Drama Scorecard: January 10-22, 2021

 

Nielsen experienced delays from MLK Day weekend which trickled into the entire week, and thus why this anthology article series was delayed one week.  And what a pity, as FOX and CW added 10 dramas into the roster over a 2-week period.  Given fast-national ratings always use rounded tenth digits, they can be misleading and why TVRG is waiting until final digits add an extra hundredth space.  Good examples are CW's All American and Walker, who's fast-national rating was 0.4.  After the dust settled and final ratings came in, both registered respectable 0.39 and 0.37 entries.

Among the 10 new entries, FOX' 4th season of 9-1-1 entered high into the arena within 0.005 of NBC's collapsing This Is Us.  Next week should make the game interesting as 9-1-1's fast nationals demonstrated stability for it's 9-1-1 franchises.  Once shows deliver two episodes, their renewal offs are declared (and may change due to performance deeper into the season).  The 9-1-1 procedurals are surefire to renew, but the game will change with their two remaining procedurals.  4th season The Resident has been declared On the Bubble.  Debuting strong with a 0.65, it shed an entire tenth to a mediocre 0.55 entry in episode 2.  FOX has no reservations clipping a series short before reaching syndication thresholds, so the series had better watch out.  

As for Prodigal Son, the acclaim is there.  The cast is appealing, the writing crisp.  But its ratings are mediocre despite Tuesdays softening across the board.  It has registered as "Leans Cancellation" as schedule space is a premium on FOX due to NFL and foregoing the 10:00 timeslots.  FOX feasibly could open a fifth hour for dramas if they do away with Thursday night sitcoms, but they could also opt for new life with stronger performers.  As predicted, FOX blasted into the middle of the chart for Drama averages past a tired CBS into 3rd, reaching closer to ABC's 2nd place average.  Other changes for renewal predictions include NBC's Blacklist being downgraded to "Leans Cancellation."  The critically-lauded series is in its 8th season, and a troubling sign was NBC airing back-to-back repeats of freshman sitcom The Mayor in Blacklist's timeslot resulting in near-identical ratings.

For the remainder of the season, CW will dominate the Anemic range in the chart.  The 5th network seeks other avenues for profitability including online streaming and ignores conventional rules of renewing and cancelling series.  All American and Walker delivered stellar and impressive ratings.  Unlike CBS who's "stars" deliver forgettable procedural ratings, the power of Jared Padalecki is CW's go-to for solid entries.  Padalecki graced the lineup on Supernatural for 15 seasons on Supernatural, leaving a saddening hole in it's leaving the schedule.  Walker appears to have filled the void and will be declared next week.  Down below, the remains of CW delivered standard issue ratings.  Once-mighty Riverdale returned to disappointing ratings for its 5th season along with a lowered Nancy Drew.

Legacies delivered mediocre yet solid ratings, and Batwoman turned batshit to sugar in the difficult Sunday night timeslot.  Predicting renewal and cancellation on CW is difficult as the network opts for year-round programming and welcomes varieties of drama, and apparently low ratings.  The question remains as to how Pandora picked up its green renewal tag.  There are literally hundreds of cities who have more residents than Pandora has fans, but the network presses on.  Next week will feature the entry of Charmed, and February will populate the chart with more dramas debuting on CBS and CW.

Drama Scorecard: November 15-20, 2020

ABC and CBS loaded 8 more dramas into the lineup this week, leaving ABC deflating to below NBC in overall drama ratings as expected but stronger nonetheless.  Sunday, November 15 showed the true CBS weight as NCIS: LA (0.6) and NCIS: NO (0.4) deflated two tenths, while CW's Pandora (0.0) played invisible in the ratings yet again.  The network also unveiled its lineuo on Monday, November 16 with All Rise (0.5) and Bull (0.4) delivering lower than last season, while ABC's The Good Doctor (0.6) and FOX's outgoing Filthy Rich (0.3) holding steady.  Tuesday, November 17 saw more action as ABC premiered its freshman drama Big Sky (0.7) to modest results, NBC's This Is Us (1.2) shed a tenth, and FOX's nearly canceled neXt (0.3) held steady.  CBS unveiled its procedural lineup to softer results as NCIS (0.9) and FBI (0.9) could not break the 1.0 barrier, and FBI: Most Wanted (0.6) premiered noticeably weaker.

Wednesday, November 18 featured ABC's sophomore season premiere of For Life (0.4) low but matching its lead-in while CBS' SWAT (0.3) shed yet another tenth.  NBC's Chicago-verse lost a little ground with Chicago Med (1.0) and Chicago Fire (1.0) barely staying above the solid line, and Chicago PD (0.8) dropping two tenths.  Thursday, November 19 featured some downticks across the board as NBC's Law and Order: SVU (0.5) lost a tenth, ABC's Station 19 (1.0) also lost two tenths, and A Million Little Things (0.7) debuted slightly down.  However, Grey's Anatomy (1.3) gained a tenth and for the first time in a while outrated NBC's former heavyweight This Is Us.  Over at CW, a two hour series finale sent out it's oldest player Supernatural (0.3, 0.3) solid and steady.  Friday, November 20 only featured The Blacklist (0.4) delivering low but steady.

A few more status predictions unveiled as 2+ episodes aired for the drama slate.  Station 19 is a Certain Renewal as it is pummeling its competition outside of Football and one of ABC's strongest players in its deck.  The Blacklist is a likely renewal given it has delivered slow but steady on Friday nights.  And SWAT downgraded to Leans Cancellation due to an embarrassing slide to a 0.3.  CBS seems to be committed to procedurals with "a name" like David Boreanaz, Shemar Moore and Michael Weatherly.  But how long can these dramas stay afloat before CBS decides it is time for a shakeup?

The dramas displayed show ABC and NBC are the strongest players as they bundle their hits in select evenings.  Odd players like The Good Doctor and Law and Order: SVU struggle, but are valued and marketable.  They may be subject to timeslot changes as needed but show strong commitments from their network.  And mass renewals from NBC show the network has good faith in its Dick Wolf franchises, along with odd players like This is Us and New Amsterdam.  CBS on the other hand is showing a lineup stacked with aged players.  Not a single show outside of reality TV and sports has cracked a 1.0, and the network has yet to show signs of reinventing or updating itself.  

Chicago Fire Ratings (Season 9, 2020-21)

 

	A18-49 L+SD	A18-49 L+3	A18-49 L+7	M18-49	W18-49
1	1.04	1.58	1.69	0.9	1.2
2	0.97	1.46	1.60	0.7	1.2
3	1.04			0.8	1.3
4	0.93
5	0.96
6	0.99
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Avg	0.99	1.52	1.65	0.80	1.23
2019-20	1.18	1.73	1.91	0.89	1.46
2018-19	1.21	1.84	2.07	0.86	1.53

	A18-34	M18-34	W18-34	A25-54	M25-54	W25-54
1	0.6	0.4	0.7	1.5	1.2	1.7
2	0.5	0.4	0.7	1.5	1.2	1.8
3	0.67	0.5	0.9	1.44	1.1	1.7
4	0.51			1.41
5	0.59			1.42
6	0.54			1.54
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Avg	0.56	0.43	0.77	1.47	1.17	1.73
2019-20	0.66	0.49	0.82	1.73	1.29	2.16
2018-19	0.66	0.49	0.84	1.68	1.23	2.15

	Viewers L+SD	Viewers L+3	Viewers L+7	HH	Age
1	7.236	10.034	10.585	4.5	63.1
2	7.776	10.339	10.845	4.8	64.3
3	7.264			4.5	63.9
4	6.951
5	7.309
6	7.500
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Avg	7.339	10.187	10.715	4.60	63.77
2019-20	8.19	10.97	11.70	5.20	62.66
2018-19	8.10			5.18	62.91