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.

Monday TV Ratings 8/21/23: The Bachelorette Bounces Back for Finale, American Ninja Warrior and Stars on Mars Slip (UPDATED)

Ratings Analysis: Though 'The Bachelorette' (0.53, +0.12) did not set a new season high on finale night, the ABC reality series still enjoyed a healthy surge and maintained its lead in the Adults 18-49 demographic. NBC's 'American Ninja Warrior' (0.35, -0.04) was the closest to competing with 'The Bachelorette', but it was still nearly two-tenths below it. 'Warrior' led into a rerun of 'Weakest Link' (0.22) that was a hundredth lower than last week's. 'Stars on Mars' (0.15, -0.01) shed a hundredth on Fox and was followed by a 'MasterChef' rerun (0.11). 'Children Ruin Everything' (0.06, +0.02) and 'Bump' (0.06, +0.04) soared to new season highs on the CW. 'Run the Burbs' (0.03, 0.00) held even in the 8:30 p.m. time slot, while 'Son of a Critch' (0.03, -0.01) inched down. 'The Neighborhood' (0.23), 'Bob Hearts Abishola' (0.20), 'NCIS' (0.18), and 'NCIS: Hawai'i' (0.16) were all in repeat-mode on CBS.

Finals Update: The repeat of 'NCIS: Hawai'i' (+0.1) adjusted up.

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.

Summer Renew/Cancel Week 9: Big Brother Is Still a Big Deal

This week on the Summer Renew/Cancel, two CBS veterans return, including one of the summer's strongest shows and one of its weakest. Keep reading for my initial predictions for Big Brother and Secret Celebrity Renovation!

Monday TV Ratings 7/31/23: The Bachelorette Drops as Claim to Fame Holds Steady, Crime Scene Kitchen and American Ninja Warrior Rise, Run the Burbs Has Decent Premiere (UPDATED)

Ratings Analysis: ABC's 'The Bachelorette' (0.41, -0.05) cooled down a bit after jumping to a new season high last week, but 'Claim to Fame' (0.24, 0.00) was able to match its week-ago rating. On NBC, 'American Ninja Warrior' (0.37, +0.04) gained four-hundredths and was only four behind 'Bachelorette this time around. NBC also reran 'The Wall' (0.26) and 'Weakest Link' (0.21). Fox was up across the board with 'Stars on Mars' (0.19, +0.03) and 'Crime Scene Kitchen' (0.24, +0.04). This serves as the highest-rated episode of 'Kitchen' since its early June premiere (0.24). On the CW, the premiere of Canadian sitcom 'Run the Burbs' (0.04) was on-par with 'Son of a Critch' (0.04, 0.00) and 'Children Ruin Everything' (0.04, 0.00). At 9:30, the premiere of 'Bump' (0.03) was a notch below those shows. CBS reran 'The Neighborhood' (0.29), 'Bob Hearts Abishola' (0.22), 'NCIS' (0.17), and 'NCIS: Hawai'i' (0.16).

Finals Update: 'American Ninja Warrior' (+0.1) and the repeat of 'The Wall' (+0.1) adjusted up.

Monday TV Ratings 7/24/23: Children Ruin Everything and Son of a Critch Off to Decent Starts, The Bachelorette Hits Season High as Claim to Fame Crumbles in Time Slot Shifts (UPDATED)

Ratings Analysis: The CW got into the sitcom game for the first time in a while with the debuts of Canadian imports 'Son of a Critch' (0.04/0.04) and 'Children Ruin Everything' (0.04/0.04). Neither program did remarkably well, but these numbers are passable enough by CW standards. Over on ABC, 'The Bachelorette' (0.46, +0.08) surged to a new season high in its return to the 8 p.m. time slot. But, the swap completely destroyed any momentum that 'Claim to Fame' (0.24, -0.17) had built up this summer. 'Fame' crashed to a new series low in its move back to the 10 p.m. hour, just one week after posting a new series high at 8 o'clock. Fox's 'Stars on Mars' (0.16, -0.02) also slipped to a new low, but 'Crime Scene Kitchen' (0.20, +0.01) gained a hundredth in the 9 p.m. slot. On NBC, 'American Ninja Warrior' (0.33, -0.06) dropped some but avoided falling to a new low. An original episode of 'The Wall' (0.29) and a 'Weakest Link' (0.21) rerun aired at 9 and 10 p.m. respectively. Repeats of 'The Neighborhood' (0.28), 'Bob Hearts Abishola' (0.20), 'NCIS' (0.18), and 'NCIS: Hawai'i' (0.18) aired on CBS.

Finals Update: 'The Bachelorette' (+0.1), 'Stars on Mars' (+0.1), and the repeat of 'The Neighborhood' (+0.1) adjusted up.

Monday TV Ratings 7/17/23: Crime Scene Kitchen Down, Claim to Fame and The Bachelorette Reach Season Highs, American Ninja Warrior Also Rises (UPDATED)

Ratings Analysis: 'Claim to Fame' (0.41, +0.07) and 'The Bachelorette' (0.38, +0.02) climbed to new season highs on ABC, with 'Fame' topping the night altogether. 'American Ninja Warrior' (0.39, +0.10) surged on NBC, but 'Weakest Link' (0.22, -0.02) dipped in the 10 p.m. hour. In the middle, a rerun of 'The Wall' (0.25) was just a hundredth behind last week's original (0.26). 'Stars on Mars' (0.18, -0.03) and 'Crime Scene Kitchen' (0.19, -0.01) dropped on Fox. 'The Rising' (0.04, +0.02) grew on The CW for its finale and was followed by a repeat of 'Nancy Drew' (0.02). CBS went with reruns of 'The Neighborhood' (0.26), 'Bob Hearts Abishola' (0.22), 'NCIS' (0.19), and 'NCIS: Hawai'i' (0.19).

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

Summer Renew/Cancel Week 6: ABC Pranks Two Summer Veterans

This week on the Summer Renew/Cancel, numerous ABC shows join the fray as the network solidifies its summer lineup. Keep reading for initial predictions on their Sunday and Thursday lineups.

Monday TV Ratings 7/10/23: The Bachelorette and Claim to Fame Rebound, The Price Is Right Encore Leads, The Wall and American Ninja Warrior Drop (UPDATED)

Ratings Analysis: 'Claim to Fame' (0.34, +0.05) and 'The Bachelorette' (0.36, +0.09) both bounced back on ABC, with the latter reaching a new season high. This marks the first time this season that 'Bachelorette' has outrated 'Fame'. Despite those gains, CBS's repeat of 'The Price Is Right' (0.37) beat the alphabet network's offerings and was the top broadcast of the night. Encores of 'The Neighborhood' (0.23), 'Bob Hearts Abishola' (0.16), and 'NCIS' (0.16) filled out the remainder of their evening. NBC was in complete freefall mode as 'American Ninja Warrior' (0.29, -0.06), 'The Wall' (0.26, -0.06), and 'Weakest Link' (0.24, -0.08) all plummeted. Fox's 'Stars on Mars' (0.21, +0.03) rebounded, but 'Crime Scene Kitchen' (0.20, -0.01) inched down. Repeats of 'The Rising' (0.02) and 'Nancy Drew' (0.02) were on-par with last week on The CW. 

Finals Update: 'The Bachelorette' (+0.1), 'The Wall' (+0.1), and the repeat of 'The Price Is Right: Bob Barker Studio Goodbye' (+0.1) adjusted up.

Summer Renew/Cancel Week 5: Tough to Imagine a Tough As Nails Renewal

Another new entry joins the fold this week, as CBS's Tough as Nails makes an unceremonious mid-summer debut as the Tiffany Network's only currently-running original. Keep reading to see where the veteran lands in its Summer Renew/Cancel debut.

Summer Renew/Cancel Week 4: ABC Won’t Break Up with The Bachelorette

Three new shows enter the fold this week, as ABC continues to roll out its summer schedule with the return of an old staple and a promising sophomore, plus a new Dick Wolf unscripted show on NBC. Keep reading for my first thoughts on all three new reality entries.

Monday TV Ratings 6/26/23: Claim to Fame Rises in Premiere and Out-rates Collapsing The Bachelorette, The Wall and American Ninja Warrior Slip (UPDATED)

Ratings Analysis: In recent times, the power of the 8 p.m. timeslot has been made abundantly clear. As ratings continue to decline in primetime, local programming seems to serve as a better lead-in than whatever else the network has to offer. Shows like 'The Conners' and 'The Rookie' have experienced growth or increased stability after ABC decided to air them in an earlier timeslot. ABC decided to give 'Claim To Fame' (0.40) that same opportunity for its season two premiere, and it paid off masterfully. The reality series surged to an all-time series high and soared past every rating from season one. But the success of 'Fame' ultimately came at the expense of 'The Bachelorette' (0.35). 'Bachelorette' struggled in the 9 p.m. hour and plummeted to a series low, going over 50% below last summer's start (0.72). 

On NBC, 'American Ninja Warrior' (0.35, -0.01) and 'The Wall' (0.32, -0.06) declined from their week-ago episodes. At 10, a repeat of 'Weakest Link' (0.22) outpaced CBS's encore of 'NCIS: Hawai'i' (0.17). CBS also had reruns of 'The Neighborhood' (0.28), 'Bob Hearts Abishola' (0.24), and 'NCIS' (0.19). On Fox, 'Stars on Mars' (0.18, +0.01) and 'Crime Scene Kitchen' (0.21, +0.02) enjoyed minor upticks. The CW had repeats of 'The Rising' (0.05) and 'Nancy Drew' (0.05). 'The Rising' actually beat its week-ago original (0.03), while the 'Nancy Drew' rerun was a significant improvement over last week's episode of 'Barons' (0.02).

Finals Update: All shows held their preliminary rounded ratings.

Monday TV Ratings 6/19/23: The Wall Leads the Night, Stars on Mars Goes Lower, Hip-Hop at 50 Special Bombs (UPDATED)

Ratings Analysis: NBC's 'The Wall' (0.38) made its summer debut in stellar fashion by building on the episode of 'American Ninja Warrior' (0.36, +0.02) that led into it. In the 10 p.m. hour, 'Weakest Link' (0.32, +0.08) improved significantly after taking a week off. On Fox, 'Stars on Mars' (0.17, -0.01) dipped some more, but 'Crime Scene Kitchen' (0.19, +0.01) grew by a hundredth. ABC had another strong rerun of 'Celebrity Family Feud' (0.37), but most of that audience was gone by the time repeats of 'The Wonder Years' (0.19/0.13) rolled around. At 10, a 'Hip Hop at 50' special (0.13) placed dead-last in its slot. CBS went with reruns of 'NCIS' (0.21), 'NCIS: Hawai'i' (0.21), and 'NCIS: Los Angeles' (0.22). On the CW, 'The Rising' (0.03, -0.02) crumbled, but 'Barons' (0.02, 0.00) held even for its final episode. The latter is being pulled off the air in favor of 'Nancy Drew' reruns.

Finals Update: 'American Ninja Warrior' (+0.1) and the repeat of 'Celebrity Family Feud' (+0.1) adjusted up.

Summer Renew/Cancel Week 3: Things Don’t Look Wonderful for The Wonder Years

This week on the Summer Renew/Cancel, a scripted show makes its debut after moving from the regular season to the summer this season. Keep reading for my initial thoughts on ABC's The Wonder Years.

Monday TV Ratings 6/12/23: NBA Finals Rise in Closing Game, American Ninja Warrior, Stars on Mars and Crime Scene Kitchen Tumble (UPDATED)

Ratings Analysis: The Denver Nuggets won their first NBA championship and defeated the Miami Heat head-on. As a result, the final game of the '2023 NBA Finals' (3.98, +0.75) was the highest-rated of the five in the Adults 18-49 demographic and the most-viewed overall. At 8, 'NBA Countdown' (1.01) was able to break the 1.0 threshold for the first time this month. Fox seemingly felt the brunt of ABC's NBA-fueled dominance and suffered greatly as a result. Both 'Stars on Mars' (0.18, -0.06) and 'Crime Scene Kitchen' (0.18, -0.06) lost big chunks of their week-ago premieres that were already on the softer side to begin with. NBC's 'American Ninja Warrior' (0.34, -0.09) also took a sizable hit and led into reruns of 'The Wall' (0.30) and 'Weakest Link' (0.26). CBS had repeats of 'The Neighborhood' (0.36), 'Bob Hearts Abishola' (0.25), 'NCIS' (0.21), and 'NCIS: Hawai'i' (0.21). CW dramas 'The Rising' (0.05, -0.01) and 'Barons' (0.02, -0.01) shed a hundredth apiece. 

Finals Update: 'NBA Finals Game 5' (+1.0) adjusted up, as did repeats of 'Weakest Link' (+0.1) and 'The Neighborhood' (+0.1). 'NBA Countdown' (-0.5) adjusted down.