Showing posts with label hawaii 5-0. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hawaii 5-0. Show all posts

Hawaii Five-0 To End After Ten Seasons

It's the end of the line for the Five-0. CBS is ending one of their signature Friday night series, Hawaii Five-0, after its current season. The show has been a strong performer for CBS, rating as their top Friday series this season and having a solid year-to-year hold. Hawaii 5-0 was a staple of the CBS schedule, first airing on Mondays before moving to Fridays in its fourth season after a ratings decline. The show held up well in its move and never seemed to be in much danger after that. Alex O'Loughlin and Scott Caan are the only remaining original cast members on the series. They starred alongside Chi McBride, Meaghan Rath, Taylor Wily, Dennis Chun, Kimee Balmilero, Beulah Koale, Ian Anthony Dale and Katrina Law in the tenth and final season. The show will wrap up its run with a two-hour series final on April 3.

What do you think of this news? Will you miss Hawaii Five-0? Let us know in the comments below!

Hawaii Five-0 Renewed for Season 10

Veteran police procedural Hawaii Five-0 has scored a renewal from CBS. The series has been a solid Friday night performer for the network, and has been granted a milestone tenth season. Hawaii Five-0 is averaging a 0.78, a 19% decline from last season. The series stars Alex O'Loughlin, Scott Caan, Jorge Garcia, and Chi McBride, and was a correct prediction for The TV Ratings Guide.

What do you think of this news? Will you be tuning in for the milestone tenth season? Let us know in the comments below!

CBS Renew/Cancel: ‘Criminal Minds’ Likely to be Renewed + ‘Instinct’ Downgraded

"Criminal Minds" (CBS)
Welcome to the CBS Renew/Cancel Watch. All in-season, scripted primetime shows airing on CBS in the 2017-18 season are included in the prediction table below. My predictions are current as of April 24, 2018.

The key to the right indicates the colors associated with each prediction. The data in the table includes current season lows, highs, and averages (Adults 18-49 demo), as well as the year-to-year changes for returning shows. The shows are ordered by their season averages against other scripted CBS shows.



   Rank     
Show
    Season Low / High /Average     
 Y2Y Change
1
 The Big Bang Theory 
2.4 / 4.1 / 2.79
-10%
2
Young Sheldon
1.8 / 3.8 / 2.25
--
3
Mom
1.3 / 1.8 / 1.48
+3%
4
NCIS
1.2 / 1.6 / 1.42
-18%
5
Kevin Can Wait
0.9 / 2.3 / 1.21
-25%
6
Bull
1.0 / 1.3 / 1.19
-17%
7
Life In Pieces
0.9 / 1.3 / 1.14
-10%
8
SEAL Team
0.8 / 1.5 / 1.04
--
9
Man with a Plan
0.8 / 1.1 / 1.01
-19%
10
Me, Myself & I
0.7 / 1.6 / 1.00
--
11
Hawaii Five-0
0.9 / 1.1 / 0.99
-13%
-
Criminal Minds
0.9 / 1.3 / 0.99
-28%
13
S.W.A.T.
0.8 / 1.1 / 0.97
--
-
NCIS: New Orleans
0.8 / 1.1 / 0.97
-18%
-
9JKL
0.7 / 1.5 / 0.97
--
16
NCIS: LA
0.8 / 1.3 / 0.94
-28%
17
Blue Bloods
0.8 / 1.1 / 0.92
-26%
18
Superior Donuts
0.8 / 1.0 / 0.91
-22%
-
  Wisdom of the Crowd  
0.7 / 1.3 / 0.91
--
20
MacGyver
0.8 / 0.9 / 0.85
-21%
21
Instinct
0.6 / 1.3 / 0.88
--
22
Scorpion
0.7 / 1.0 / 0.81
-32%
23
Living Biblically
0.6 / 0.8 / 0.70
--
24
Madam Secretary
0.5 / 0.8 / 0.65
-26%

The table has been updated to reflect the recent renewals for the following series: Mom, NCIS, Bull, SEAL Team, Hawaii Five-0, S.W.A.T., NCIS: New Orleans, NCIS: LA, Blue Bloods, MacGyver, and Madam Secretary. These were correct predictions by the CBS Renew/Cancel.

As of 4/19, Living Biblically has been pulled from the schedule and is effectively cancelled with five episodes unaired. This was a correct prediction. 

Below are two prediction changes in this edition of the CBS R/C. An analysis for each adjustment has been provided.

CRIMINAL MINDS
The show has been on the bubble for practically the entire season. It's a tough one to predict, considering that the networks are increasingly unpredictable with what they're willing to keep. Some shows that seem like they should be relieved of duty are just not to that point as far as the network heads are concerned. I previously decided to lean into a cancellation for Criminal Minds prior to all the early renewals, but I've since decided to upgrade it to a likely renewal. While it's likely to be the veteran series to end first due to its age, declining ratings, costs, and lack of full net ownership, it's still a respectable player that has done OK in its move to 10. As the season's gone on, its stability in the 0.9-1.0 range doesn't look horrible, especially since none of their new dramas (SEAL Team and S.W.A.T., specifically) have managed to regularly rate above that. It hasn't been moved to a lower priority Friday or Sunday slot at this point, so while the present time slot downgrade suggests CBS is phasing the procedural out, there is room for alternative scheduling before it's completely off the air. CBS can probably do better with cheaper alternatives going forward (especially on Wednesdays), but a 14th season that sends the series off with over 300 episodes might be just what CBS and ABC Studios are capable of negotiating. They frankly don't have to do anything for the show -- in fact, the network failed to give "final seasons" to past long-running dramas -- but some of them weren't around for as long as Criminal Minds. CSI is probably the most comparable series in this situation, and that iconic show at least had a movie to wrap things up (as much as you can "wrap up" for a crime procedural). Something tells me that CBS knows they could've prepared better for CSI's end, and they'll do a bit better with Criminal Minds. That might mean a reduced order for the last season, but they can find a way to air it if it's worth producing and ensures a smooth transition into CBS's next chapter post-Minds.

My reluctance to promote a renewal prediction throughout the current season has been, perhaps, tied up in my thinking that CBS has to end something soon. Criminal Minds always seemed like a fair candidate (and it is, no doubt) because of the reasons I've already mentioned, in addition to its inability to launch successful spinoffs like NCIS has achieved. It's in a vulnerable position where the network could truly take it or leave it, so I don't think my general pessimism has been unwarranted with that in mind. Ultimately, CBS didn't end any veterans last year, though they did send Code Black and Elementary to summer. This pretty much says that while they still need slots on the fall schedule for new shows, they don't really need to cancel much in order to make that happen. Criminal Minds could be held until midseason, as could Scorpion and/or Madam Secretary. It's doable, or at least CBS would probably think as much and navigate that scheduling when the deadline hits. Whether or not it makes financial sense for CBS to keep all these shows is another question altogether, but it's nearly impossible to predict how negotiations for Criminal Minds will go when it's consistently down to the wire between the network and studios involved. The positive it's looking at is that cast contracts for the original actors seem to be good to go for a Season 14, which should make talks somewhat easier. As such, I'm leaning into a renewal at this point, but a cancellation would be far from a surprise. 

INSTINCT
The show is simply too weak to return in a priority slot next season. Through five airings, it's averaged a 0.88 rating in the demo, including two recent 0.6 performances without sports/event exposure. CBS has renewed soft midseason shows before, but the ones that come to mind had support from existing franchises (CSI: Cyber and Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders) in addition to strong international potential. Instinct really doesn't boast the same kind of package, and CBS doesn't need it. The only reason it might stand a chance is if it's internally liked to an irrational degree, but based on ratings performance, its late-in-the-game scheduling, and CBS's two freshman drama renewals, it's likely to be cancelled. 

CBS Renew/Cancel: ‘Criminal Minds’ Could Go Either Way

"Criminal Minds" | CBS
Welcome to the CBS Renew/Cancel Watch. All in-season, scripted primetime shows airing on CBS in the 2017-18 season are included in the prediction table below. My predictions are current as of February 23, 2018.

The key to the right indicates the colors associated with each prediction. The data in the table includes current season lows, highs, and averages (Adults 18-49 demo), as well as the year-to-year changes for returning shows. The shows are ordered by their season averages against other scripted CBS shows.



   Rank     
Show
    Season Low / High /Average     
 Y2Y Change
1
 The Big Bang Theory 
2.5 / 4.1 / 2.92
+3%
2
Young Sheldon
1.8 / 3.8 / 2.37
--
3
Mom
1.4 / 1.8 / 1.50
+17%
4
NCIS
1.4 / 1.6 / 1.46
-15%
5
Kevin Can Wait
1.1 / 2.3 / 1.29
-20%
6
Bull
1.0 / 1.3 / 1.21
-15%
7
Life In Pieces
1.1 / 1.3 / 1.18
-7%
8
SEAL Team
0.9 / 1.5 / 1.09
--
9
Man with a Plan
0.9 / 1.1 / 1.07
-14%
10
S.W.A.T.
0.9 / 1.1 / 1.03
--
11
Criminal Minds
0.9 / 1.3 / 1.01
-27%
-
Hawaii Five-0
0.9 / 1.1 / 1.01
-11%
13
NCIS: New Orleans
0.9 / 1.1 / 1.00
-15%
-
Me, Myself & I
0.7 / 1.6 / 1.00
--
15
9JKL
0.7 / 1.5 / 0.97
--
16
NCIS: LA
0.8 / 1.3 / 0.96
-27%
17
Superior Donuts
0.8 / 1.0 / 0.95
-19%
18
Blue Bloods
0.8 / 1.1 / 0.94
-24%
19
  Wisdom of the Crowd  
0.7 / 1.3 / 0.91
--
20
MacGyver
0.8 / 0.9 / 0.86
-20%
21
Scorpion
0.7 / 1.0 / 0.84
-30%
22
Madam Secretary
0.6 / 0.8 / 0.67
-23%

CRIMINAL MINDS v. SEAL TEAM
Criminal Minds is old, expensive, and only partly owned. Its ratings are just OK in the 10pm slot, and it's part of a disappointing 9-11 block on Wednesdays. It's currently down about 27% year-to-year, a relatively sharp decline that is due in part to its move from 9 to 10. Comparatively, SEAL Team is newer, less expensive, and 100% owned by CBS. The ratings for SEAL aren't strong for its slot and are less impressive than what S.W.A.T. has managed on Thursdays at 10, but it's still one of CBS's top dramas. Both of the Wednesday dramas could feasibly be renewed or cancelled this year, and they're not necessarily in competition, but I get the feeling that Wednesdays will need a shake-up. I'm more skeptical about Criminal Minds at this point and have decided to place it on the bubble. As always, its fate relies on negotiations between CBS and ABC Studios, which is always a risky place to be in. Cast members have come and gone in recent years, so overall costs and cast talks could be what brings the iconic procedural to an end this year after several spinoffs failed to carry on the legacy. CBS has benefitted from a long relationship with Criminal Minds, but they might now be in a place to prioritize their new blood and younger series with syndication prospects. SEAL Team remains likely to be renewed for now. The surprise success of the upcoming new drama Instinct could affect SEAL Team's fate going forward.

SCORPION
Yes, it's CBS's second lowest-rated series on the air right now. No, it doesn't have a syndication deal at the moment. However, the Eye Network is never to be counted out when it comes to its ability to sell procedurals into syndication. Madam Secretary and NCIS: New Orleans recently solidified deals that will keep them on the air, which gives hope to Scorpion from the same 2014 class. While Person of Interest already had a syndication deal when its final season was announced, I can see Scorpion getting similar treatment with a benched 13-episode fifth season, which would give CBS more time to sell it and add episodes to the package. They could also renew it for a 22-episode fifth season and still bench it, similar to Elementary at present. Realistically, CBS does not bring it back to the fall schedule with its current ratings. However, if they can find midseason slots for shows like Elementary and Code Black with varied episode counts, it seems plausible that Scorpion can continue in some fashion while its afterlife opportunities are looked at. It seems unlikely for CBS to just drop the show completely after four seasons, when there isn't a recent precedent for that. As such, it's still likely to be renewed.

CBS Renew/Cancel: ‘S.W.A.T.’ Likely to be Renewed


Shemar Moore ("S.W.A.T.") | CBS
Welcome to the CBS Renew/Cancel Watch. All in-season, scripted primetime shows airing on CBS in the 2017-18 season are included in the prediction table below. My predictions are current as of December 28, 2017.

The key to the right indicates the colors associated with each prediction. The data in the table includes current season lows, highs, and averages (Adults 18-49 demo), as well as the year-to-year changes for returning shows. The shows are ordered by their season averages against other scripted CBS shows.



   Rank     
Show
    Season Low / High /Average     
 Y2Y Change
1
 The Big Bang Theory 
2.5 / 4.1 / 2.89
-7%
2
Young Sheldon
1.8 / 3.8 / 2.33
--
3
Mom
1.4 / 1.8 / 1.54
+2%
4
NCIS
1.4 / 1.6 / 1.43
-17%
5
Kevin Can Wait
1.1 / 2.3 / 1.29
-20%
6
Bull
1.0 / 1.3 / 1.19
-17%
7
Life In Pieces
1.1 / 1.3 / 1.15
-9%
8
SEAL Team
0.9 / 1.5 / 1.14
--
9
Criminal Minds
0.9 / 1.3 / 1.05
-25%
10
Man with a Plan
0.9 / 1.0 / 1.02
-18%
11
S.W.A.T.
0.9 / 1.1 / 1.01
--
-
Me, Myself & I
0.7 / 1.6 / 1.01
--
-
NCIS: New Orleans
0.9 / 1.1 / 1.01
-14%
14
Hawaii Five-0
0.9 / 1.1 / 1.02
-10%
15
9JKL
0.7 / 1.5 / 0.99
--
16
NCIS: LA
0.8 / 1.3 / 0.95
-27%
17
Blue Bloods
0.8 / 1.1 / 0.94
-25%
-
  Wisdom of the Crowd  
0.7 / 1.3 / 0.94
--
19
Superior Donuts
0.8 / 1.0 / 0.91
-22%
20
MacGyver
0.8 / 0.9 / 0.84
-23%
21
Scorpion
0.7 / 1.0 / 0.83
-31%
22
Madam Secretary
0.6 / 0.8 / 0.67
-24%

S.W.A.T.
The new drama has averaged just over a 1.0 across eight airings. That's rather impressive when compared directly to CBS's other new dramas. Specifically, this looks rather good against SEAL Team, which airs an hour earlier on Wednesdays, has one of the network's biggest lead-ins, and has only done marginally better despite the help. Of course, Wisdom of the Crowd has turned less than favorable results on Sundays and was not given a full season's confidence by CBS. This leaves S.W.A.T. and SEAL Team in serious contention for renewal, and as it stands now they both seem viable. Compared to past Thursday at 10 occupants, the show is a notable improvement over Pure Genius,, Training Day, and Rush Hour. I've upgraded S.W.A.T. to Likely to be Renewed status due to its stability, good 10pm numbers and improvement of the time slot, and CBS's full season order. 

Friday TV Ratings 10/20/17: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Holds Steady as ABC Collapses to Horrific Numbers (UPDATED)

It was a pretty rough Friday all around, with CBS being the exception, as their shows managed to stay at respectable levels. ABC absolutely had the worst night of the bunch, with Once Upon a Time easily hitting a series low. Behind it, Inhumans sank to 0.4, which is borderline criminal. It ties Ten Days In the Valley this week, which is something that no show wants to do. Behind it, 20/20 held up a bit better than the other shows but still hit a lowly 0.5. Still, 20/20's 0.5 is the least of ABC's Friday problems. On NBC, Dateline lost two tenths and hit a soft 0.7, leading out of a True Crime repeat for the last time before Blindspot joins the NBC lineup next week. The CW had a duo of 0.2s, with Jane down a tenth and Crazy Ex steady. Fox stayed steady, and while it's undeniable that Hell's Kitchen has weakened, the show's still doing pretty well when you look at the competition. The same can not be said for the Exoricist, which continues to perform very weakly. CBS won the night with solid but uninspiring numbers from its procedurals. MacGyver remained the weak point, but staying steady for all of its season so far is an accomplishment. Hawaii Five-0 was the night's #1 show, and Blue Bloods dominated 10 PM. While the shows are noticeably lower than last year, these numbers are still quite good.

Finals Update: All shows held their preliminary numbers.
Time
Show
18-49 Ratings
Viewers (mil)
Channel
8 PMMacGyver0.8/46.81CBS

Hell's Kitchen0.8/42.82Fox

Once Upon a Time0.5/32.52ABC

Law & Order True Crime (R)0.4/22.33NBC

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend0.2/10.64The CW
9 PMHawaii Five-01.0/48.53CBS

Dateline NBC0.7/34.21NBC

The Exorcist0.4/21.28Fox

Marvel's Inhumans0.4/21.98ABC

Jane the Virgin0.2/10.61The CW
10 PMBlue Bloods0.9/48.85CBS

20/200.5/32.69ABC

CBS Renew/Cancel: 'Madam Secretary' is Certain to be Renewed

Teá Leoni ("Madam Secretary") | CBS
Welcome to the CBS Renew/Cancel Watch. All in-season, scripted primetime shows airing on CBS in the 2017-18 season are included in the prediction table below. My current predictions are current as of October 14, 2017.

The key to the right indicates the colors associated with each prediction. The data in the table includes current season lows, highs, and averages (Adults 18-49 demo), as well as the year-to-year changes for returning shows. The shows are ordered by their season averages against other scripted CBS shows.

   Rank     
Show
    Season Low / High /Average     
 Y2Y Change
1
Young Sheldon
- / 3.8 / 3.80
--
2
 The Big Bang Theory 
2.9 / 4.1 / 3.40
+7%
3
Kevin Can Wait
1.2 / 2.3 / 1.61
0%
4
NCIS
1.4 / 1.6 / 1.47
-15%
5
9JKL
1.4 / 1.5 / 1.45
--
6
SEAL Team
1.2 / 1.5 / 1.31
--
7
Bull
1.2 / 1.3 / 1.25
-12%
8
Me, Myself & I
0.9 / 1.6 / 1.18
--
9
 Wisdom of the Crowd 
1.0 / 1.3 / 1.17
--
-
Criminal Minds
1.1 / 1.3 / 1.17
-16%
11
NCIS: LA
1.0 / 1.3 / 1.13
-14%
12
Hawaii Five-0
1.0 / 1.1 / 1.05
-8%
13
NCIS: New Orleans
1.0 / 1.1 / 1.04
-12%
14
Blue Bloods
0.9 / 1.1 / 1.02
-18%
15
Scorpion
0.8 / 1.0 / 0.86
-29%
16
MacGyver
- / 0.8 / 0.81
-25%
17
Madam Secretary
- / 0.8 / 0.80
-9%

9JKL
Status: On the Bubble
However you look at it, 9JKL is unimpressive. Young Sheldon debuted to monstrous ratings only a couple of weeks ago, and its replacement leaves a lot to be desired. After two weeks, the show has averaged a 1.45 rating in the A18-49 demo and dropped one tenth between episodes (1.5, 1.4). It's slightly promising that there wasn't much of a drop in week two, but these ratings are concerning for the weeks where it'll have to depend on Kevin Can Wait for a lead-in rather than The Big Bang Theory. I expect it to plummet without the post-Big Bang casual viewing. Being owned by CBS has to help it somewhat over the unowned Me, Myself & I, which is notably doing worse (though with far less help). CBS already has Young Sheldon as a comedy success story even after one episode, and they have Man with a Plan and By the Book waiting to air, which makes their "need" for another success story rather slim. The network did renew multiple first-season sitcoms last year, but that doesn't mean they need to apply the same strategy again this season. I'm giving it another few data points before I make the downward prediction, but it's certainly on the vulnerable end of the bubble after just two weeks. 

Madam Secretary
Status: Certain to be Renewed
The Secretary of State drama has been one of CBS's lowest-rated shows, and enters the index as the lowest-rated CBS show so far this season, but it is now comfortably in the league of Elementary with a hugely lucrative syndication package. The syndication masters at CBS were able to convince WeTV, Netflix, and station groups to buy into episodes of the series, bringing it to an estimated $2 million/episode syndication value. That's a million short of Elementary, which the network has allowed to suffer in linear ratings because it makes them so much money. This is the first deal to be made for its class as Scorpion and NCIS: New Orleans are yet to be sold into syndication. I have no reason to believe that CBS will not renew Madam Secretary for at least one more season with this kind of deal in ink.

Me, Myself & I
Status: Likely to be Canceled
The three-timeline comedy is looking as weak as expected after three weeks on air. The typical downward spiral has brought it from a 1.6 debut rating down to a 0.9 for the most recent Monday airing. CBS can't be happy with it going fractional this soon, but they also couldn't have expected much from this scheduling. Kevin Can Wait is not a sound lead-in, and it's certainly not compatible with the experimental single-cam. As I mentioned above, CBS has Man with a Plan and By the Book waiting to air and they probably can't justify a full season of Me, Myself & I with the current ratings, especially if it continues to fall. The show just seems too off brand for CBS and is disadvantaged in its time slot. It's most likely a goner.

NCIS: LA
Status: Likely to be Renewed
This show has continued to breathe some needed life into Sundays and hold up the middle of the night. It should be fine going forward.

Wisdom of the Crowd
Status: On the Bubble
Expectations were slightly optimistic for the premiere of Wisdom of the Crowd, which sort of fizzled with a 1.3 debut rating. In week two, the billionaire tech, cop procedural dropped to a 1.0, nearing fractional territory. It held almost all of its lead-in (60 Minutes, 1.1) but it still looks fairly weak after just two episodes. CBS's other new drama, SEAL Team just received a full-season order of 22 episodes after three airings. Will Wisdom get the same treatment after this Sunday's third airing? A backorder of any size would help, as we have seen that CBS is willing to renew shows that don't air 22 episodes (Code Black). It's positioned firmly on the bubble and looks like a weaker candidate than SEAL Team at the moment. The addition of S.W.A.T. to the mix in November should further clarify the place of Wisdom in CBS's drama hierarchy moving forward. 

MacGyver
Status: On the Bubble
MacGyver had a surprisingly strong series premiere in 2016, grabbing a 1.7 in the demo. It dropped considerably after that, falling as low as a 0.8 for its season one finale. It returned a few weeks ago tie that series low and has matched it for three airings now (pending an adjustment for 10/13). It is certainly weaker than Hawaii Five-0 and Blue Bloods and it's only just beginning its second season, though the night overall has lower expectations and is known for its durability. Going forward, I think it has a higher position on the bubble, but it's not giving me enough confidence yet to predict that CBS will continue to invest in it for years to come. 

Hawaii Five-0
Status: Likely to be Renewed
I've been cautious with the future prospects of Hawaii Five-0 since May, thinking a Friday drama is likely to end up ousted at the end of the season. I didn't think that it would be leaning towards MacGyver over the show that controversially lost two of its cast members over salary disputes and has a lead actor that has made questionable and discouraging remarks about leaving after eight seasons. Regardless of all that, the Hawaii-based cop drama has won each of the last two Friday nights with just a slight 8% drop year-to-year. It looks quite strong at the moment and could maybe survive more cast changes. I'm not extremely confident on the show's return, but I'm giving it credit at the moment and promoting it from the bubble. There's a lot of season left for this status to fluctuate, but it's clearly working hard for CBS.

CBS Renew/Cancel: A Look Ahead



CBS RENEW/CANCEL: 
A LOOK AHEAD

This fall, CBS is set to premiere the hour-long series Wisdom of the Crowd, S.W.A.T., and SEAL Team, as well as the half-hour series 9JKL, Young Sheldon, and Me, Myself & I. As the season gets in gear this week, here's a look at some of the pressing issues across the network that will be interesting to follow over the course of the season.

Comedy Revival
By now, it's no secret that the latest television revival is none other than The King of Queens. Well, more or less. With CBS's shocking decision to cut its relationship with actress Erinn Hayes (and effectively killing her character off the planet of TV Earth), the second season of Kevin Can Wait is getting a major cast shake-up this year. Kevin James' former Queens co-star, Leah Remini, is joining the network's #1 new comedy of 2016-17 as a series regular. This caused a lot of backlash online from fans and from people who have never seen the show but know of the stars' intimate TV marriage history.

Remini did provide a slight uptick in the ratings for the two-part season finale in May, but it's unclear how much of an impact she will have on the show's ratings in season two. It's possible that the reunited on-screen couple will wear thin on viewers, and/or the firing of the original lead actress will leave a bad enough taste in viewers' mouths that they won't give the new (or, rather, old) pairing a chance. However, Remini has had a significant career resurgence following her highly publicized departure from the Church of Scientology, which has ignited a media firestorm and provided her with a platform that has spawned successful books and, most notably, a popular TV show on A&E.

The sitcom is definitely going to see a second-year decline, as it won't get another launch out of The Big Bang Theory like last year, and the initial interest that people may have had in Kevin James' return to TV won't fuel its first few airings this time around. However, I do think that Leah Remini's casting will help to soften the blow a bit. CBS obviously had a reason to make this decision, they've gotten a lot of media coverage over it, and it'll either blow up in their faces or carry them safely into another two seasons at least.

Aging Veterans
CSI and The Mentalist ended in 2015, Person of Interest and The Good Wife went off the air in 2016, and somehow zero long-running dramas were given pink slips in 2017. It appears that the network is due for several long-running series to end, which could realistically be Criminal Minds, Hawaii Five-0, and/or Elementary by May of next year. These three series are entering their thirteenth, eighth, and sixth seasons, respectively.

Criminal Minds has been tapping criminals since 2005, which makes it CBS's second longest-running series on the air after NCIS. It wasn't included in the early mass renewal last year due to ongoing negotiations between CBS and ABC Studios, which is one reason why this show always has the high possibility of being canned: costs. There have been some cast shake-ups in recent seasons, with Shemar Moore leaving and Paget Brewster returning, namely, but that drama isn't as significant as it is over in Hawaii. It's maintained as one of CBS's stronger drama performers, but it has seen some sharp year-to-year declines, and now it moves from 9pm to the 10 o'clock hour. It seems that CBS is slowly phasing it out, but will it end its run on Wednesdays or will CBS wait and retire it for another season on Fridays or Sundays? It's really not an Elementary that makes CBS syndication money, nor an NCIS: LA that is a venerable franchise show (in fact, it has failed to generate a franchise), so it's quite possible that a move to another night is not a redeeming strategic option here.

Hawaii Five-0 has been a respectable performer on low-viewed Fridays alongside its companion show Blue Bloods, but it faces rising costs and the controversial departures of co-stars Daniel Dae Kim and Grace Park over salary inequality disputes. Whether or not their absences in the show affect the ratings in 2017-18, Alex O'Loughlin has expressed a desire to leave after Season 8 of the series. Losing three of its stars in a matter of a year would be troubling for the show, and it wouldn't be surprising if this is its last go.

Elementary hasn't been a strong performer for CBS in its last couple of seasons, and it was nearly the lowest-rated show on the entire network just last year, averaging a pitiful 0.64 demo rating on Sundays at 10. However, its $3m/episode syndication deal is extremely valuable to CBS, so they continue to capitalize on its odd profitability despite low first-run ratings. It's always looked weak enough for cancellation despite its syndication deal, so is the end of Season 6 finally going to be its curtain call? Probably, maybe - who knows? It has never failed to surprise us.

Me, Myself & Man with a Plan
CBS has been heavily promoting its new span-of-a-life comedy, Me, Myself & I, starring Bobby Moynihan, John Larroquette, and Jack Dylan Grazer as three versions of the same character. Despite an original-sounding concept, it has the unfortunate business of airing without much lead-in support. Sure, it'll get some eyes in the few weeks where The Big Bang Theory kicks off the night, but it's airing at 9:30 and those eyes will have to continue watching 9JKL and Kevin Can Wait before they get to this one. Post-NFL it'll move up half an hour and follow 9JKL. Unless Leah Remini brings an unforeseen amount of heat to the Kevin Can Wait ratings, or 9JKL really blows up with its Big Bang exposure, I foresee this singlecam having a rough go on a multicam-dominated Monday.

Thus, Matt LeBlanc may be on TV sooner than expected with the return of Man with a Plan. As it stands, the sophomore comedy has been scrapped from airing in the fall in order to give three new sitcoms a shot, along with the second season of Superior Donuts getting a better chance to grow. CBS might be testing how much they need Man with a Plan by benching it, but if they have any desire to get it to syndication without much fuss, it'll likely be looking to slide in to one of the new comedies' time slots. At this time, Me, Myself & I looks especially vulnerable, but only time will tell. Keep in mind that another new comedy, By the Book, waits on the sideline as well, so nothing can be too safe.

#Military
The military drama is in trending supply this season, whether or not the demand is there. The CW is airing Valor, NBC is airing The Brave, and CBS is airing David Boreanaz (also referred to as SEAL Team). The trend last season appeared to be time travel dramas, but only one of them made it to a second season (after being cancelled first - hey, Timeless). Does an abundance of dramas with a similar theme make it harder to stand out? Maybe.

CBS's shot at tapping into patriotism is with SEAL Team, led by a successful and recognizable TV star in Boreanaz, who comes directly off of 12 seasons of Bones. CBS pushed Criminal Minds to the end of the night in order to give this new drama the Survivor lead-in, which should give it a solid chance of catching viewers. Luckily, its positioned against comedies on ABC, a soap on The CW, and a musical drama on FOX. It must face the beast of Law & Order: SVU, but Criminal Minds has been managing that for a long time.

In a sense, SEAL Team looks to be CBS's best chance to generate a hit new drama (arguably, Wisdom of the Crowd has a nice time slot as well), but it faces the risk of being one of three similar dramas on television this fall. Whether or not this one succeeds is important for the network's development slate, considering S.W.A.T. isn't getting quite as generous of a time slot on Thursdays at 10.



The CBS Renew/Cancel Watch returns next week.
Here's a poll to let me know what the readers of this column plan to watch on CBS this season.


I Watch / Will Watch...

9JKL
The Big Bang Theory
Blue Bloods
Bull
Criminal Minds
Hawaii Five-0
Kevin Can Wait
Life In Pieces
MacGyver
Madam Secretary
Me, Myself & I
Mom
NCIS
NCIS: LA
NCIS: New Orleans
Scorpion
SEAL Team
Superior Donuts
S.W.A.T.
Wisdom of the Crowd
Young Sheldon
SurveyMaker