More Who Wants to Be a Millionaire

It may have been the busiest week of the summer season last week, as ABC, at long last, rolled out their summer originals, which were delayed until after the NBA Finals and Stanley Cup. Keep reading to see the starting predictions for Claim to Fame, Millionaire, The Bachelorette and more!

Wednesday TV Ratings 7/10/24: Claim to Fame Premieres Down, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire Returns Strong, Shark Week Hits An All-Time Low [+ Analysis]

Ratings Analysis: After being off the air for over three years, iconic game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (0.44) had a very strong return on ABC, with a rating four-hundredths higher than its last episode that aired back in 2021 (0.40). The season three premiere of Claim to Fame (0.26) aired right after Millionaire, but Fame debuted with a rating that was 35% lower than last summer's premiere (0.40). On Fox, MasterChef (0.31, +0.07) and Food Stars (0.19, +0.06) bounced back after a week off. CBS's The Real CSI: Miami (0.23, +0.09) also surged in a one-off move to an earlier time slot but dropped back down at 10 (0.19, -0.04). Neither episode was able to beat the 8 p.m. repeat of The Price Is Right At Night (0.29). NBC went with reruns of Chicago Med (0.18), Fire (0.18), and PD (0.19). The CW aired encores of Police 24/7 (0.05) and Wild Cards (0.03). Key: (P) = premiere. (R) = repeat.

Summer Renew/Cancel Week 14: Final Thoughts on Claim To Fame, The Challenge: USA, Beat Shazam, The Wonder Years & More!

The fall season, one unlike any other before, is nearly upon us, and it's time to wrap up the Summer Renew/Cancel with some final thoughts on all of the summer's bubble shows. Keep reading for my last thoughts on Claim to Fame, Don't Forget the Lyrics, Crime Scene Kitchen and more!

Summer Renew/Cancel Week 13: Claim to Fame Should Stake Its Claim to a Slot on ABC’s Schedule

The Summer Renew/Cancel begins to wind down this week, as even more summer shows exit the airways as the networks prepare to launch their unorthodox fall schedules. Keep reading for my thoughts on Claim to Fame and Stars on Mars as they wrap for the season.

Monday TV Ratings 8/28/23: Claim to Fame and Stars on Mars Rise for Finales, American Ninja Warrior Leads (UPDATED)

Ratings Analysis: With 'The Bachelorette' out of the way, ABC's 'Claim to Fame' (0.33, +0.10) was free to take back the 8 p.m. time slot that helped it grow in the early summer. As a result, the program shot up by a full tenth for its finale and posted its highest rating in over a month. ABC filled the 10 p.m. time slot with a rerun of 'The $100,000 Pyramid' (0.20). On Fox, 'Stars on Mars' (0.17, +0.02) grew by two-hundredths for its season (or possibly "series") finale and led into a repeat of 'MasterChef' (0.15). 'American Ninja Warrior' (0.44, +0.09) surged on NBC and was followed by a 'Weakest Link' encore (0.24). 'Son of a Critch' (0.06, +0.03) and 'Run the Burbs' (0.06, +0.03) climbed higher on the CW. 'Children Ruin Everything' (0.04, -0.02) and 'Bump' (0.03, -0.03) crumbled in the 9 p.m. hour. Reruns of 'NCIS' (0.24), 'NCIS: Hawai'i' (0.20), and 'NCIS: Los Angeles' (0.24) made up CBS's night. 

Finals Update: 'Children Ruin Everything' (-0.1) and 'Bump' (-0.1) adjusted down.

Summer Renew/Cancel Week 12: It Shouldn’t be a Challenge for The Challenge: USA to Get Renewed

The summer season is winding down, but there's still plenty of summer TV to discuss! Keep reading for further thoughts on The Challenge: USA and a recently-concluded Summer staple.

Summer Renew/Cancel Week 11: No Life on Mars for Stars on Mars

This week on the Summer Renew/Cancel, multiple shows are headed for downgrades, as multiple other shows wrap up their seasons. Keep reading to see which shows's futures are looking murkier than ever, and how Food Stars and The Wonder Years look as they end their runs.

Monday TV Ratings 8/14/23: Crime Scene Kitchen Ends Down, The Bachelorette and Claim to Fame Also Slip, Stars on Mars Rises (UPDATED)

Ratings Analysis: ABC's 'The Bachelorette' (0.41, -0.15) lost a significant chunk of last week's rating after enjoying a massive surge. 'Claim to Fame' (0.23, -0.04) slipped to a new low in the 10 p.m. time slot but did not drop nearly as much as 'Bachelorette'. On Fox, 'Crime Scene Kitchen' (0.18, -0.01) shed a hundredth on finale night and matched its previously-set low. 'Stars on Mars' (0.16, +0.02) grew by two-hundredths in the 8 p.m. hour. 'American Ninja Warrior' (0.39, +0.01) picked up a hundredth on NBC and was followed by another 'Weakest Link' encore (0.23). 'Son of a Critch' (0.04, -0.01) and 'Run the Burbs' (0.03, -0.01) each lost a hundredth on the CW, but 'Children Ruin Everything' (0.04, +0.02) and 'Bump' (0.02, +0.01) made some gains in the 9 p.m. hour. CBS reran sitcom 'The Neighborhood' (0.29), 'Bob Hearts Abishola' (0.21), 'NCIS' (0.19), and 'NCIS: Hawai'i' (0.16).

Finals Update: All shows held their preliminary ratings.

Summer Renew/Cancel Week 10: Superfan Has No Fans

It's an unusually busy late week in the Summer Renew/Cancel, as CBS debuts two reality shows, including freshman Superfan, and other new shows wraps their first season this week. Keep reading to see my initial predictions for Superfan and The Challenge: USA and an update on Hot Wheels: Ultimate Challenge as it exits the airwaves.

Monday TV Ratings 8/7/23: Claim To Fame Sees Small Gain While The Bachelorette Surges, Children Ruin Everything and Bump Get Ugly (UPDATED)

Ratings Analysis: ABC staple 'The Bachelorette' (0.56, +0.15) soared to its strongest rating of summer 2023 and was a full tenth above its previous season high (0.46). In the 10 p.m. hour, 'Claim To Fame' (0.27, +0.03) did not enjoy a surge nearly as big but was still able to secure some growth. 'Son of a Critch' (0.05, +0.01) inched up on the CW, while 'Run the Burbs' (0.04, 0.00) tied its week-ago debut. The news was far less positive in the 9 p.m. hour as sitcom 'Children Ruin Everything' (0.02, -0.02) and dramedy 'Bump' (0.01, -0.02) fell off a cliff. Declining by two-hundredths would be standard on a big 4 network, but it is cause for alarm on The CW since numbers are already microscopic. NBC's 'American Ninja Warrior' (0.38, +0.01) gained a hundredth and led into reruns of 'The Wall' (0.27) and 'Weakest Link' (0.20). 'Stars on Mars' (0.14, -0.05) and 'Crime Scene Kitchen' (0.19, -0.05) crashed on Fox, with 'Mars' finding yet another new low. Repeats of 'The Neighborhood' (0.30), 'Bob Hearts Abishola' (0.25), 'NCIS' (0.20), and 'NCIS Hawai'i' (0.18) were up across the board on CBS.  

Finals Update: 'American Ninja Warrior' (+0.1) and 'The Bachelorette' (+0.1) adjusted up.