CW Renew/Cancel Part 1: All American’s Ratings Are All Right, but the End Is Nigh

Welcome to the all-new CW Renew/Cancel! There has been massive shakeups at the network since our last column in May of 2023, with the new owners completely reshaping what the CW is what what it airs. The network is now home to a heavily-unscripted slate, with nearly all of its scripted programs being acquired programs from Canada and the UK. However, some originals do remain, as do several co-productions. For this renew/cancel, we're only predicting CW originals like All American and Walker, as well as international shows that CW has a hand in producing, like Wild Cards and Son of a Critch. These are shows that, while other networks hold much of the power for determining renewals, CW has at least some stake in them and will have a sway in the decisions. This means fully acquired shows, like Children Ruin Everything, Family Law, and The Conners will not appear in this chart, though you can still get predictions for The Conners in our ABC Renew/Cancel.

Thursday TV Ratings 3/28/24: March Madness Rises Again, 9-1-1 Also Rises, Grey’s Anatomy and Station 19 Drop (Final Ratings w/Analysis)

Ratings Analysis: CBS's latest March Madness broadcast (1.54/2.06) was significantly higher than last Thursday's (1.50/1.26) and kept them on top in terms of Adults 18-49 ratings. 9-1-1 (0.57, +0.05) grew on ABC, but Grey's Anatomy (0.39, -0.08) and Station 19 (0.29, -0.03) continued to decline. Next Level Chef (0.26, -0.03) dropped to a new series low on Fox, while Farmer Wants a Wife (0.19, 0.00) tied its episode from two weeks ago. NBC re-ran their Law & Order trio (0.23/0.24/0.20). The CW's Son of a Critch (0.04/0.03) was steady at 9 but down a hundredth from last week at 9:30.

Thursday TV Ratings 3/7/24: State of the Union Rises from 2023, Young Sheldon and Ghosts Slip (Final Ratings w/Analysis)

Ratings Analysis: President Biden's State of the Union Address took over primetime, and the ratings were generally higher than they were in 2023. NBC's coverage (0.69 rating/4.47 million viewers) led the way in the Adults 18-49 demographic, but ABC (0.68 rating/5.24 million viewers) had the peacock network beat in terms of total viewership, despite being a hair below them in the demo. CBS (0.49 rating/4.09 million viewers) took a distant fourth, while Fox (0.30 rating/1.77 million viewers) was unsurprisingly in last place. For the 10:30 p.m. Republican Response, it was ABC (0.36 rating/3.36 million viewers) that took the top spot, beating NBC (0.30 rating/2.63 million viewers) in both the demo and viewership. CBS (0.26 rating/2.65 million viewers) pulled slightly ahead of NBC in viewership but was dead-last in the demo. In the 8 p.m. hour, CBS comedies Young Sheldon (0.50, -0.02) and Ghosts (0.48, -0.03) dipped slightly, but Next Level Chef (0.36, +0.04) grew on Fox. ABC had a strong rerun of Celebrity Wheel of Fortune (0.38), while NBC re-ran Law & Order (0.22). Son of a Critch (0.05, 0.00) and Children Ruin Everything (0.04, 0.00) were stable on the CW.

Thursday TV Ratings 2/22/24: Law & Order Jumps with Sam Waterston Exit, Ghosts Collapses, So Help Me Todd and Next Level Chef Also Sink (UPDATED w/Analysis)

Ratings Analysis: NBC's Law & Order (0.47, +0.09) was up by nearly a full tenth for the Sam Waterston exit episode and helped SVU (0.58, +0.06) and Organized Crime (0.41, +0.03) grow along with it. On CBS, Young Sheldon (0.53, -0.10), Ghosts (0.44, -0.23), and So Help Me Todd (0.29, -0.09) plummeted in week two, but it was Ghosts that took the most alarming drop of the three. Fox's Next Level Chef (0.29, -0.15) and Farmer Wants a Wife (0.17, -0.07) also crumbled. ABC re-ran American Idol (0.30) and Will Trent (0.16). Reruns of The Conners (0.09/0.07) remained a strong option for the CW, but Son of a Critch (0.04, -0.02) and Children Ruin Everything (0.02, -0.02) still slipped. 

Finals Update: All shows held their preliminary rounded ratings.

Thursday TV Ratings 2/15/24: So Help Me Todd and Young Sheldon Return Up from Finales, Ghosts Draws Highest Scripted Premiere of the Season, Next Level Chef Rises (UPDATED w/Analysis)

Ratings Analysis: CBS comedies Young Sheldon (0.63) and Ghosts (0.67) returned in very solid shape for their respective season premieres. Both returned a good bit higher than their May finales and were well above all other offerings in the Adults 18-49 demographic. The momentum completely stopped once the clock hit 9 as So Help Me Todd (0.38) remained a poor retainer, but the drama was still up from its own season finale from last May. The night finished with an encore of Tracker (0.27). On Fox, Next Level Chef (0.44, +0.05) and Farmer Wants a Wife (0.24, +0.02) were both on the rise, but Farmer was once more a lot less impressive than its lead-in. ABC went with more Truth and Lies (0.24) and another Will Trent rerun (0.16). NBC re-ran Law & Order (0.30), SVU (0.29), and Organized Crime (0.24). Son of a Critch (0.06, +0.01) inched up on the CW, while Children Ruin Everything (0.04, 0.00) held even.

Finals Update: Ghosts (+0.1) and So Help Me Todd (+0.1) adjusted up.

Thursday TV Ratings 2/8/24: NFL Honors Drop from 2023, SVU Remains #1, Farmer Wants a Wife and Law & Order Drop (UPDATED w/Analysis)

Ratings Analysis: CBS's broadcast of the NFL Honors ceremony (0.33) outpaced the reruns of Young Sheldon (0.32) and Ghosts (0.26) that preceded it but was down by 15% from last year's NBC showing (0.39). Law & Order (0.38, -0.04) and SVU (0.52, -0.02) fell on NBC, but Organized Crime (0.38, +0.02) improved at 10. Fox's Next Level Chef (0.39, +0.01) ticked up, while Farmer Wants a Wife (0.22, -0.04) set a new series low. ABC got a decent rating out of Truth and Lies: Fatal Dive to the Titanic (0.30), while The CW had some strong encores of The Conners (0.10/0.09). Son of a Critch (0.05, +0.01) and Children Ruin Everything (0.04, +0.01) perked up from there. 

Finals Update: The repeat of Ghosts (+0.1) adjusted up.

Thursday TV Ratings 2/1/24: Farmer Wants a Wife and Next Level Chef Return Steady, Law & Order: SVU Rates as Top Scripted Show of the Week (UPDATED w/Analysis)

Ratings Analysis: Next Level Chef (0.38, -1.77) made the frightening jump from football-boosted premiere to time-period debut but, at least for this first night, seemed relatively healthy. It was always going to be way down from Sunday, but this is actually a few ticks above where it started last February (0.35). At 9, Farmer Wants a Wife (0.26) was rather modest on premiere night but essentially on-par with its season one delivery. Law & Order (0.42, +0.04) and SVU (0.54, +0.04) were up on NBC, but Organized Crime (0.36, -0.03) slipped in the 10 p.m. hour. ABC's Press Your Luck (0.41, +0.03) grew on finale night, but Genius: MLK/X (0.17) underwhelmed in the Nielsen ratings department. CBS re-ran Young Sheldon (0.33), Ghosts (0.23), and So Help Me Todd (0.15/0.16). On the CW, reruns of The Conners (0.08/0.09) were stronger than usual, but Son of a Critch (0.04, -0.01) and Children Ruin Everything (0.03, -0.01) still declined. 

Finals Update: Law & Order: Organized Crime (+0.1) and the 10 PM repeat of So Help Me Todd (+0.1) adjusted up.

Thursday TV Ratings 1/25/24: Hell’s Kitchen Drops for Finale, Law & Order Shows and Press Your Luck Also Decline (UPDATED w/Analysis)

Ratings Analysis: Fox's Hell's Kitchen (0.38, -0.03) shed a few ticks on finale night but was still higher than about half of the episodes that aired this season. Press Your Luck (0.38, -0.05) also slipped on ABC and got into a three-way tie in the 8 p.m. timeslot with Hell's and NBC's Law & Order (0.38, -0.10). The latter lost a full tenth in week 2, and the decline was even worse for SVU (0.50, -0.12). Organized Crime (0.39, -0.07) bled a little less in the 10 p.m. hour. CBS stayed out of the original business once more, opting to air reruns of Young Sheldon (0.28), Ghosts (0.21), So Help Me Todd (0.18), and SEAL Team (0.17). Son of a Critch (0.05, +0.01) and Children Ruin Everything (0.04, +0.02) rose on the CW, as did encores of The Conners (0.05/0.05).

Finals Update: Hell's Kitchen (+0.1) and Press Your Luck (+0.1) adjusted up.

Thursday TV Ratings 1/18/24: Law & Order: SVU and Law & Order Soar for Premieres, Organized Crime Returns Slightly Up, Press Your Luck Hits Season High (UPDATED w/Analysis)

Ratings Analysis: The scripted rollout continued on NBC, and the results mostly remained positive. Law & Order (0.48) and Law & Order: Organized Crime (0.46) were way down from their Sept. 2022 premieres (0.60/0.62) but a good bit above their May 2023 finales (0.34/0.41). SVU (0.62) was a lot healthier in the middle, down just seven-hundredths from Sept. 2022 (0.69) and almost two-tenths above its May 2023 closer (0.44). On ABC, Press Your Luck (0.43, +0.04) hit another season high after  setting one just last week and was followed by repeats of itself (0.31/0.23). Hell's Kitchen (0.41, 0.00) held flat on Fox, while Gordon Ramsay's Road Trip (0.18, +0.02) got a little less ugly in week two. CBS re-ran Young Sheldon (0.20), Ghosts (0.14), and SEAL Team (0.13/0.12). Son of a Critch (0.04) was stable on the CW, but repeats of The Conners (0.03/0.03) and Children Ruin Everything (0.02) were down.

Finals Update: Law & Order: Organized Crime (+0.1) adjusted up.

Thursday TV Ratings 1/11/24: Press Your Luck and Hell’s Kitchen Hit Season Highs, Gordon Ramsay’s Road Trip Weak (UPDATED w/Analysis)

Ratings Analysis: ABC's Press Your Luck (0.39, +0.13) soared to a new season high in its move from Tuesdays at 10 to Thursdays at 8, clearly showing just how important it is to air a family-friendly game show in an earlier time slot. On Fox, Hell's Kitchen (0.41, +0.04) also climbed to a season high and cleared the 0.4 mark for the first time this season. At 9, Gordon Ramsay's Road Trip (0.16) completely bombed despite having a fellow Ramsay show for a lead-in. NBC aired reruns of Law & Order (0.29), SVU (0.23), and Organized Crime (0.21). CBS re-ran Young Sheldon (0.22), Ghosts (0.17), and SEAL Team (0.14/0.12). On the CW, repeats of The Conners (0.05/0.05) performed marginally better than Son of a Critch (0.04) and Children Ruin Everything (0.04). 

Finals Update: All shows held at their preliminary rounded ratings.

Thursday TV Ratings 12/28/23: Celebrity Wheel of Fortune Repeat Leads the Night, Press Your Luck Encore Solid, Ghosts UK Rises (UPDATED w/Analysis)

Ratings Analysis: ABC's repeat of Celebrity Wheel of Fortune (0.34) was the top-rated program on another evening with a limited amount of original programming. From there, encores of Press Your Luck (0.27) and The $100,000 Pyramid (0.20) each shed seven-hundredths from the game show rerun that aired before them. On CBS, Ghosts UK (0.20/0.16) improved on its performance from two weeks ago (0.13) but was still a weaker option than reruns of Young Sheldon (0.23) and American Ghosts (0.20). NBC reruns of Law & Order (0.22) and Dateline (0.19) easily beat out Fox's encore of LEGO Masters: Celebrity Holiday Bricktacular (0.16). NBC also had Transplant (0.19, +0.04), which was up for its first episode in nearly a month. Acquired sitcoms Son of a Critch (0.03, -0.01) and Children Ruin Everything (0.02, -0.01) dipped on the CW. 

Finals Update: The 9:30 episode of Ghosts UK (+0.1) adjusted up. Repeats of Celebrity Wheel of Fortune (-0.1) and The $100,000 Pyramid (-0.1) adjusted down.

Thursday TV Ratings 12/21/23: Dick Van Dyke Special and iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Mediocre, Big Brother Reindeer Games Rises for Finale (UPDATED w/Analysis)

Ratings Analysis: Big Brother Reindeer Games (0.32, +0.02) inched up for its CBS finale and was able to top a quiet Thursday night. In the 9 p.m. time slot, Dick Van Dyke: 98 Years of Magic (0.24) was rather modest but still outpaced NBC's rerun of Dolly Parton's Mountain Magic Christmas (0.20). The peacock network also re-ran Christmas At Graceland (0.23). The iHeartRadio Jingle Ball (0.29) was only passable by ABC standards but easily trumped Fox TV movie The Christmas Break (0.16). On the CW, Son of a Critch (0.04, +0.01) gained a hundredth, while Children Ruin Everything (0.03, 0.00) held steady. 

Finals Update: All shows held their preliminary rounded ratings.

Thursday TV Ratings 12/14/23: SNL Christmas Heavily Down from 2022, Hell’s Kitchen Leads Again, Big Brother Reindeer Games Rises (UPDATED w/Analysis)

Ratings Analysis: Fox's Hell's Kitchen (0.39, +0.01) rose by a hundredth and hit a new season high, making it the top program of the night for the second week in a row. LEGO Masters (0.20, -0.01) was not so lucky and slipped to a new low for its season finale. NBC aired That Clip Show: Holiday Edition (0.27) and A Saturday Night Live Christmas (0.30). ABC had them beat at 8 with CMA Country Christmas (0.32) but lost their lead at 9 as Disney 100: A Century of Dreams (0.24) underwhelmed. Big Brother: Reindeer Games (0.30, +0.07) climbed to its highest rating yet on CBS, but Ghosts UK (0.13) and SEAL Team (0.11) went even lower. Sitcoms Son of a Critch and Children Ruin Everything sported matching 0.03s on the CW.

Finals Update: Children Ruin Everything (-0.1), a rerun of Whose Line Is It Anyway? (-0.1), and an encore of The Great American Joke Off (-0.1) adjusted down.

Thursday TV Ratings 12/7/23: Christmas at the Opry Decent on NBC, Bachelor in Paradise Hits Series Low for Finale, Hell’s Kitchen Leads (Final Ratings w/Analysis)

Ratings Analysis: With most of the serious competition out of the way, Fox mainstay Hell's Kitchen (0.38, 0.00) was able to top the night and tie its season high. Despite the stability of Hell's, LEGO Masters (0.21, -0.02) inched down and matched its series low. On NBC, Christmas at the Opry (0.30) was not as strong as last week's Grinch but helped the peacock network stay relatively competitive in the 8 p.m. hour. After Opry came a solid Dateline (0.27). ABC's Bachelor in Paradise (0.31, -0.03) set a new series low on finale night and could only place third in its time slot. In CBS news, The Price Is Right At Night (0.34, -0.01) shed a hundredth and led into more UK Ghosts (0.22/0.17). Sitcoms Son of a Critch (0.05, +0.01) and Children Ruin Everything (0.04, +0.01) were slightly up on the CW. 

Thursday TV Ratings 11/23/23: NFL Barely Down from Thanksgiving 2022 Primetime Game, Ghosts UK Soars (UPDATED w/Analysis)

Ratings Analysis: NBC enjoyed massive ratings success on Thanksgiving night as their broadcast of the 49ers v. Seahawks NFL game (7.04) was only about 1% lower than last year's Patriots v. Vikings match-up (7.08) in the Adults 18-49 demographic. In terms of total viewership, both this one and 2022's game clocked in at just under 25 million. On CBS, the UK Ghosts (0.66/0.52) barreled past the 0.2s it posted for last week's debut, mostly because the reruns of Young Sheldon (2.09) and American Ghosts (0.99) that came before it were boosted by football. Fox went with repeats of Hell's Kitchen (0.21) and LEGO Masters (0.15) that somehow managed to trample ABC's Golden Bachelor encores (0.11/0.10/0.10). Son of a Critch (0.08, +0.03) and Children Ruin Everything (0.07, +0.04) improved on the CW.

Finals Update: The 49ers v. Seahawks NFL game (+3.0), Ghosts UK at 9 PM (+0.2) and 9:30 PM (+0.1), Children Ruin Everything (+0.1), and the repeats of Young Sheldon (+0.5), Ghosts (+0.2), and SEAL Team (+0.1) adjusted up.

Thursday TV Ratings 11/16/23: Ghosts UK Off to Tepid Start, The Golden Bachelor Soars to New High, LEGO Masters Stable (UPDATED)

Ratings Analysis: The UK version of Ghosts (0.23/0.24) got off to a tepid start on CBS and was only a tiny bit above NBC's low-rated Transplant (0.22, +0.02). CBS also had reruns of Young Sheldon (0.24), American Ghosts (0.17), and SEAL Team (0.14). NBC had Law & Order (0.25) and Dateline (0.23) encores that, yet again, beat Transplant. On ABC, The Golden Bachelor (0.65, +0.11) shot up to a brand-new series high and brought Bachelor in Paradise (0.36, +0.02) up with it. Fox mainstay Hell's Kitchen (0.34, -0.02) slipped, but LEGO Masters (0.23, 0.00) was frozen at last week's rating. Son of a Critch (0.05, 0.00) was flat on the CW, while Children Ruin Everything (0.03, +0.01) inched up. The 9 p.m. hour was filled with repeats of Whose Line Is It Anyway? (0.05) and The Great American Joke Off (0.05).

Finals Update: The Golden Bachelor (-0.1) and Bachelor in Paradise (-0.1) adjusted down.

Thursday TV Ratings 11/9/23: Big Brother Surges for Finale, Bachelor in Paradise Rises, The Golden Bachelor and LEGO Masters Down (UPDATED)

Ratings Analysis: On finale night, CBS's Big Brother (0.70, +0.19) surged to its highest rating in a while and nearly grew by two-tenths of a point in the process. Despite that sizable growth, SEAL Team (0.14) retained a laughable 20% of the Brother rating and was lower than it was a week ago. The Golden Bachelor (0.54, -0.04) dipped on ABC, but Bachelor in Paradise (0.34, +0.02) inched up in the 9 p.m. time slot. NBC's Transplant (0.20, +0.04) improved but was still below the reruns of Law & Order (0.25) and Dateline (0.25) that sandwiched it. Fox programs Hell's Kitchen (0.36, -0.02) and LEGO Masters (0.23, -0.06) lost some ground. Son of a Critch (0.05, +0.01) and Everyone Else Burns (0.03, +0.02) were up on the CW. Run the Burbs (0.03, 0.00) held flat in the 8:30 p.m. time slot, while Children Ruin Everything (0.02, -0.01) got a little weaker. 

Finals Update: Big Brother (+0.1) adjusted up. Bachelor in Paradise (-0.1) and LEGO Masters (-0.2) adjusted down.

Thursday TV Ratings 11/2/23: Buddy Games Slips for Finale, Big Brother and The Golden Bachelor Rise, SEAL Team Abysmal in CBS Return (UPDATED)

Ratings Analysis: 'Buddy Games' (0.26, -0.03) slipped for its season finale on CBS, but 'Big Brother' (0.51, +0.03) was unfazed and actually grew by a few ticks. In the 10 p.m. time slot, 'SEAL Team' (0.17) reappeared on the network for the first time since leaving to air on Paramount Plus. But, it was clear by the low ratings that few were interested in these reheated leftovers. 'The Golden Bachelor' (0.58, +0.06) was up significantly on ABC, while 'Bachelor in Paradise' (0.32, 0.00) held even. On Fox, 'LEGO Masters' (0.29, +0.06) soared to a new season high. 'Hell's Kitchen' (0.38, 0.00) was steady at its previously-set high in the 8 p.m. time slot. 'Transplant' (0.16, -0.06) slipped on NBC and was once more the weak link in a lineup with reruns of 'Law & Order' (0.19) and 'Dateline' (0.19). 'Son of a Critch' (0.04, -0.01) and 'Everyone Else Burns' (0.01, -0.01) were down on the CW. 'Run the Burbs' (0.03, 0.00) was stable at 8:30, while 'Children Ruin Everything' (0.03, +0.01) grew by a hundredth at 9. 

Finals Update: 'The Golden Bachelor' (+0.1) and 'Hell's Kitchen' (+0.1) adjusted up. Repeats of 'Dateline NBC' (-0.1) and 'SEAL Team' (-0.1) adjusted down.

Thursday TV Ratings 10/26/23: Big Brother Drops for Double Eviction, The Golden Bachelor Rises, Pathetic Premiere for Everyone Else Burns (UPDATED)

Ratings Analysis: Even though 'Buddy Games' (0.29, +0.01) picked up a hundredth at 8, 'Big Brother' (0.48, -0.02) lost two-hundredths in the 9 p.m. hour for its "Double Eviction" episode. CBS closed out the evening with a low-rated edition of 'FBI True' (0.13). After being in freefall for a few weeks, 'The Golden Bachelor' (0.52, +0.07) rebounded rather nicely on ABC. 'Bachelor in Paradise' (0.32, -0.02), however, slipped to a new season low. 'Hell's Kitchen' (0.38, +0.05) and 'LEGO Masters' (0.23, +0.01) grew on the Fox network, with 'Hell's' hitting a new season high. 'Transplant' (0.22, +0.09) improved greatly on NBC, but it was still below the 'Law & Order: SVU' rerun (0.27) that led into it and barely higher than a 10 o'clock repeat of 'Dateline' (0.21). 'Everyone Else Burns' (0.02) completely bombed in its CW debut, going below both 'Son of a Critch' (0.05) and 'Run the Burbs' (0.03). 'Children Ruin Everything' (0.02) was also abysmal in the 9 p.m. time slot.

Finals Update: 'Big Brother' (+0.1) adjusted up. 'Bachelor in Paradise' (-0.1) adjusted down.

Monday TV Ratings 10/9/23: The Irrational Inches Up as The Voice Dips, Monday Night Football Easily Leads (Final Ratings)

Ratings Analysis: After declining a bit in week two, new drama 'The Irrational' (0.31, +0.02) grew by two-hundredths on NBC, even as 'The Voice' (0.55, -0.04) dropped from last Monday's episode. ABC's 'Packers v. Raiders' NFL game (1.79) easily topped the night and was a few ticks above the week-ago 'Seahawks v. Giants' (1.73). 'The Price Is Right At Night' (0.40, +0.04) climbed higher on CBS, but 'Loteria Loca' (0.22, -0.01) shed a hundredth from its premiere. The 10 p.m. repeat of 'NCIS' (0.18) doubled last week's feeble showing. 'Kitchen Nightmares' (0.28, -0.01) and 'Special Forces: World's Toughest Test' (0.24, -0.03) slipped some more on Fox. 'Son of a Critch' (0.04, +0.01) picked up a hundredth for its CW finale, but 'Run the Burbs' (0.02/0.03) failed to rise. 'Children Ruin Everything' was steady at 0.03.