Friday TV Ratings 8/28/26: CW Takes Third for the Night with NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, Jeopardy! Masters Ticks Up, Anna Pigeon Sinks Again

Analysis to come. 

Friday TV Ratings 8/21/26: Anna Pigeon and WWE SmackDown Rebound, Celebrity Jeopardy! Repeat Tops a Quiet Night on Broadcast, Real Time with Bill Maher Goes Low [+ Analysis]

ABC's Celebrity Jeopardy! rerun (0.21) was the top performer on broadcast on Friday night, but the 20/20 repeat (0.14) that followed dropped markedly from there. NBC aired repeats of America's Got Talent (0.14) and Dateline (0.15). CBS aired drama reruns (0.11/0.15/0.11), while Fox continued with reality (0.12/0.14). Totally Funny Animals (0.03, -0.01) dipped on the CW, and the decline continued for the 9:30 episode (0.02, -0.01). Key: (R) = repeat.

Friday TV Ratings 8/14/26: WWE SmackDown and Anna Pigeon Slide, NFL Preseason Narrowly Leads, Celebrity Jeopardy! Repeat Tops Broadcast [+ Analysis]

On Friday night, repeats of Celebrity Jeopardy! (0.23) and 20/20 (0.17) made up ABC's lineup, while NBC aired reruns of America's Got Talent (0.17) and Dateline (0.18). This is UFC (0.08) flopped on CBS, losing to Fox reruns of MasterChef (0.12) and Nation's Dumbest (0.18). Over on the CW, Totally Funny Animals (0.02, 0.00) was steady with last week at nine, but there was some upward momentum at 9:30 (0.04, +0.02). Key: (R) = repeat.

Friday TV Ratings 6/26/26: World Cup Declines but Continues to Easily Lead, Dateline Strong, NHL Draft Up from 2025 [+ Analysis]

A diminished FIFA World Cup broadcast (1.81) was still easily in the lead on Friday night, meaning Fox was once again on top. On NBC, Dateline (0.24, +0.09) surged, building on the repeat of America's Got Talent (0.18) that led into it. ABC aired a Celebrity Jeopardy! rerun (0.19) and 20/20 (0.19). CBS went with repeats of Sheriff Country (0.21), Fire Country (0.13), and Boston Blue (0.12). On the CW, an encore presentation of the Taylor Swift documentary Taylor (0.01) posted the same rating it did in its initial airing (0.01). Key: (R) = repeat.

Friday TV Ratings 6/19/26: WWE SmackDown Rises, World Cup Down but Still Dominant, Real Time with Bill Maher Rebounds [+ Analysis]

The Brazil v. Haiti FIFA World Cup game (2.86) was the top-rated broadcast of the night, giving Fox the lead once more. NBC's broadcast of the US Open Golf (0.27) was at a modest level in comparison, but it was a bit higher than a steady 20/20 (0.23, 0.00) on ABC. Repeats of Sheriff Country (0.17), Fire Country (0.15), and Boston Blue (0.10) aired on CBS. AVP Volleyball (0.03) remained rather low on the CW. Key: (R) = repeat.

Friday TV Ratings 5/15/26: Celebrity Jeopardy! Ends on Another Season High, Sheriff Country Ties Series High, Dutton Ranch Decent on Paramount Network [+ Analysis]

ABC's Celebrity Jeopardy! (0.39, +0.06) surged on finale night, and lead-out 20/20 (0.30, +0.09) had an even stronger jump. On CBS, Sheriff Country (0.30, +0.03), Fire Country (0.24, +0.05), and Boston Blue (0.19, +0.02) all rose as well. NBC aired repeats of Happy's Place (0.17/0.12) and Dateline (0.15). UFL on Fox (0.09) was on the softer side, while the CW's American Bible Challenge (0.03, +0.01) grew slightly. Key: (R) = repeat. (F) = finale.

Friday TV Ratings 5/8/26: Dateline NBC Ticks Up to Season High, Celebrity Jeopardy and WWE SmackDown Also Rise, Fire Country Declines [+ Analysis]

Despite having a rerun of Happy's Place (0.17) as its lead-in, NBC's Dateline (0.24, +0.06) soared to a new season high on Friday night. Newsmagazine competitor 20/20 (0.21, +0.02) also rose on ABC but couldn't quite catch up in the key demo. Earlier in the night, Celebrity Jeopardy! (0.28, +0.03) gained momentum. Over on CBS, Sheriff Country (0.27, +0.05) surged, and Boston Blue (0.17, +0.01) was up slightly, but Fire Country (0.19, -0.01) was down in the middle. UFL on Fox (0.12) ticked up, while The American Bible Challenge (0.02, -0.03) slipped on the CW. Key: (R) = repeat.

NBC Renew/Cancel Week 27: Final Predictions for Law & Order, The Hunting Party, On Brand with Jimmy Fallon, Saturday Night Live & More!

It's the final NBC Renew/Cancel of the season, and few shows remain on the bubble in this final week.  Keep reading to see my final thoughts on Law & Order, The Haunting Party, On Brand with Jimmy Fallon, and more, plus, my thoughts on NBC's recent renewals and cancellations.

Friday TV Ratings 5/1/26: 152nd Kentucky Oaks Tops Broadcast, Sheriff Country Sinks, WWE SmackDown Also Slides [+ Analysis]

NBC's broadcast of the 152nd Kentucky Oaks (0.28) topped broadcast on Friday night, while Dateline (0.18, -0.04) had a softer showing than last week. On ABC, Celebrity Jeopardy! (0.25, -0.03) declined, but 20/20 (0.19, +0.02) rose. Sheriff Country (0.22, -0.05), Fire Country (0.20, -0.02), and Boston Blue (0.16, -0.02) all weakened on CBS. UFL on Fox (0.11) was up from last week, as was The American Bible Challenge (0.05, +0.03) on the CW. Key: (R) = repeat.

Friday TV Ratings 4/24/26: Happy’s Place Ties Series Low for Finale, NFL Draft Dips on Second Night, UFL Horrific [+ Analysis]

NBC sitcom Happy's Place (0.28, +0.02) looked respectable at eight, but there was a sudden plunge at 8:30 for its actual finale (0.18, -0.10). At nine, Dateline (0.22, -0.01) ticked down. On ABC, the NFL Draft (0.49) was down markedly from Thursday, but it still beat all other broadcast network offerings in the Adults 18-49 demographic. CBS's Sheriff Country (0.27, +0.04) rose, but Fire Country (0.22, -0.02) and Boston Blue (0.18, -0.03) slipped. UFL on Fox (0.06) completely underwhelmed. The American Bible Challenge (0.02, -0.01) trailed a repeat of Penn & Teller: Fool Us (0.04) on the CW. Key: (R) = repeat. (F) = finale.

Friday TV Ratings 4/17/26: RuPaul’s Drag Race Steady on Finale Night, Happy’s Place Rises, Boston Blue Hits Highest Rating Since November [+ Analysis]

On CBS, Boston Blue (0.21, +0.04) bounced back considerably, even as Fire Country (0.24, -0.03) dipped. Sheriff Country (0.23, 0.00) matched last week's rating. Celebrity Jeopardy! (0.28, -0.03) declined on ABC, as did 20/20 (0.17, -0.07). Happy's Place (0.26, +0.03) and Dateline (0.23, +0.04) both rose on NBC. UFL on Fox (0.11) remained low. The American Bible Challenge (0.03, +0.01) ticked up on the CW. Key: (R) = repeat.

NBC Renew/Cancel Week 24: The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins is Falling + NBC Renew/Cancel March Madness Champion Announced!

This week on the NBC Renew/Cancel, I take a look at NBC's Monday night shows, which recently wrapped for the season with less-than-ideal ratings. Keep reading to see which show is due for a downgrade and which appears to be already renewed despite its ongoing troubles.

Friday TV Ratings 4/10/26: ABC Dominates Coverage of Artemis II Return, Fire Country Builds on Sheriff Country, Happy’s Place Ticks Up [+ Analysis]

Coverage of the Artemis II return brought some life back to broadcast on Friday night. ABC's coverage (1.85) easily led the way in the Adults 18-49 demographic, while NBC (0.73) placed a distant second. CBS (0.5) came in last among the big three, but this rating still doubled that of last week's Sheriff Country (0.25). After the coverage, NBC's Happy's Place (0.23, +0.01) ticked up, but Dateline (0.19, -0.07) plummeted. Sheriff Country (0.23, -0.02) and Boston Blue (0.17, -0.02) slipped on CBS, while Fire Country (0.27, +0.02) rose. ABC's 20/20 (0.24, +0.01) inched up. UFL on Fox (0.1) did not impress. The American Bible Challenge (0.02, -0.02) declined on the CW. Key: (R) = repeat.

NBC Renew/Cancel Week 23: Open Season for The Hunting Party + NBC Renew/Cancel March Madness Championship Voting!

This week on the NBC Renew/Cancel, I assess two of NBC's most at-risk bubble series once again, as recent developments seem to work against both of their cases for renewal. Plus, the championship match is set for the third-annual NBC Renew/Cancel March Madness Tournament, and readers can now vote for this year's champion!

Friday TV Ratings 4/3/26: Women’s College Basketball Final Four Up from 2025, Fire Country Draws Highest Rating Since Season Premiere, Boston Blue and WWE SmackDown Also Jump [+ Analysis]

Sheriff Country (0.25, +0.02), Fire Country (0.25, +0.06), and Boston Blue (0.19, +0.05) all rose on CBS, while ABC's 20/20 (0.23, -0.01) ticked down. Happy's Place (0.22, 0.00) held steady on NBC, while Dateline (0.26, +0.14) surged. UFL on Fox (0.15) was up from last week. The network premiere of The American Bible Challenge (0.04) fell behind a repeat of Penn & Teller: Fool Us (0.05) on the CW. Key: (R) = repeat.

Friday TV Ratings 3/27/26: March Madness Rises Again for Duke/St. John’s Game, RuPaul’s Drag Race Rises, Celebrity Jeopardy! Stable [+ Analysis]

CBS's March Madness broadcast (2.23) led the way on Friday night, while UFL on Fox (0.11) evidently underwhelmed. Celebrity Jeopardy! (0.31, 0.00) was stable on ABC, while 20/20 (0.24, -0.03) cooled down. NBC aired comedy repeats (0.20/0.12) and Dateline (0.17/0.12). The CW went with reruns of Penn & Teller: Fool Us (0.05) and Masters of Illusion (0.04). Key: (R) = repeat. 

Friday TV Ratings 3/20/26: RuPaul’s Drag Race Slips, March Madness Much Lower on Second Night, Celebrity Jeopardy! and Happy’s Place Also Decline [+ Analysis]

On ABC, Celebrity Jeopardy! (0.31, -0.01) ticked down, but 20/20 (0.27, +0.07) surged. NBC sitcom Happy's Place (0.22, -0.03) slipped, and Dateline (0.15, -0.07) plummeted. March Madness coverage (0.55/0.61) was significantly lower than yesterday on CBS. Fox aired repeats of Doc (0.08) and Best Medicine (0.06). Remarkable Women (0.01) underwhelmed on the CW. Key: (R) = repeat. 

Friday TV Ratings 3/13/26: Celebrity Jeopardy! Returns Higher, Stumble Down for Finale, Happy’s Place and Boston Blue Also Dip [+ Analysis]

ABC got a solid rating out of the premiere of Celebrity Jeopardy! (0.32), but 20/20 (0.20, 0.00) did not appear to benefit from the stronger lead-in. NBC sitcom Stumble (0.19, -0.04) was down for its season finale, but Dateline (0.22, +0.02) rose at nine. Happy's Place (0.25, -0.08) plummeted at eight. Over on CBS, dramas Sheriff Country (0.23, -0.04), Fire Country (0.19, -0.03), and Boston Blue (0.14, -0.02) all slipped. Baseball on Fox (1.08) remained a dominant force. The CW aired a repeat of ABBA: Against the Odds (0.02). Key: (P) = premiere. (R) = repeat. (F) = finale.

Friday TV Ratings 3/6/26: Happy’s Place Jumps to Season High, Stumble Also Rises, Sheriff Country and Fire Country Rebound [+ Analysis]

NBC sitcom Happy's Place (0.33, +0.09) jumped to a new season high on Friday night, and Stumble (0.23, +0.07) also rose substantially. Dateline (0.20, 0.00), however, held steady at nine, tying ABC's 20/20 (0.20, +0.04). Sheriff Country (0.27, +0.12) and Fire Country (0.22, +0.08) soared on CBS, but Boston Blue (0.16, +0.01) was only up slightly. Baseball on Fox (0.7) outpaced all other over-the-air competitors in the key demographic. Repeats of Penn & Teller (0.03) and Masters of Illusion (0.02) aired on the CW. Key: (R) = repeat. 

Friday TV Ratings 2/27/26: Sheriff Country and Fire Country Return to New Series Lows, Stumble Sees No Benefit from Post-Olympics Airing, Boston Blue Steady [+ Analysis]

Sheriff Country (0.15, -0.04) and Fire Country (0.14, -0.03) both dropped to new series lows on CBS, while Boston Blue (0.15, 0.00) held steady. Happy's Place (0.24, -0.01) ticked down on NBC, and Stumble (0.16, -0.45) returned to its usual levels. Dateline (0.20, +0.01) gained a hundredth at nine. On ABC, 20/20 (0.16, -0.16) lost half of last week's rating. Fox was on top with college basketball (0.44). The CW aired repeats of Penn & Teller: Fool Us (0.07) and Masters of Illusion (0.04). Key: (R) = repeat.