Law & Order Renewed by NBC

One of TV's longest-running dramas will get to extend its run. Law & Order has officially been renewed for a twenty-sixth season, in a decision that took longer than expected. News of the impending renewal broke last night, but the news has now been confirmed through Wolf Entertainment's social media accounts. While the weakest of Wolf's five NBC series, it has still been a respectable performer for NBC, with a 0.24 average in the key demo, though that does make it the lowest-rated renewed scripted series on NBC this season. The 26th season is expected to undergo further budget cuts, the extent of which have not been announced thus far. Hugh Dancy, Odelya Halevi, Tony Goldwyn, Reid Scott, David Ajala, and Maura Tierney lead the show's current cast, with Dancy and Halevi's prosecutors being the only remaining actors from the first season of the revival run, which began just four years ago. This is a correct prediction for The TV Ratings Guide.

NBC Schedulogy: Fall 2026 Schedule Prediction for NBC

Law & Order and Law & Order: SVU Renewed by NBC

Days after announcing the renewals of their Chicago trio, NBC has renewed their other Dick Wolf shows - Law & Order and Law & Order: SVU - for next season. Like the Chicagos, these Law & Order renewals are for just one more season each. Both shows are among the top performers on NBC, a network that had a very rough year in the ratings. Despite a 25% year-to-year drop, SVU tied Chicago PD as NBC's #4 series this season with a 0.35 average, behind two other Chicagos and The Voice, and it remains a massive hit on streaming, consistently ranking as the top TV offering on Peacock. Law & Order, a revival of the series that originally ran from 1990 to 2010, is weaker than its spinoff in both regards. It averages 0.30 in the key 18-49 demo, tying it for seventh overall on NBC this season. The show is also not a multiplatform success on the level of SVU, but remains one of NBC's highest-rated series overall. Mariska Hargitay, Ice-T, Peter Scanavino and Kevin Kane star in SVU and are expected to return for season twenty-seven, while fellow regular cast members Octavio Pisano and Juliana Aidén Martinez will both depart after the current season. Law & Order stars Hugh Dancy, Reid Scott, Mehcad Brooks, Maura Tierney, Tony Goldwyn and Odelya Halevi. Like SVU, Law & Order may see cast exits for its just-ordered twenty-fifth season, though none have been announced thus far. Salary cuts are also expected, as NBC continues to cut the budgets of even its highest-rated shows. These are both correct predictions for The TV Ratings Guide.

How FBI Became The #1 Franchise On CBS Over NCIS

 

Law & Order and One Chicago Shows Renewed

NBC has locked down all six of their Dick Wolf series, renewing each of them for an additional season. The six series comprise the entirety of their Wednesday and Thursday lineups, with Chicago Med, Chicago Fire and Chicago PD forming their Wednesday night "One Chicago" lineup and Law & Order, Law & Order: SVU and Law & Order: Organized Crime airing on Thursdays. The Law & Order lineup is the latest in a recent trend of broadcast networks turning over entire nights to successful franchises, following the aforementioned Chicagos, Wolf's FBI franchise for CBS, and the 9-1-1 (which have since been split up). While the Law & Order revival floundered at times last season, it has stabilized into a strong performer for the network in its second revival season, boasting a 0.48 average that ranks the show in the top twenty among scripted originals this season. All of Wolf's NBC series rank in the top twenty, with the Chicagos and SVU also in the top ten. Chicago PD and Organized Crime are also the #1 and #2 10 PM series on broadcast, respectively. These renewals are for a single season each, as opposed to the previous three-season renewals of the Chicagos and SVU back in 2019. All six are correct predictions for The TV Ratings Guide.

Law & Order and Law & Order: Organized Crime Renewed by NBC

NBC has ordered more of its Law & Order lineup. Both the Law & Order revival and Law & Order: Organized Crime will join the already-renewed Law & Order: SVU on NBC's schedule next season. Law & Order will enter its twenty-second season, while Organized Crime will enter its third. Both series have been solid performers for NBC, though neither is as highly-rated as SVU or Wolf's other NBC tentpole, the Chicago series. Law & Order currently averages 0.51 in the key 18-49 demo, while Organized Crime performs a bit better with a 0.54 average. Organized Crime also rates as TV's #2 10 PM series, only behind Chicago PD. Law & Order features Anthony Anderson and Sam Waterston reprising their roles from the original series alongside new stars Camrym Manheim, Hugh Dancy, Jeffrey Donovan and Odelya Halevi, while Organized Crime features Christopher Meloni, Ayanna Bell and Ainsley Seiger in main roles. These are both correct predictions for The TV Ratings Guide.

NBC Orders Law & Order Revival

A decade after its abrupt cancellation, one of the longest-running shows of all-time is finally making its comeback. Law & Order, which spawned the iconic SVU spinoff that remains on the air to this day, has been revived by NBC. The series, which was Dick Wolf's first successful series, debuted in 1990 and ran for an incredible twenty seasons before it was canceled in 2010. A prior attempt in 2015 to revive the series fell through, but this time, it's a done deal. No cast members are attached to the revival. Jeremy Sisto, Anthony Anderson, S. Epatha Merkerson, Linus Roache, Alana de la Garza and Sam Waterston toplined the cast in its twentieth and final season back in 2010, and a few of those actors are currently bust working on Wolf productions including FBI and Chicago Med.

Law & Order: For the Defense Ordered to Series by NBC

The Law & Order franchsie is expanding again. After a blockbuster launch of new series Organized Crime, Dick Wolf's longest-running franchise is adding an eight series, titled Law & Order: For the Defense, to the family. This series is a joint venture between Wolf and CSI alum Carol Mendelsohn, and has been given a straight-to-series order. It has yet to be determined if it will air in the 2021-22 season. It will explore a different angle of the criminal justice system, focusing on the defense instead of the prosecution and police. No cast has been announced for the series at this time. This order comes after years of NBC attempting to get a different Law & Order spinoff, Hate Crimes, up and running.

NBC Orders New Law & Order Spinoff

Another day, another Law & Order spinoff coming to NBC. This time, the series will be called Law & Order: Hate Crimes, and it will spin off from SVU this season. Former SVU showrunner Warren Leight co-created the show with Dick Wolf, which will focus on crimes involving discrimination. The series is a more traditional entry to the Law & Order franchise than the last series, True Crime, which lasted just one season and drew low ratings despite its big lead-in. It's not yet known when the series will debut, or even if it will be in the 2018-19 season.

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

NBC Renew/Cancel: Preseason Predictions

Hello everyone, this is Luke, and it's that time of year again! The 2016-17 television season is right around the corner, so that means it's time for some preliminary renew/cancel predictions. Take a look below!

KEY

[F] - Indicates a Friday night show, which will typically have lower acceptable ratings

[O] - Indicates an NBC-owned show, which will typically have a higher chance at renewal

CANCELED

• Grimm [F][O] *final season

NBC has announced a 6th and final season of Grimm, which will begin on January 6, 2017.

CERTAIN TO BE CANCELED

• None

LIKELY TO BE CANCELED

• Blindspot
• The Good Place [O]

Blindspot was one of the highest-rated new shows last season, but toward the end of its run it started to dramatically slump in the ratings. It is now making a move from Mondays at 10 to Wednesdays at 8. Surviving this move is very questionable, but I'm predicting a likely cancellation for Blindspot as of right now.

The Good Place will be getting off to a good start on September 19 at 10, following the season premiere of NBC's saving grace, The Voice. However, once it moves to its regular timeslot on Thursdays at 8:30, it will face an enormous uphill battle. I just don't think The Good Place has enough going for it to make it up that hill--but its likely strong premiere could help it out more than I think. For now, it's a likely cancellation.

COULD GO EITHER WAY

• Timeless

Many people are speculating that Timeless will premiere big, but I believe it will only have a mediocre premiere in the low 2s/high 1s. After that, I see it slumping down to the mid/low 1s for the rest of its run. The question is: will mid/low 1s be enough for renewal? It could go either way...

LIKELY TO BE RENEWED

• The Blacklist
• Superstore [O]
• This Is Us

The Blacklist has always been a steady/mediocre performer for NBC, and it is now in its 4th season, so I think we will at least see a 5th and final season after this current one if its ratings slump even more. It is also going to be airing in one of NBC's notorious death slots, Thursdays at 10, but I think it will improve the ratings from last year's The Player, Shades of Blue, and Game of Silence.

Superstore could have easily been labeled as "could go either way," but if NBC needs to renew at least one comedy at the end of this season, Superstore is going to be that comedy. I don't see any of the upcoming new NBC comedies outperforming Superstore, so I believe this workplace comedy is likely to be safe for next season.

This Is Us is quite possibly the most anticipated new show of the 2016-17 season, so I feel as if a big premiere is almost inevitable (hence the word "almost," see Scream Queens from last season). Even if This Is Us falls a lot from its big premiere, I feel as if its ratings will still be enough to make it to next season. It would have to fall DRASTICALLY in order to be canceled, and I don't think it will fall nearly that low.

CERTAIN TO BE RENEWED

• Chicago Fire [O]
• Chicago Med [O]
• Chicago P.D. [O]
• Law & Order: SVU [O]

Chicago Fire, Med, and P.D. have all become steady players for NBC and will certainly be getting a renewal. Law & Order: SVU will also certainly get a renewal, for it is nearly entering its 20th season and NBC isn't going to stop this show from achieving that huge milestone when it is this close. See you next season to all of Dick Wolf's shows.

Five Questions: Franchise Edition

Here's the next edition of Five Questions, where I provide open-ended ratings-related questions and we all answer them in the comment section below. Whoever provides the most thoughtful answers and responds to others' answers on this edition will get the chance to ask a bonus question on the next edition, so comment away even if you never have before! As usual I'll also provide my answers in the comments below.

1. Of the Law & Order and NCIS franchises, which will be the last to still have a show on the air running new episodes? What about in syndication?
2. How many shows will the Chicago franchise produce in total?
3. Will we see a sitcom franchise in the near future?
4. Will there ever be a primetime spin-off of Big Brother?
5. Will there be a new show to enter the CSI franchise (or a revival of the mothership), and if so when would it be?

Chicago NBC: How Long Can They Rely On Chicago?

Dick Wolf, the creator of the mega-successful (and still growing) Law & Order franchise, is perhaps just as well known today for the creation of his Chicago franchise. Chicago Fire is constantly winning its time slot (by a lot), as is Chicago PD, while Chicago Med appears to be NBC's next golden child in the medical drama department; sorry, Heartbeat and The Night Shift. In addition, legal-driven Chicago Justice will premiere midseason, while Mr. Wolf hasn't shied away from admitting that he

already has a fifth series in the works. And to think, Chicago Fire didn't even premiere until 2012! Compared to franchises like NCIS and even Law & Order, the Chicago franchise kind of came all at once. And while none of them are huge hits like the biggest shows in the other franchises mentioned, Chicago basically saved NBC from the gutter, which was still recuperating from the failed Jay Leno 10pm experiment, and who had just found The Voice. And while rapidly expanding the Chicago franchise is a great short-term plan, NBC also needs to look long-term. On the scripted side, without Chicago, they have some marginal and solid players (The Blacklist, Shades of Blue, Superstore, Blindspot), but nothing all that big; unless, of course, they have one or more freshmen hits on their hands. Just how long can they rely on Chicago? What if all of a sudden all the shows collapsed in the ratings? Then what?

Well the good news is that Dick Wolf already has a new franchise in mind; the first of which is to focus on the FBI in New York. Not everything that Dick Wolf is behind works (remember Law & Order: LA?), but it has a good shot in doing so. With both the Law & Order franchise and the Chicago franchise still growing (seven Dick Wolf shows will air on NBC next season), it's possible that all three franchises coexist. But even more plausible would be to crank out as many Chicago shows they want now, tell the whole story, make reaps of profits in syndication and overseas sales, and phase it out. Not every franchise needs to last 26+ seasons like the Law & Order one. I'll be pretty surprised if in 2038 they premiere Chicago Kitchen. The rise and fall of Chicago over the course of "just" a decade is plausible. In the short term, NBC can rely on the franchise to do wonders for the network. But in the long term, I might suggest phasing out one franchise and starting another. Now that NBC is in better shape, they don't need to introduce one new Chicago show every season while renewing all the others.

What are your thoughts? Leave them below!

New Law & Order Show Ordered to Series on NBC

Apparently NBC still wants more Law & Order series, and creator Dick Wolf is willing to create one. Per TV Line, the network has green-lit a new series, which is to be called Law & Order: True Crime.

It is to be an anthology series, with the first "story" to be of the Menendez brothers, who infamously murdered their parents in 1996. It will be presented as an 8-episode arc. Critics are instantly relating this show to the success of American Crime Story on FX.

What do you think of this? Let us know in the comments below!

NBC Renew/Cancel Watch: 'Crowded' Certain to be Canceled

Week 28

KEY

• Show title (Average adults 18-49 rating to the nearest tenth / Most recent rating)

[F] - Indicates a Friday-night show, which will typically have lower ratings
[O] - Indicates an NBC-owned show, which will typically have a higher chance at renewal

CANCELED

• Heroes Reborn (1.3 / 1.0) [O]
• The Player (0.8 / 0.8)
• Truth Be Told (0.6 / 0.4) [F][O]
• You, Me and the Apocalypse (0.7 / 0.6)

CERTAIN TO BE CANCELED

• Crowded (1.3 / 0.8) [O]
• Heartbeat (1.1 / 0.9)
• Telenovela (1.0 / 0.9) [O]
• Undateable (0.8 / 0.8) [F]

LIKELY TO BE CANCELED

• The Mysteries of Laura (1.1 / 1.2)

ON THE BUBBLE

• None

LIKELY TO BE RENEWED

• The Carmichael Show (1.2 / 1.0)
• Grimm (0.9 / 0.9) [F][O]

CERTAIN TO BE RENEWED

• None

RENEWED

• The Blacklist (1.5 / 1.3)
• Blindspot (2.1 / 1.6)
• Chicago Fire (1.8 / 1.7) [O]
• Chicago Med (1.8 / 1.8) [O]
• Chicago P.D. (1.6 / 1.5) [O]
• Law & Order: SVU (1.7 / 1.4) [O]
• Shades of Blue (1.2 / 1.1) [O]
• Superstore (1.5 / 1.4) [O]

ANALYSIS

Crowded finally went fractional this week. With that being said, I have decided to move it down to "certain to be canceled," for it will most likely only go even more downhill from here. The reason Crowded skipped the "likely cancellation" phase is because, in a recently released interview with Campaign U.S. (link here), an NBC network president revealed that they will be ordering and trying out a wide variety of comedies next season. Therefore, there just won't be any room for Crowded (no pun intended) and its fractional ratings.

I have also quietly moved Telenovela and Undateable down to "certain to be canceled" because of the new information revealed in the Campaign U.S. interview.

Coming up next week: Undateable vs. Telenovela. If only one could get a renewal, which would it be? Find out my thoughts and more next Sunday!

POLL OF THE WEEK

NBC Renew/Cancel Watch: 'Heartbeat' Certain to be Canceled

Week 27

KEY

• Show title (Average adults 18-49 rating to the nearest tenth / Most recent rating)

[F] - Indicates a Friday-night show, which will typically have lower ratings
[O] - Indicates an NBC-owned show, which will typically have a higher chance at renewal

CANCELED

• Heroes Reborn (1.3 / 1.0) [O]
• The Player (0.8 / 0.8)
• Truth Be Told (0.6 / 0.4) [F][O]
• You, Me and the Apocalypse (0.7 / 0.6)

CERTAIN TO BE CANCELED

• Heartbeat (1.2 / 0.9)

LIKELY TO BE CANCELED

• The Mysteries of Laura (1.1 / 1.2)
• Telenovela (1.0 / 0.9) [O]
• Undateable (0.8 / 0.8) [F]

ON THE BUBBLE

• Crowded (1.4 / 1.0) [O]

LIKELY TO BE RENEWED

• The Carmichael Show (1.2 / 1.3)
• Grimm (0.9 / 0.9) [F][O]

CERTAIN TO BE RENEWED

• None

RENEWED

• The Blacklist (1.5 / 1.3)
• Blindspot (2.1 / 1.5)
• Chicago Fire (1.8 / 1.6) [O]
• Chicago Med (1.8 / 1.5) [O]
• Chicago P.D. (1.6 / 1.4) [O]
• Law & Order: SVU (1.7 / 1.5) [O]
• Shades of Blue (1.2 / 1.0) [O]
• Superstore (1.5 / 1.4) [O]

ANALYSIS

Heartbeat premiered to a modest 1.4 rating following The Voice on Tuesday, but dropped to a not-so-modest 0.9 on Wednesday. Because Heartbeat already went fractional in its second episode, I have decided to skip the "bubble" stage and immediately label it as "certain to be canceled." Does NBC now wish it gave The Mysteries of Laura a full-season order? Probably. Does The Mysteries of Laura now have a shot at renewal? Not so fast...but maybe. It isn't "certain to be canceled," just "likely"...

Also, you may have noticed that I moved The Carmichael Show up to "likely to be renewed." After two weeks of performing decently behind Little Big Shots, I thought this move was only fair. Even though it's not saying much, TCS is NBC's #2 comedy. With that AND critical acclaim, I think it's safe to say that TCS definitely has more than a 50% shot at renewal.

POLL OF THE WEEK

NBC Renew/Cancel Watch: 'Telenovela' Likely to be Canceled

Hello everyone, welcome to the NBC Renew/Cancel Watch. Find out if your favorite NBC show is safe from cancellation down below!

KEY

• Show title (Average adults 18-49 rating to the nearest tenth / Most recent rating)

[F] - Indicates a Friday night show, which will typically have lower-than-average ratings

CANCELED

• Heroes Reborn (1.3 / 1.0)
• The Player (0.8 / 0.8)
• Truth Be Told (0.6 / 0.4) [F]

CERTAIN TO BE CANCELED

• You, Me and the Apocalypse (0.8 / 0.6)

LIKELY TO BE CANCELED

• The Mysteries of Laura (1.1 / 1.0)
• Telenovela (1.0 / 0.9)
• Undateable (0.8 / 0.8) [F]

ON THE BUBBLE

• NONE

LIKELY TO BE RENEWED

• Grimm (0.9 / 0.9) [F]

CERTAIN TO BE RENEWED

• NONE

RENEWED

• The Blacklist (1.5 / 1.3)
• Blindspot (2.3 / 1.9)
• Chicago Fire (1.8 / 1.6)
• Chicago Med (1.8 / 1.5)
• Chicago P.D. (1.6 / 1.6)
• Law & Order: SVU (1.7 / 1.5)
• Shades of Blue (1.3 / 1.0)
• Superstore (1.5 / 1.4)

ANALYSIS

Superstore: Superstore earned a renewal for season two the day after its season one finale. This marks another correct prediction for The TV Ratings Guide!

Telenovela: When Superstore got renewed without Telenovela last week, it was pretty much a death sentence to this Eva Longoria-led sitcom. If Telenovela was ever going to be renewed, its renewal announcement most likely would have been paired with Superstore's renewal announcement. However, two reasons Telenovela isn't labeled as a "certain to be canceled" are because NBC does indeed own this sitcom and they also might want to keep on good terms with Eva Longoria, whom is high-profiled and has developed a variety of shows for the network. Still, in the end, I would not bet on a return for this freshman sitcom.

The Mysteries of Laura: In last week's NBC Renew/Cancel Watch (link here), I included a poll at the very end that asked "Do you think 'Laura' will be renewed or canceled?" To no one's surprise, the results were almost evenly divided. 55.56% of the responders voted "renewed," while the other 44.44% voted "canceled." However, I am still going with the minority for this prediction. I do believe that Laura will end up getting canceled because of the very large amount of shows NBC has already renewed, the fact that NBC doesn't own the show, and because of its shortened, 16-episode order for this season. The only reason NBC renewed Laura back in May last year was because they needed a freshman show to renew in order to save face. This season, NBC has had plenty of new, freshman hits (Blindspot, Chicago Med, Superstore, Shades of Blue...kinda), so The Mysteries of Laura is really no longer needed.

QUESTION OF THE WEEK

NBC Renew/Cancel Watch: 'The Mysteries of Laura' Likely to be Canceled (UPDATED)

Welcome to the NBC Renew/Cancel Watch! Find out below if your favorite NBC show is safe from cancellation! This is a rare edition of of the NBC R/C Watch because there are no shows "on the bubble" this week!

KEY

• Show title (Average adults 18-49 rating to the nearest tenth / Most recent rating)

[F] - Indicates a Friday night show, which will typically have lower-than-average ratings

CANCELED

• Heroes Reborn (1.3 / 1.0)
• The Player (0.8 / 0.8)
• Truth Be Told (0.6 / 0.4) [F]

CERTAIN TO BE CANCELED

• You, Me and the Apocalypse (0.9 / 0.6)

LIKELY TO BE CANCELED

• The Mysteries of Laura (1.1 / 1.0)
• Telenovela (1.0 / 0.7)
• Undateable (0.8 / 0.8) [F]

ON THE BUBBLE

• NONE

LIKELY TO BE RENEWED

• Grimm (0.9 / 0.9) [F]

CERTAIN TO BE RENEWED

• Superstore (1.5 / 1.2) (RENEWED 2/23)

RENEWED

• The Blacklist (1.5 / 1.3)
• Blindspot (2.3 / 1.9)
• Chicago Fire (1.8 / 1.6)
• Chicago Med (1.8 / 1.4)
• Chicago P.D. (1.6 / 1.6)
• Law & Order: SVU (1.7 / 1.7)
• Shades of Blue (1.3 / 1.1)
• Superstore (1.5 / 1.2)

ANALYSIS

Superstore: Although the freshman comedy garnered a dismal 1.2 rating for its most recent episode, Superstore is still certain to be renewed. Keep in mind that this episode was up against the massive Grammy Awards. Superstore is still one of NBC's most successful comedy launches in YEARS (sad, I know), so be ready to see Superstore on NBC's 2016-2017 schedule.

UPDATE Superstore has been renewed.

Telenovela: With a 0.7 rating for its penultimate episode, Telenovela is extremely close to being labeled as "certain to be canceled." However, I decided to cut this show some slack considering it was up against the Grammy Awards. Next week's season finale rating will be the number to determine if it's either "likely" or "certain" to be canceled. It doesn't really make a difference, though, because you probably won't be seeing Telenovela next season.

The Mysteries of Laura: The Mysteries of Laura notched a 1.0 rating for its most recent episode on Wednesday. Laura could be considered a bubble show, but since I don't like to keep shows on the bubble I put it as "likely to be canceled" for two main reasons. First, TMoL only got a partial order from NBC. A 16 episode order would mean that Laura essentially needs 5 seasons for syndication instead of 4, and I don't think NBC wants to drag Laura on for that long. Second, TMoL isn't an NBCUniversal production, so they really have no reason to keep this show. Like...at all. So I personally believe that Laura will be done for at the end of this season, BUT I wouldn't be surprised if it gets a third season. Tell me what you think in the poll at the end of this article!

You, Me and the Apocalypse: YMATA got a 0.6 rating this Thursday. NBC...pull this show NOW. I don't care if you need to bring back Dateline: The Real Blacklist, just get YMATA out of there! It is bringing down the entire night and definitely won't be seen next season.

Grimm: When Grimm managed a 0.9 rating on Friday and became NBC's highest-rated show of the night (although just by 0.1), I decided to move Grimm back up to "likely to be renewed." I am still a believer in a final, shortened season for Grimm and as I have previously mentioned, I don't like to keep shows on the bubble. NBC knows they could do a lot worse on the night AND it is an in-house production. Also, the network has a history of rewarding long-running, in-house productions with less-than-stellar ratings final seasons, so yes, I think Grimm will be another case of this.

QUESTION OF THE WEEK

NBC Renew/Cancel Watch: Valentine's Day Edition + MEGA Poll

Hello everyone, it's Luke Lambright. Happy Valentine's Day! Take a look at my renewal and cancellation predictions for all scripted NBC shows down below and vote in the special Valentine's Day MEGA poll at the end of the article!

KEY

• Show title (Average adults 18-49 rating to the nearest tenth / Most recent rating)

[F] - Indicates a Friday night show, which will typically have lower-than-average ratings

CANCELED

• Heroes Reborn (1.3 / 1.0)
• The Player (0.8 / 0.8)
• Truth Be Told (0.6 / 0.4) [F]

CERTAIN TO BE CANCELED

• NONE

LIKELY TO BE CANCELED

• The Mysteries of Laura (1.1 / 1.2)
• Telenovela (1.0 / 0.9)
• Undateable (0.8 / 0.8) [F]
• You, Me and the Apocalypse (1.0 / 0.8)

ON THE BUBBLE

• Grimm (0.9 / 0.9) [F]

LIKELY TO BE RENEWED

• NONE

CERTAIN TO BE RENEWED

• Superstore (1.5 / 1.4)

RENEWED

• The Blacklist (1.5 / 1.4)
• Blindspot (2.3 / 1.9)
• Chicago Fire (1.8 / 1.8)
• Chicago Med (1.8 / 1.6)
• Chicago P.D. (1.6 / 2.0)
• Law & Order: SVU (1.7 / 1.9)
• Shades of Blue (1.3 / 1.1)

SPECIAL VALENTINE'S DAY MEGA POLL

NBC Renew/Cancel Watch: 'Undateable' Likely to be Canceled (UPDATED)

* UPDATED ON (2/1/16) AT 4:19 ET W/ RENEWAL NEWS OF 'CHICAGO MED' AND 'LAW & ORDER: SVU' 

Hello everyone, it's Luke Lambright. Welcome to week 19 of the NBC Renew/Cancel Watch for the 2015-2016 television season. Find out where your favorite show stands for renewal or cancellation down below: 

KEY

• Show title (Average adults 18-49 rating to the nearest tenth / Most recent rating)

[F] - Indicates a Friday night show, which will typically have lower-than-average ratings

CANCELED

• Heroes Reborn (1.3 / 1.0)
• The Player (0.8 / 0.8)
• Truth Be Told (0.6 / 0.4) [F]

CERTAIN TO BE CANCELED

• NONE

LIKELY TO BE CANCELED

• The Mysteries of Laura (1.1 / 1.2)
• Telenovela (1.0 / 0.9)
• Undateable (0.8 / 0.8) [F]
• You, Me and the Apocalypse (1.2 / 1.2)

ON THE BUBBLE

• Grimm (0.9 / 0.8) [F]

LIKELY TO BE RENEWED

• Shades of Blue (1.5 / 1.3)

CERTAIN TO BE RENEWED

• Superstore (1.6 / 1.5)

RENEWED

• The Blacklist (1.5 / 1.6)
• Blindspot (2.3 / 1.9)
• Chicago Fire (1.8 / 1.8)
• Chicago Med (1.9 / 1.7)
• Chicago P.D. (1.6 / 1.5)
• Law & Order: SVU (1.7 / 1.7)

ANALYSIS

Undateable: Undateable wrapped up its third season on Friday with a one-hour season finale, scoring a 0.8 rating which is in-line with its season average. Although it is NBC's most venerable comedy, I still have Undateable listed as "likely to be canceled" because of a few reasons. First, its ratings are pretty dismal, even for a Friday night. NBC's freshman sitcom Superstore doubles the ratings of Undateable and will most likely become the network's new veteran comedy to try and build from in the future. Undateable is no longer needed, ESPECIALLY if The Carmichael Show performs even OK this Spring. Second, Undateable isn't owned by NBC. The network doesn't care about getting this show to syndication because it won't make them any money after it is done airing. Now that NBC has some in-house comedy hits (Superstore and The Carmichael Show), their focus will now be to get these shows to be hits and into syndication. All of the effort to get Undateable to be a hit has now vanished. Last, and definitely the most concerning, the season 3 finale that aired on Friday (Read Hunter's review of it by clicking here) was written like a SERIES finale. This shows me that it is possible NBC has already secretly canceled the series and told the writers to write a proper ending to the show (which was the correct thing to do for the fans of the show if this is actually the case). Is there a chance we will be seeing Undateable next season? Yes. Is it likely? No.

You, Me and the Apocalypse: NBC's freshman comedy-drama (which has finished airing in the UK and is already all over the internet to watch) opened up to a modest 1.2 rating on Thursday night. It did improve upon the previous-couple airings of Heroes Reborn, but will most likely become fractional in a few weeks and, on average, perform even worse than Heroes. I'm going to start off this series as "likely to be canceled," but don't be surprised to see it as "certain" in the coming weeks.

Grimm: Grimm returned to a 0.8 rating this week (pending final adjustments) for its winter premiere, but I am still keeping it on the bubble for now. It is owned by NBC, which definitely helps its chances, and has been a venerable player on NBC's Friday nights for many years. However, 0.8 is the lowest it can go to stay on the bubble. If it drops to a 0.7, expect to see Grimm as "likely to be canceled."

Telenovela: This week marks the week when Telenovela finally went fractional at a 0.9 rating. And with that, I have decided to move the show down to "likely to be canceled." NBC is doing just fine with Superstore and has a plethora of new comedies being developed for the 2016-2017 season, so they don't need the dud known as Telenovela dragging down their efforts to finally launch successful comedies again. Is there a chance we will be seeing Telenovela next season? Yep! Is it likely? Nope, not anymore!

QUESTION OF THE WEEK

NBC Renew/Cancel Watch: 'Shades of Blue' Likely to be Renewed

Hello everyone, it's Luke! Welcome to the third NBC Renew/Cancel Watch of 2016! Check out my predictions below and look out for a very interesting poll at the bottom of the page! It has been a hot topic lately and I encourage all of you to discuss it in the comments!


KEY

• Show title (Average adults 18-49 rating to the nearest tenth / Most recent rating)

[F] - Indicates a Friday night show, which will typically have lower-than-average ratings

CANCELED

• Heroes Reborn (1.3 / 1.0)
• The Player (0.8 / 0.8)
• Truth Be Told (0.6 / 0.4) [F]

CERTAIN TO BE CANCELED

• NONE

LIKELY TO BE CANCELED

• The Mysteries of Laura (1.1 / 1.2)
• Undateable (0.8 / 0.8) [F]

ON THE BUBBLE

• Grimm (0.9 / 0.9) [F]
• Telenovela (1.1 / 1.1)

LIKELY TO BE RENEWED

• Shades of Blue (1.5 / 1.4)
• Superstore (1.6 / 1.7)

CERTAIN TO BE RENEWED

• Chicago Med (1.9 / 1.6)
• Law & Order: SVU (1.7 / 1.7)

RENEWED

• The Blacklist (1.5 / 1.6)
• Blindspot (2.3 / 1.9)
• Chicago Fire (1.9 / 1.8)
• Chicago P.D. (1.6 / 1.5)

ANALYSIS

Superstore: With a strong 1.7 rating on Monday, up from the 1.5 rating of the previous airing, there is now no question that Superstore is a likely renewal. Be ready to see this freshman sitcom on NBC's 2016/2017 schedule! The real question is, however, where are they going to put it?

Telenovela: Telenovela rose up to a 1.1 rating this Monday, which I think is enough for it to remain on the bubble. NBC is still airing a good amount of ads for this show, which shows me they still have faith in it, so don't count on a cancellation just yet.

Shades of Blue: Shades of Blue also rose this week, up to a 1.4 from last week's 1.3 rating. I don't like leaving shows on the bubble for too long, so I decided to finally make a decision on this show. I am labeling Shades as "likely to be renewed" FOR NOW, but note that this could easily change once How to Get Away with Murder returns on February 11. (Both shows share the same time slot and, most likely, a good amount of the same audience).

QUESTION OF THE WEEK

Choose the day above in the poll and leave your time slot and reasoning in the comments below!