Premiere Thursday TV Ratings 9/23/21: Law & Order: SVU Rises from Finale as Organized Crime Holds Steady, The Masked Singer Dips Below 1.0 for the First Time, Alter Ego Bombs in Night Two (UPDATED)

Ratings Analysis: Though it seemed like its momentum had tapered off last spring, NBC's 'Law & Order: SVU' (0.79) got off to a phenomenal start for its 23rd season. This rating went above the last 5 episodes from the prior season and was a full two-tenths higher that the season 22 opener (0.59). At 10, 'Law & Order: Organized Crime' (0.60) appeared a bit more sluggish than its veteran counterpart. 'Crime' could only match its series low and was an entire ratings point lower than its breakout season one debut. On Fox, 'The Masked Singer' (0.97) fell below a 1.0 for the first time in its run while 'Alter Ego' (0.44) crashed after a relatively respectable launch (0.65). ABC wrapped up the remaining summer shows left, with 'Holey Moley' (0.38) garnering its usual rating and 'The Hustler' (0.30/0.28) rising by a tenth for its two-hour closer. CBS's 'Big Brother' (0.81) inched down and led into a low-rated Kenny Rogers special (0.30). A 'Bull' rerun (0.16) lost nearly 50% of that audience from there. 'Coroner' (0.08) and 'The Outpost' (0.05) were even on the CW.

Finals Update: 'The Masked Singer' (+0.1) and the repeat of 'Bull' (+0.1) adjusted up.

Thursday TV Ratings 9/16/21: Brooklyn Nine-Nine Series Finale Rises, Big Brother Stays on Top, When Nature Calls Finale and The Hustler Stay Low, The Outpost Rises After Cancellation (UPDATED)

Ratings Analysis: After over 150 episodes, countless timeslot changes, and a highly-publicized network swap, 'Brooklyn Nine-Nine' (0.39) closed out its run in rather quiet fashion on NBC. Although the series finale did pick up a tenth, the Samberg cop sitcom failed to hit a new season high for its final outing. Reruns of 'Law & Order: SVU' (0.23) and 'Organized Crime' (0.24) filled out the 9-11pm stretch. ABC's struggling newbie 'When Nature Calls' (0.20) held flat for its finale but lost nearly half of the 'Holey Moley' rerun (0.36) that preceded it. Though it remained in dire territory, 'The Hustler' (0.22) was able to build a bit from 'Nature' at 10. CBS's 'Big Brother' (0.94) gained a couple hundredths and led into a rerun of 'Bull' (0.20). Fox's encores of 'MasterChef' (0.29) and 'Call Me Kat' (0.25/0.22) bested ABC's original efforts. 'Coroner' (0.09) and recently-canceled drama 'The Outpost' (0.05) gained one-hundredth apiece on the CW.

Finals Update: The 'Brooklyn Nine-Nine' series finale (0.4, -0.1) and repeats of 'MasterChef' (0.3, -0.1), 'Call Me Kat' (0.3, -0.1; 0.2, -0.2), 'Law & Order: SVU' (0.2, -0.3), and 'Organized Crime' (0.2, -0.3) all adjusted down. The 'Holey Moley' rerun (0.4, +0.1) adjusted up.

Thursday TV Ratings 9/9/21: NFL Returns with Higher Ratings than 2020 Kickoff, Big Brother Dips, CBS Fall Preview Special Low (UPDATED)

Preliminary Analysis: NFL ratings enjoyed a sizable rebound as the 'Cowboys v. Buccaneers' game (6.5) soared past the preliminary 5.4 rating that the first 2020 game garnered. The 8pm 'NFL Kickoff' (4.6) also went five-tenths above last year's (4.1), giving the NBC network a clear win. Against the football competition, 'Big Brother' (0.8) only shed a tenth on a week-to-week basis. As usual, CBS's momentum collapsed from there, with a 'Fall Preview' special (0.2) retaining less than a third of that audience. Meager reruns of 'Young Sheldon' (0.2) and 'Bull' (0.1) followed from there. ABC was even with 'Holey Moley' (0.4) and 'When Nature Calls' (0.2), but 'The Hustler' (0.2) lost a few hundredths at 10. Fox was the only network of the evening with no original broadcasts, instead going with encores of 'MasterChef' (0.2) and 'Call Me Kat' (0.2/0.2). On the CW, 'The Outpost' (0.1) picked up a tenth after posting a 0.0 the week prior. 'Coroner' (0.1) remained unchanged at 8. 

Finals Update: Big Brother (+0.1) and NFL: Cowboys v. Buccaneers (+1.1) adjusted up. NFL Kickoff (-1.0) and The Outpost (-0.1) adjusted down.

Summer Renew/Cancel Week 14: Is Renewal for Fantasy Island Really a Fantasy?

On the penultimate Summer Renew/Cancel of the season, two shows are seeing prediction changes. Keep reading to see which shows are on the move!

Summer Renew/Cancel Week 13: Making It May Make It to Season 4

This week on the Summer Renew/Cancel, NBC's reality shows take center stage. Keep reading for my thoughts on the recently-wrapped Making It and the freshman Family Game Fight!

Summer Renew/Cancel Week 12: LEGO Masters will Build Up a Third Season

This week on the Summer Renewal, we have some mixed news for two shows as one goes for a prediction upgrade and one is headed for a downgrade. Plus, an initial placement for The Ultimate Surfer! Keep reading to see where it'll land and which shows are on the move!

Thursday TV Ratings 8/19/21: Beat Shazam Ends Steady, Big Brother Rises, Brooklyn Nine-Nine and The Hustler Down (UPDATED)

Ratings Analysis: Fox's 'Beat Shazam' (0.45) enjoyed a minor surge on season finale night, up about a tenth when compared to Wednesday's post-'MasterChef' telecast. A repeat of 'Fantasy Island' (0.27) took over the 9pm slot and somehow tied its latest original. On NBC, 'Brooklyn Nine-Nine' (0.40/0.28) rose by a hundredth for the 8pm episode but was down four hundredths in the second-half. The decline between the two installments was significantly more noticeably when compared to last week's premiere (0.39/0.32). 'Making It' (0.23) held virtually steady at its usual, dismal level and led into a rerun of 'Organized Crime' (0.17). CBS's 'Big Brother' (1.01) gained a tenth and found itself nearly 125% higher than every other broadcast. Encores of 'The Neighborhood' (0.36), 'B Positive' (0.31), and 'Bull' (0.20) filled out from there, with each rerun going below the previous. ABC's frail lineup got slightly weaker as 'Holey Moley' (0.40) and 'When Nature Calls' (0.20) lost four hundredths apiece. At 10, 'The Hustler' (0.25) only lost one hundredth, furthering the gap between it and 'Nature Calls'. On the CW, the return of 'Coroner' (0.08) was on-par with what it garnered last August. 'The Outpost' (0.05) remained anemic in the 9pm slot.

Finals Update: 'The Hustler' (+0.1) and 'Beat Shazam' (+0.1) adjusted up. Both episodes of 'Brooklyn Nine-Nine' (-0.1 each), 'Making It' (-0.1) and the repeat of 'B Positive' (-0.1) adjusted down.

Thursday TV Ratings 8/12/21: Brooklyn Nine-Nine Returns Down, MLB Leads, Big Brother and Love Island Rise (UPDATED)

Preliminary Analysis: NBC's 'Brooklyn Nine-Nine' (0.6/0.5) returned for its 8th and last season in relatively solid fashion, barring this number does not heavily adjust down in finals. If this rating for 'Nine-Nine' were to hold, it would be very close to what it posted for its season 7 debut back in February 2020 (0.7/0.5). At 9, 'Making It' (0.4) got back a tenth and led into another 'SVU' rerun (0.3). CBS's 'Big Brother' (1.0) inched up and 'Love Island' (0.6) rose by two-tenths. Both shows will likely be subject to downward adjustments. A repeat of 'Bull' (0.3) closed out the evening for the eye network. ABC was completely steady with middling showings of 'Holey Moley' (0.4), 'When Nature Calls' (0.3), and 'The Hustler' (0.3). Fox had the overall lead with a strong 'Yankees v. White Sox' MLB game (1.3). 'Walker' (0.1) lost a tenth for its finale while 'The Outpost' (0.1) gained one, putting the two CW dramas in a virtual tie. 

Finals Update: 'MLB' (+0.2) adjusted up. 'Big Brother' (-0.1), 'Love Island' (-0.2), 'When Nature Calls with Helen Mirren' (-0.1), both episodes of 'Brooklyn Nine-Nine' (-0.2 each), 'Making It' (-0.2), and repeats of 'Bull' (-0.1) and 'Law & Order: Organized Crime' (-0.1) adjusted down.

Summer Renew/Cancel Week 9: The $100,000 Pyramid Goes for Gold

The Olympics have taken center stage in the past week, but there have still been some shows airing, including a few that've flown way under the radar so far on the Renew/Cancel. Keep reading to see which show is heading for a prediction upgrade and which is being downgraded!

Thursday TV Ratings 7/15/21: Big Brother and Good Girls Hold Steady, Love Island Rises, Holey Moley Hits New Low (UPDATED)

Preliminary Analysis: CBS enjoyed an easy win as Big Brother' (0.8) held even with Wednesday's episode and 'Love Island' (0.4) actually rose by a tenth after being frozen at a 0.3 rating for days. A repeat of 'Bull' (0.2) sliced that audience in half at 10. On ABC, 'When Nature Calls' (0.3) and 'The Hustler' (0.3) were steady following a two-week break. 'Holey Moley' (0.3) wasn't quite as lucky, inching down to its lowest rating yet. 'Making It' (0.3), 'Good Girls' (0.3), and an encore of 'SVU' (0.2) all tied their week-ago telecasts on NBC. Fox's 'Beat Shazam' (0.4) was flat and outdid all offerings on CBS and ABC. A repeat of 'LEGO Masters' (0.3) occupied the 9pm slot. The season four debut of 'The Outpost' (0.0) completely tanked on the CW but was essentially on-par with its usual performance. 'Walker' (0.1) shed a tenth at 8. 

Finals Update: 'Big Brother' (+0.1), 'Beat Shazam' (+0.1), 'Holey Moley' (+0.1), and 'The Hustler' (+0.1) adjusted up.

Summer Renew/Cancel Week 6: When Nature Calls, Hang Up; CBS Summer Staples Look Safe

Lots of shows have premiered since of last Summer Renew/Cancel update two weeks ago, and that means I have a lot to predict! Keep reading for my initial placements for NBC's Making It, ABC's When Nature Calls, and CBS veterans Big Brother and Love Island.

Thursday TV Ratings 7/1/21: Good Girls Steady After Cancellation, When Nature Calls and Holey Moley Sink, Beat Shazam Leads Abysmal Night (UPDATED)

Preliminary Analysis: It was a dismal start to July, with Fox's 'Beat Shazam' (0.4) topping the night despite being on the lower-end of its usual delivery. A repeat of 'LEGO Masters' (0.2) retained half that audience in the 9pm hour. Matters were even more dire on ABC as 'When Nature Calls' (0.3) crashed for episode two, losing two-tenths from its already tepid premiere. 'Holey Moley' (0.3) also lost two-tenths at 9, but 'The Hustler' (0.3) only gave back one in the 10pm slot. NBC's 'Making It' (0.3) inched down from its week-ago return while recently-canceled 'Good Girls' (0.3) held steady. A repeat of 'SVU' (0.2) capped off the night for the peacock network. CBS was finally done with airing originals and went with an entire evening of encores (0.3/0.2/0.2/0.2/0.2). The CW had its own set of reruns with 'Walker' (0.1) and 'World's Funniest Animals' (0.1/0.1).

Finals Update: Holly Moley (+0.1) and repeats of United States of Al (+0.1) and Mom (+0.1) adjusted up.

Thursday TV Ratings 6/24/21: When Nature Calls Starts Solidly, Good Girls Ties Series Low Behind Passable Making It, United States of Al and Legacies End Steady (UPDATED)

Preliminary Analysis: ABC's new series 'When Nature Calls' (0.5) debuted in respectable territory by summer standards. The comedic nature show outpaced all non-ABC offerings and matched the week-ago 'Holey Moley' premiere. 'Moley' itself (0.5) was steady in the 9pm slot while 'The Hustler' (0.4) actually picked up a tenth after a disappointing start. On NBC, reality series 'Making It' (0.4) returned from a hiatus that lasted a year-and-a-half. Despite that, the Amy Poehler series was only a tenth below its December 2019 finale. 'Good Girls' (0.3/0.3) occupied the 9pm and 10pm slot, matching its low after a month off the air. Fox's 'Beat Shazam' (0.4) lost a tenth while 'Mental Samuari' (0.4) gained one, with 'Samuari' now doubling the dreadful 0.2 rating it posted for its late-May premiere. CBS's 'United States of AI' (0.4) was flat for its finale while 'Clarice' (0.2) lost a tenth for its final episode. Encores of 'Young Sheldon' (0.3), 'Mom' (0.3), and 'B Positive' (0.2) filled up the other slots. 'Walker' (0.2) inched up on the CW, but 'Legacies' (0.1) failed to rise for its finale.

Finals Update: Beat Shazam (+0.1) and the repeat of Young Sheldon (+0.1) adjusted up.

Summer Renew/Cancel Week 5: The Hustler May Not Hustle Up a Third Season

Summer programs continue to return, with three new arrivals this week in the form of game shows The Hustler, Card Sharks and Capital One College Bowl. Keep reading for my initial take on all three of these shows.

Thursday TV Ratings 6/17/21: Holey Moley Returns Steady with Finale, The Hustler Returns with New Low, Beat Shazam and Walker Slip, Clarice Rises (UPDATED)

Preliminary Analysis: ABC's 'Holey Moley' (0.5/0.5) returned in decent shape, tying its September 2020 season finale (0.5) but still trailing where it began for its previous premiere (0.8). 'The Hustler' (0.3) had far less luck in the 10pm slot, premiering to a new low and going a tenth below its February finale (0.44). On NBC, the 'U.S. Open Golf Championship' (0.3) performed unremarkably but roughly on-par with the competition around it. 'Golf' was followed by another round of 'Olympic Swimming Trials' (0.4). Fox's 'Beat Shazam' (0.4) lost a tenth against the 'Moley' premiere and led into another 'LEGO Masters' rerun (0.3). On CBS, 'United States of AI' (0.4) ticked down while 'Clarice' (0.3) rose by a tenth. Repeats of 'Young Sheldon' (0.4), 'Mom' (0.4), and 'B Positive' (0.3) were around the same level. 'Walker' (0.1) shed a few hundredths on the CW as 'Legacies' (0.1) held even. 

Finals Update: 'Beat Shazam' (+0.1) and 'US Open Golf' (+0.1) adjusted up.

ABC Announces Summer Lineup, Renews The Hustler and The Chase

ABC has announced their summer lineup of game shows and reality programs. In addition to the schedule announcement, they've also announced renewals for Craig Ferguson-hosted game show The Hustler and the Sara Haines-hosted game show The Chase, which stars the competitors from Jeopardy! Greatest of All Time. Both series aired earlier this year on Thursdays and will air their second seasons this summer. The full list of summer premiere dates is below:

Reality Renew/Cancel Part 5: Game of Talents Flounders as The Masked Singer Stays on Top

It's been some time since I've done an update to the Reality Renew/Cancel, and with the return of TV's #1 reality show this week, it felt like a good time for an update! Read on for my thoughts on The Masked Singer, Game of Talents, Tough as Nails, and more!

Thursday TV Ratings 2/25/21: Mr. Mayor and The Hustler Slip for Finales, SVU and Hell’s Kitchen Also Slip, Young Sheldon and B Positive Rise (UPDATED)

Preliminary Analysis: NBC's 'Mr. Mayor' (0.4) lost a tenth for its season finale, dropping to a new series low at the worst moment imaginable. Barring an upward adjustment in finals, this is a particularly sour note for the Ted Danson sitcom to go out on. Later in the night, 'Superstore' (0.4) held steady in its return while 'Law & Order: SVU' (0.6) inched down. The 10pm edition of 'Dateline' (0.4) was a tenth shy of week-ago occupant 'The Widower' (0.49). The news was much more positive on CBS as 'Young Sheldon' (0.9) gained a tenth and tied its season high. Comedies 'B Positive' (0.7), 'Mom' (0.6), and 'The Unicorn' (0.5) were all at high-end levels as well. 'Clarice' remained frozen at last week's 0.4 rating at 10. On ABC, 'Celebrity Wheel of Fortune' (0.8) and 'The Hustler' finale (0.4) were both down by a tenth while 'The Chase' (0.6) was stable in the middle. After six-straight weeks of garnering a 0.7 rating, 'Hell's Kitchen' (0.6) fell to a new season low on Fox. Despite the slippage, 'Call Me Kat' (0.5) and 'Last Man Standing' (0.4) were unchanged on a week-to-week basis. The CW housed reruns of 'Walker' (0.1) and 'Legacies' (0.1). 

Finals Update: Young Sheldon (+0.1), Mom (+0.1), Mr. Mayor (+0.1), Superstore (+0.1), Law & Order: SVU (+0.1), Hell's Kitchen (+0.1), Last Man Standing (+0.1) and the repaet of Walker (+0.1) adjusted up.

Thursday TV Ratings 2/18/21: Law & Order: SVU Steady After Break, Mom Slips After Cancellation, Clarice and The Hustler Also Tick Down (UPDATED)

Preliminary Analysis: A week after their triumphant return, CBS was down across the board with 'Young Sheldon' (0.8), 'B Positive' (0.6), recently-canceled 'Mom' (0.6), 'The Unicorn' (0.4), and 10pm drama 'Clarice' (0.4). 'Unicorn' shed two-tenths while all the other programs were down a tenth. On ABC, 'The Hustler' (0.4) inched down while 'Celebrity Wheel of Fortune' (0.8) and 'The Chase' (0.6) were flat. On NBC, 'Law & Order: SVU' (0.7) held even after a month-long break and led into the first installment of 'Dateline' multi-part crime drama 'The Widower' (0.5). The latter was a good bit above the 0.34 that 'Dateline' itself posted a week ago. Earlier in the night, 'Mr. Mayor' posted its third-straight 0.5 rating and was followed by a 'Young Rock' encore (0.3). Fox was steady all-around with 'Hell's Kitchen' (0.7), 'Call Me Kat' (0.5), and 'Last Man Standing' (0.4). The CW's 'Walker' (0.2) matched its previous episode but 'Legacies' (0.1) lost a tick. 

Finals Update: Celebrity Wheel of Fortune (+0.1), The Hustler (+0.1), Mom (+0.1) and The Unicorn (+0.1) adjusted up.

Thursday TV Ratings 2/11/21: Clarice Has a Decent Start, ABC Game Shows and Mr. Mayor Hit New Lows, Mom Hits Season High (UPDATED)

Preliminary Analysis: CBS returned to originals in a pretty solid manner as 'Young Sheldon' (0.8) held even and topped the night altogether. 'B Positive' (0.6) inched down at 8:30 but remained on-par with its usual delivery. There was more pleasant news in the 9pm hour as 'Mom' (0.7) and 'The Unicorn' (0.5) both rose to tie their highs. New drama 'Clarice' (0.5) also had a respectable series premiere in the 10pm hour, proving to be much less of an eyesore than previous occupant 'Star Trek: Discovery'. ABC seemed to bear the brunt of CBS's return as 'Celebrity Wheel of Fortune' (0.7), 'The Chase' (0.6), and 'The Hustler' (0.4) all shed a tenth from their last installments. 'Mr. Mayor' (0.4) and 'Superstore' (0.4) were also a tenth shy of their previous outings on NBC but 'Dateline' (0.3) was flat after a repeat of 'SVU' (0.3). Fox pulled through against the onslaught of competition as 'Hell's Kitchen' (0.7), 'Call Me Kat' (0.5), and 'Last Man Standing' (0.4) matched their week-ago episodes. 'Walker' (0.2) and 'Legacies' (0.1) each lost a tenth on the CW.

Finals Update: Young Sheldon (+0.1), B Positive (+0.1), The Unicorn (+0.1), Celebrity Wheel of Fortune (+0.1), The Hustler (+0.1), Mr. Mayor (+0.1) and Legacies (+0.1) adjusted up.