After months of bare schedules across broadcast, with few originals to be found, a new TV season is finally upon us. With that, it's time to wrap up another season of the Summer Renew/Cancel, and give my final calls on all of the shows that aired across ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC this summer!
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.
ESPN's college football broadcast led the way on Monday night, with a strong 1.62 rating in the Adults 18-49 demographic. On NBC, American Ninja Warrior (0.19, -0.03) and Survival Mode (0.14, -0.02) were both down for their respective season finales. ABC aired reruns of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (0.24/0.17/0.12). CBS went with encores of The Neighborhood (0.23/0.19), FBI (0.20), and Watson (0.17). LEGO Masters Jr. (0.15, -0.01) ticked down on Fox. Repeats of Penn & Teller (0.04) and Masters of Illusion (0.04) aired on the CW. Key: (R) = repeat. (F) = finale.
Though there were many originals on Monday night, it was CBS's 8 p.m. repeat of The Neighborhood (0.28) that posted the evening's highest Adults 18-49 rating. ABC's Bachelor in Paradise (0.27, -0.01) shed a hundredth. American Ninja Warrior (0.22, -0.02) declined slightly on NBC, but Survival Mode (0.16, +0.04) gained some momentum. LEGO Masters Jr. (0.16, -0.02) and The Quiz with Balls (0.18, -0.01) both dropped on Fox. The CW aired repeats of Penn & Teller (0.04) and Whose Line (0.03/0.04). Key: (R) = repeat.
The last week saw the final two premieres of the 2025 summer season, as Fox and NBC both debuted new series that'll run for just a month. Keep reading to see the initial predictions for both series!
LEGO Masters Jr. (0.18) had an okay start on Fox, but its presence didn't seem to help The Quiz with Balls (0.19, -0.04). On ABC, Hulu series Are You My First? (0.09) completely bombed in its broadcast debut, retaining less than a third of its Bachelor in Paradise lead-in (0.28, -0.03). NBC's American Ninja Warrior (0.24, 0.00) held steady, while Survival Mode (0.12, +0.01) ticked up. CBS continued airing sitcom (0.28/0.19) and drama (0.15/0.11) reruns. The CW (0.04/0.03/0.03) was also entirely in repeat-mode. Key: (R) = repeat.
Fox's LEGO Masters (0.19, +0.03) enjoyed a noticeable bump on finale night, but The Quiz with Balls (0.20, -0.01) dipped slightly. American Ninja Warrior (0.28, +0.02) and Survival Mode (0.17, +0.04) were up on NBC, but ABC's Bachelor in Paradise (0.25, -0.01) inched down. CBS reruns of The Neighborhood (0.25/0.24), FBI (0.21), and FBI: Most Wanted (0.21) remained at a solid level. The CW aired repeats of Penn & Teller: Fool Us (0.05) and Whose Line Is It Anyway? (0.04/0.04). Key: (R) = repeat. (F) = finale.
Bachelor in Paradise (0.26, +0.05) recovered on ABC but still lost to a pair of Neighborhood reruns (0.30/0.28) that aired on CBS. NBC's American Ninja Warrior (0.26, +0.02) was in the same boat, up from last week but below sitcom reruns in the key demo. At ten, Survival Mode (0.13, +0.01) gained a hundredth. LEGO Masters (0.16, -0.02) slipped on Fox, but The Quiz with Balls (0.21, +0.05) surged. The CW re-aired episodes of Penn & Teller (0.04) and Whose Line (0.04/0.04). Key: (R) = repeat.
Ratings Analysis: ABC's Bachelor in Paradise (0.20, -0.11) dropped dramatically from last week's premiere, falling behind NBC's American Ninja Warrior (0.24, -0.01) in the process. After Warrior, Survival Mode (0.12, -0.04) noticeably weakened. CBS aired repeats of The Neighborhood (0.20/0.18), FBI (0.14), and FBI: Most Wanted (0.13). LEGO Masters (0.18, +0.02) gained more momentum on Fox, but The Quiz with Balls (0.16, -0.02) went in the opposite direction. The CW went with encores of Penn & Teller: Fool Us (0.02) and Whose Line Is It Anyway? (0.04/0.02). Key: (R) = repeat.
Ratings Analysis: The return of Bachelor in Paradise (0.31) gave ABC an effortless win on Monday night, as Paradise matched its previous season's finale (0.31) despite being off the air for more than a year. On NBC, American Ninja Warrior (0.25, +0.02) grew slightly, but Survival Mode (0.16) had an uninspiring start at ten. CBS aired repeats of The Neighborhood (0.26/0.22), FBI (0.19), and FBI: Most Wanted (0.16). LEGO Masters (0.16, +0.02) rose on Fox, but The Quiz with Balls (0.18, -0.03) cooled down. Reruns of Penn & Teller: Fool Us (0.03) and Whose Line (0.03/0.03) aired on the CW. Key: (P) = premiere. (R) = repeat.
Ratings Analysis: On Fox, LEGO Masters (0.14, -0.02) went even lower, but The Quiz with Balls (0.21, +0.03) climbed to a new season high. American Ninja Warrior (0.28, -0.01) ticked down on NBC, but Yes, Chef! (0.13, +0.02) gained some momentum. Reruns of Scamanda (0.22/0.18/0.15) outpaced or tied some first-run episodes on ABC. Encores of The Neighborhood (0.23/0.19), FBI (0.16), and FBI: Most Wanted (0.19) aired on CBS. A repeat of Penn & Teller (0.07) did well by CW standards, but encores of Whose Line (0.05/0.04) dropped from there. Key: (R) = repeat.
Ratings Analysis: American Ninja Warrior (0.29, -0.09) declined dramatically on NBC, and Yes, Chef! (0.11, -0.02) dropped to a new low at ten. On ABC, the NBA Finals (2.64, -0.02) dipped but stayed on top. CBS continued to air encores (0.19/0.18/0.18/0.21). LEGO Masters (0.16, -0.02) slipped on Fox, but The Quiz with Balls (0.18, +0.01) inched up. The CW went with repeats of Wild Cards (0.01) and Sherlock (0.02). Key: (R) = repeat.
Ratings Analysis: The BET Awards (0.36) declined by almost 50% from the 2024 ceremony (0.7) in the Adults 18-49 demographic. On NBC, American Ninja Warrior (0.38, +0.08) was up markedly from its week-ago premiere, but Yes, Chef! (0.13, -0.01) ticked down. ABC went with encores of Jeopardy! Masters (0.17/0.14/0.14). CBS aired reruns of The Neighborhood (0.22/0.17), FBI (0.17), and FBI: Most Wanted (0.18). LEGO Masters (0.18, 0.00) matched last week's rating on Fox, but The Quiz with Balls (0.17, -0.02) slipped. CW reruns of Wild Cards (0.01) and Sherlock (0.01) barely registered. Key: (R) = repeat.
Ratings Analysis: On Fox, LEGO Masters (0.18, -0.05) dealt with a noticeable decline, and The Quiz with Balls (0.19) was 24% below its year-ago series premiere (0.25) in its return. NBC's American Ninja Warrior (0.30) had much better luck, as the summer staple tied its 2024 premiere (0.30) and was up from its September finale (0.24). At ten, Yes, Chef! (0.14, +0.01) grew slightly. ABC aired reruns of Jeopardy! Masters (0.22/0.18/0.16). CBS aired encores of The Neighborhood (0.24/0.21), FBI (0.23), and FBI: Most Wanted (0.21). The CW went with repeats of Wild Cards (0.03) and Sherlock (0.02). Key: (P) = premiere. (R) = repeat.
Ratings Analysis: After a three-year hiatus, the American Music Awards (0.75) returned with a massive rating, one more than a tenth above its last broadcast from 2022 (0.63). That was enough for CBS to beat out the other broadcast networks on an otherwise slow Monday night. But despite the increased competition, LEGO Masters (0.23, +0.04) was up from last week's premiere on Fox. At nine, America's Most Wanted (0.12, -0.04) dropped for its finale. NBC's Yes, Chef! (0.13, -0.06) also took a hit for a special 8 p.m. showing. ABC aired repeats of Celebrity Family Feud (0.21/0.16/0.16). The CW aired encores of Wild Cards (0.02) and Sherlock & Daughter (0.02). Key: (R) = repeat. (F) = finale.
The 2024-25 regular TV season is officially over, which means one thing: summer's here! The networks have already debuted a few of their summer entries, including a few veteran shows and a pair of rookies. Keep reading for my initial placements for the four shows that have premiered thus far!
Ratings Analysis: LEGO Masters (0.19) had a soft landing on Fox, but America's Most Wanted (0.16) bested last Monday's installment. On NBC, The Voice (0.36, +0.15) clearly benefited from the absence of Idol, and Yes, Chef! (0.19, +0.07) was also up markedly. Bad Romance (0.19, +0.11) climbed higher on ABC, but Paradise (0.12/0.09) was down from last week (0.13). On CBS, The Price Is Right At Night (0.33, +0.10) gained a full tenth. Reruns of Wild Cards (0.03) and Family Law (0.01) aired on the CW. Key: (P) = premiere. (R) = repeat. (F) = finale.
Ratings Analysis: NBC sitcoms St. Denis Medical (0.30, -0.01) and Night Court (0.20, -0.05) both dropped to new series lows after taking a week off. On CBS, dramas FBI (0.38, +0.01) and FBI: Most Wanted (0.31, +0.04) were on the rise, but FBI: International (0.28, -0.03) slipped. ABC's showing of the NBA Cup Championship (0.79) was the highest-rated broadcast of the night in the Adults 18-49 demographic. On Fox, LEGO Masters: Celebrity Holiday Bricktacular (0.23, +0.05) was up markedly from last week. WWE NXT (0.16, -0.01) ticked down on the CW. Key: (R) = repeat. (F) = finale.