Sunday TV Ratings 8/15/21: Love Island Finale and Celebrity Family Feud Steady, Big Brother Leads (UPDATED)

Preliminary Analysis: Even though it was a tenth behind last week's preliminary rating, CBS's 'Big Brother' (0.9) led the pack as expected. At 9, the season finale of 'Love Island' (0.4) was even with the rating it posted seven days ago. A repeat of '60 Minutes' (0.4) was the top program in the 7pm hour. ABC had a rerun of 'AFV' at 7 (0.3) and a steady 'Celebrity Family Feud' (0.5) at 8, but the rest of the originals were preempted due to an 'Afghanistan' special (0.4) taking over the 9pm hour at the last minute. Encores of 'The Chase' (0.3) and 'The Conners' (0.2) occupied the 9:30-11pm block. NBC had tepid reruns of 'Family Game Fight!' (0.2) and 'America's Got Talent' (0.3/0.2). Fox got 0.2s out of reruns of 'LEGO Masters', 'Simpsons', and 'Great North'. 'Bob's Burgers' (0.3) and 'Family Guy' (0.3) performed a bit better from 9-10. The CW was completely stable with 'Legends of Tomorrow' (0.1), the premiere of 'Wellington Paranormal' (0.0), and 'Dead Pixels' (0.0). 

Finals Update: 'Big Brother' (+0.1), 'Celebrity Family Feud' (+0.1), and repeats of 'America's Funniest Home Videos' (+0.1), '60 Minutes' (+0.1), and 'America's Got Talent' at 10 PM (+0.1) adjusted up.

Friday TV Ratings 8/13/21: Love Island and Secret Celebrity Renovation Rise, WWE SmackDown Leads (UPDATED)

Preliminary Analysis: Fox's 'WWE Smackdown' held steady at a 0.6 rating and yet again led the network to an easy victory. CBS's 'Secret Celebrity Renovation' (0.4) rose by two-tenths while 'Love Island' (0.4) gained a tenth, both may be affected by NFL preemptions. A repeat of 'Blue Bloods' (0.3) was also higher than usual in the 10pm slot. ABC's repeats of 'Shark Tank' (0.4) and '20/20' (0.5) were a tenth and two-tenths higher than the week prior. NBC was right on the alphabet network's heels with encores of 'American Ninja Warrior' (0.4) and 'Dateline' (0.4). 'Burden of Truth' (0.1) and 'Dynasty' (0.1) were both a tenth higher than last week's preliminary ratings on the CW.

Finals Update: Secret Celebrity Renovation (-0.1), Love Island (-0.1) and repeats of 20/20 (-0.1), Dateline NBC (-0.1), American Ninja Warrior (-0.1) and Blue Bloods (-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 10: Renewal Feels Like a Fantasy for Fantasy Island

With very little occurring on television thanks to the Tokyo Olympics, the Summer Renew/Cancel took off last week. Now, it's back with a busy update filled with new show premieres and even some renewal news.

Wednesday TV Ratings 8/11/21: Superstar Has a Modest Start, Family Game Fight! Solid Behind Weaker America’s Got Talent, Big Brother and MasterChef Down (UPDATED)

Preliminary Analysis: CBS's 'Big Brother' (0.9) tied last Wednesday's rating and was a good three-tenths above its nearest competitor. 'Love Island' (0.4) and a 'SWAT' rerun (0.2) were on-par with their week-ago showings as well. On NBC, 'Family Game Fight!' (0.5) had a fairly solid timeslot debut, down just two-tenths from its 'Olympics'-fueled premiere. Earlier in the evening, the first Wednesday installment of 'America's Got Talent' (0.6) tied its Tuesday low. ABC's Whitney Houston documentary series 'Superstar' (0.3) had a lackluster start in the 10pm hour but was in-line with the 'Match Game' finale from three weeks ago. 'Press Your Luck' (0.4) lost a few hundredths while 'The $100,000 Pyramid' (0.5) gained a tenth at 9. Fox's 'MasterChef' (0.4) inched down and led into reruns of 'HouseBroken' (0.2) and 'Duncanville' (0.2). The CW's 'Riverdale' (0.1) was steady for its first episode since March. 'In the Dark' (0.0) ticked down into obscurity in the 9pm timeslot. 

Finals Update: MasterChef (+0.1), Press Your Luck (+0.1), Superstar (+0.1) and In the Dark (+0.1) adjusted up.

Tuesday TV Ratings 8/10/21: Mediocre Start for Fantasy Island, Americas Got Talent Steady After Break, Stargirl Returns with a New Low (UPDATED)

Preliminary Analysis: Fox's 'Fantasy Island' (0.4) launched in middling fashion for its series debut. The reboot of the 70's program was a tenth below its 'LEGO Masters' lead-in (0.5) but a tenth above what 'Mental Samurai' would normally post in the timeslot. 'Masters' itself was steady after taking a three-week hiatus. On NBC, 'America's Got Talent' (0.9) was a few hundredths higher than the last time in aired. 'Capital One College Bowl' (0.4) was virtually flat in the 10pm slot, once again retaining less than half of the 'AGT' audience. CBS's 'Love Island' (0.3) lost a tenth when compared to its week-ago performance. Reruns of 'NCIS' (0.3) and 'FBI: Most Wanted' (0.2) surrounded the reality show. The CW's 'Stargirl' (0.1) returned for season two in rough shape, cementing a new series low on premiere night. 'Superman & Lois' (0.1) inched down alongside it in the 9pm slot. ABC got a 0.3 out of 'The Goldbergs' and 'To Tell the Truth', but the rest of their encore showings ('Home Economics', 'Conners', 'Black-ish') could only manage a 0.2 rating.

Finals Update: America's Got Talent (+0.1) and repeats of The Goldbergs (+0.1) and The Conners (+0.1) adjusted up.

Sunday TV Ratings 8/8/21: Olympics Go Out on a Low Note with Closing Ceremony, Family Game Fight! Modest, Big Brother Ties High, MLB Weak on ABC (UPDATED)

Preliminary Analysis: The 'Tokyo Olympics' (1.2) went out with a complete whimper on NBC, going two-tenths below Saturday's low and trailing every other rating it posted this summer. The closing ceremony was used to boost the series debut of 'Family Game Fight!' (0.6). The latter retained just about half of its lead-in but is in pretty good shape if it can stay at its current level. Earlier in the night, a 'Tokyo Gold' special (0.8) topped its 7pm competitors. CBS had a particularly strong evening as 'Big Brother' (1.0) gained a tenth and was just two ticks below the 'Olympics'. '60 Minutes' (0.4) picked up a tenth while 'Love Island' (0.4) held flat with its week-ago outing. ABC's 'White Sox v. Cubs' MLB game (0.3) rated about the same as the usual game show encores. A rerun of 'The Chase' (0.2) occupied the alphabet network's 10pm slot. Fox had repeats of 'LEGO Masters' (0.1), 'Simpsons' (0.2), 'Great North' (0.2), 'Bob's Burgers' (0.2), and a feeble 'Fantasy Island' special (0.1). On the CW, 'Legends of Tomorrow' (0.1) and 'Dead Pixels' (0.0) tied their last originals. Sandwiched in-between, 'Wellington Paranormal' (0.1) inched up for its season finale.

Finals Update: Tokyo Gold (+0.2), 2020 Tokyo Olympics Closing Ceremony (+0.4), Big Brother (+0.1), Welcome to the New Fantasy Island (+0.1), Family Game Fight! (+0.1), and the repeat of 60 Minutes (+0.1) adjusted up.

Friday TV Ratings 8/6/21: Olympics Steady at Low, WWE SmackDown Stays Strong, Burden of Truth Down (UPDATED)

Preliminary Analysis: After three days of declining, NBC's 'Tokyo Olympics' (1.9) finally stabilized for the time being, matching its rating from Thursday night. While this is still a lackluster number for the ceremony, the 'Olympics' did avoid hitting a new low...for now. Fox's 'WWE Smackdown' (0.6) held steady with its week-ago installment and outpaced every non-'Olympics' telecast. On CBS, 'Secret Celebrity Renovation' (0.2) shed a tenth, but 'Love Island' (0.3) was even with its episode from last Friday. An encore of 'Blue Bloods' (0.1) fell into unsettling territory at 10. ABC boasted a higher average than CBS with sturdy repeats of 'Shark Tank' (0.3) and '20/20' (0.3). The CW was completely off the map as 'Burden of Truth' (0.0) lost a tenth and tied an equally-pathetic 'Dynasty' (0.0). 

Finals Update: 2020 Tokyo Olympics (+0.4), Burden of Truth (+0.1), and the repeat of Blue Bloods (+0.1) adjusted up.

Thursday TV Ratings 8/5/21: Olympics Tie Prelim Low but Still Tops NFL, Big Brother Rises, Love Island and The Outpost Steady

Preliminary Analysis: In the face of legitimate competition, the 'Tokyo Olympics' (1.9) crashed to its lowest preliminary rating, losing three-tenths from the day before. NBC's lead was nowhere near as pronounced as usual since Fox's 'Cowboys v. Steelers' NFL game (1.7) came within striking distance of the peacock network's broadcast. The preseason football game was a mere two-tenths away from the 'Olympics'. CBS's 'Big Brother' (0.9) took the third-place spot, garnering the same rating as last Thursday. 'Love Island' (0.4) and the 10pm 'Bull' rerun (0.2) were also frozen at their week-ago levels. ABC offered up anemic repeats of 'Holey Moley' (0.2), 'When Nature Calls' (0.1), and 'The Hustler' (0.1). On the CW, 'The Outpost' (0.0) matched its previous episode, falling behind an 8pm 'William & Kate' special (0.1). 

Final numbers to come. 

Wednesday TV Ratings 8/4/21: Big Brother and Tokyo Olympics Drop, Love Island Steady (UPDATED)

Preliminary Analysis: Sliding back down to lower levels, The '2020 Tokyo Olympics' (2.2) shed five-tenths and found itself barely above the 2.0 threshold. Even with NBC's dominance waning, CBS's 'Big Brother' (0.8) fell by two-tenths when compared to last Wednesday's episode. 'Love Island' (0.4) was down by one-tenth on a week-to-week basis and preceded another 10pm 'SWAT' rerun (0.2). The CW brought back 'World's Funniest Animals' for a special summer edition and got the usual 0.1 rating out of it. Encores of 'Whose Line Is It Anyway?' (0.1/0.1) closed out their evening. ABC's reruns of 'Press Your Luck' (0.3), 'The $100,000 Pyramid' (0.3), and 'Match Game' (0.2) were roughly in-line with Fox's 'MasterChef' repeats (0.3/0.3)

Finals Update: 2020 Tokyo Olympics (+0.2) and Big Brother (+0.1) adjusted up.

Tuesday TV Ratings 8/3/21: Tokyo Olympics Tick Down, Love Island Stable (UPDATED)

Preliminary Analysis: The upward trajectory of the 'Tokyo Olympics' (2.7) came to a halt on Tuesday night, the ceremony ticked down from Monday but ultimately lost just a tenth. The only other original of the evening was a stable edition of 'Love Island' (0.4) on CBS. Reruns of 'NCIS' (0.3) and 'FBI: Most Wanted' (0.2) filled out the 8 and 10pm slots respectively. ABC had three hours of comedy repeats, with 'Black-ish' (0.1) looking particularly weak and the others all garnering a measly 0.2 rating. Fox had a double-pump of 'Lego Masters' encores (0.2/0.2). The CW had repeats of 'Penn & Teller' (0.1) and 'Superman & Lois' (0.1). 

Finals Update: 2020 Tokyo Olympics (+0.3) and repeats of The Goldbergs (+0.1) and Blackish (+0.1) adjusted up. The repeat of Superman & Lois (-0.1) adjusted down.

Sunday TV Ratings 8/1/21: Olympics Rise but Remain on the Low End, Big Brother Slips, Love Island and Wellington Paranormal Gain Steam (UPDATED)

Preliminary Analysis: Although the 'Olympics' (2.6) did rise by seven-tenths on NBC, it continued to underwhelm when compared to the ratings of years past. This result alone goes nearly 30% below the preliminary rating of last Sunday's telecast (3.7). CBS was flat with '60 Minutes' (0.3) and 'Big Brother' (0.8), but 'Love Island' (0.4) managed to gain a tenth in the back-half of the lineup. ABC backed away from airing new content, instead going with reruns of 'AFV' (0.3), 'Celebrity Family Feud' (0.4), 'The Chase' (0.2), and 'To Tell the Truth' (0.2). The game shows were ultimately just a tenth behind their week-ago originals. Fox had anemic reruns of 'LEGO Masters' (0.1), 'The Simpsons' (0.2), 'The Great North' (0.1), and 'Bob's Burgers' (0.2). As usual, the 9:30pm encore of 'Family Guy' (0.3) was the top performer of the evening for the network. The CW's 'Wellington Paranormal' (0.1) picked up a tenth as 'Dead Pixels' (0.0) remained invisible. A rerun of 'Legends of Tomorrow' (0.1) held the fort down at 8.

Finals Update: 2020 Tokyo Olympics (+0.3), Big Brother (+0.1), and repeats of Celebrity Family Feud (+0.1), The Great North (+0.1) and The Chase (+0.1) adjusted up.

Friday TV Ratings 7/30/21: Tokyo Olympics Hit New Low, Burden of Truth Steady in Return, Love Island Down (UPDATED)

Preliminary Analysis: The 'Tokyo Olympics' (2.3) suffered quite a blow on Friday night, dropping by nine-tenths from the rating it managed the day prior. This may still be a winning number for NBC, but the decline does signal a sign of audience fatigue. On Fox, 'WWE Smackdown' (0.5) matched the preliminary rating it garnered seven days ago and was easily the top non-'Olympics' broadcast. CBS's 'Love Island' (0.3) shed a tenth from Thursday's episode but was even with its previous Friday outing. A stable 'Secret Celebrity Renovation' (0.2) and a 'Blue Bloods' rerun (0.2) sandwiched the reality series. Repeats of 'Shark Tank' (0.3) and '20/20' (0.3) were on-par with their week-ago ratings on ABC. The CW's 'Burden of Truth' (0.1) was steady in its season premiere, followed immediately after by a flat edition of 'Dynasty' (0.1). 

Finals Update: 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics (+0.3), WWE SmackDown (+0.1) and the repeat of 20/20 (+0.1) adjusted up. Dynasty (-0.1) adjusted down.

Thursday TV Ratings 7/29/21: NBA Draft Bombs, Olympics Tick Back Up, Big Brother Stable (UPDATED)

Preliminary Analysis: The 'Tokyo Olympics' (3.2) rebounded on NBC, rising five-tenths from the previous day's rating. This ultimately puts the ceremony back where it was before the slippage. CBS was unchanged from last week's ratings with 'Big Brother' (0.9), 'Love Island' (0.4), and a 'Bull' encore (0.2). The '2021 NBA Draft' (0.3) completely tanked on ABC, going well below what the 2020 'Draft' posted on ESPN (1.1/0.67/0.39). Fox chugged along with middling reruns of 'Beat Shazam' (0.3) and 'MasterChef' (0.2). The CW's 'The Outpost' (0.0) lost a tenth behind a slightly stronger repeat of 'Roswell, New Mexico' (0.1). 

Finals Update: 2020 Tokyo Olympics (+0.4) and 2021 NBA Draft (+0.1) adjusted up. The repeat of Roswell, New Mexico (-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!

Wednesday TV Ratings 7/28/21: Big Brother and Love Island Rise, Summer Olympics Tie Low, Pyramid and Match Game Slip (UPDATED)

Preliminary Analysis: The 'Tokyo Summer Olympics' (2.7) lost five-tenths from Tuesday's broadcast on NBC and fell below a 3.0 rating for the first time in a few days. CBS was on the rise as both 'Big Brother' (0.9) and 'Love Island' (0.5) gained a tenth, with 'Island' eyeing a season high. A 'SWAT' rerun (0.2) rounded out their night. In contrast, ABC saw 'The $100,000 Pyramid' (0.4) lose two-tenths and 'Match Game' (0.3) shed one for its season finale. 'Press Your Luck' (0.4) was in repeat-mode in the 8pm slot. Fox offered up a pair of 'MasterChef' encores (0.3/0.2) that handily outrated The CW's  reruns of 'World's Funniest Animals' (0.1/0.1) and 'Whose Line Is It Anyway?' (0.1/0.1). 

Finals Update: 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics (+0.1), Big Brother (+0.1) and the repeat of Press Your Luck (+0.1) adjusted up. 

Tuesday TV Ratings 7/27/21: Tokyo Olympics Hold Steady, Love Island Ticks Up (UPDATED)

Preliminary Analysis: NBC's broadcast of the 'Tokyo Olympics' (3.2) held steady with Monday night's rating and, like clockwork, outperformed the combined rating of every other telecast of the evening. In an incredibly distant second place, CBS's 'Love Island' (0.4) rose a tenth from the previous Tuesday's episode and built from its 'NCIS' repeat lead-in (0.3). A 10pm encore of 'FBI: Most Wanted' (0.2) slipped from there. ABC offered up comedy reruns, with 'The Goldbergs' (0.3) benefiting from the local lead-in and 'Black-ish' (0.1) sticking out like a sore thumb at 9:30. 'Home Economics', 'The Conners', and 'To Tell the Truth' all garnered a 0.2 rating. Fox was on-par with the alphabet network with its repeat showings of 'LEGO Masters' (0.2) and 'Mental Samurai' (0.2). The CW went with reruns of 'Penn & Teller: Fool Us' (0.1) and 'Superman & Lois' (0.1). 

Finals Update: 2020 Tokyo Olympics (+0.1) and the repeat of Blackish (+0.1) adjusted up. The repeat of Superman & Lois (-0.1) adjusted down.

Sunday TV Ratings 7/25/21: Celebrity Family Feud and The Chase Hit Lows, Tokyo Olympics Soar, Big Brother Steady with Last Sunday (UPDATED)

Preliminary Analysis: Prospects brightened further for the 'Tokyo Olympics' (3.7) on night 3, with the ceremony up well over a full point from Saturday's telecast (2.5). NBC may not have been thrilled by Friday's opening but at least more people are tuning in with each subsequent broadcast. ABC seemed to feel the brunt of the 'Olympics' competition the most as 'Celebrity Family Feud' (0.5) and 'The Chase' (0.3) were both down more than a tenth from last week's episodes (0.65 & 0.45). The 10pm installment of 'To Tell the Truth' (0.3) shed a tenth, as did the 7pm 'AFV' encore (0.4). CBS was unfazed by the 'Olympics' as '60 Minutes' (0.3), 'Big Brother' (0.8), and 'Love Island' (0.3) were all on-par with their week-ago outings. Fox had poorly-rated reruns of 'Duncanville' (0.1), 'HouseBroken' (0.1), 'The Simpsons' (0.1), and 'The Great North' (0.1). 'Bob's Burgers' (0.2) and 'Family Guy' (0.3) were able to pick up the slack from there. The CW had no sign of life as 'Wellington Paranormal' (0.0) and 'Dead Pixels' (0.0) remained at a laughably-bad level. An 8pm repeat of 'Legends of Tomorrow' (0.0) didn't fare any better. 

Finals Update: 2020 Tokyo Olympics (+0.4) and repeats of The Simpsons (+0.1) and The Great North (+0.1) adjusted up.

Friday TV Ratings 7/23/21: Olympics Opening Ceremony Down Massively from 2016, WWE SmackDown and Secret Celebrity Renovation Slip (UPDATED)

Preliminary Analysis: The 'Tokyo Olympics Opening Ceremony' (2.3) posted a higher rating than every other program of the night combined. That doesn't exactly mean it had a strong performance though, the ceremony fell a whopping 69% from 2016's opening in the 18-49 demographic (7.5). Even when taking into account the rapid decline in TV viewership, this is clearly an unsettling trend. Fox's 'WWE Smackdown' (0.5) came in at a distant second, dropping two-tenths from last week's outing. On CBS, 'Secret Celebrity Renovation' (0.2) inched down while 'Love Island' (0.3) matched its previous Friday episode. A 10pm repeat of 'Blue Bloods' (0.1) found itself in CW-level territory. ABC's encores of 'Shark Tank' (0.3) and '20/20' (0.3) outperformed CBS's collective average. The season finale of 'Charmed' (0.1) held even on the CW and led into a rising 'Dynasty' (0.1). 

Finals Update: 2020 Tokyo Olympics Opening Ceremony (+0.4) and WWE SmackDown (+0.1) adjusted up.

Thursday TV Ratings 7/22/21: Good Girls Ends with a New Low, Big Brother and Love Island Rise, Holey Moley and When Nature Calls Steady in Timeslot Shifts (UPDATED)

Preliminary Analysis: NBC's 'Good Girls' (0.2/0.3) ended its four-season run with a whimper, falling to a new series low at 9 before slightly rebounding for its final episode at 10. Its 'Making It' lead-in (0.3) was steady with its usual rating in the 8pm hour. 'Big Brother' (0.9) remained the dominant force on CBS, even with its last Thursday outing. 'Love Island' (0.4) was also stable despite retaining less than half of the 'Big Brother' audience. A 10pm 'Bull' repeat (0.2) was last place in its slot when using the Adults 18-49 rating metric but first place in terms of total viewership. On ABC, neither 'Holey Moley' (0.4) nor 'When Nature Calls' (0.3) seemed to benefit from a timeslot swap. 'Moley' held flat in its move back to 8 while 'Nature Calls' was unchanged for its first episode in the 9pm slot. At 10, 'The Hustler' (0.3) lost about half-a-tenth from last week's installment (0.35). Fox's 'Beat Shazam' (0.4) tied its week-ago preliminary rating and was succeeded by a rerun of 'LEGO Masters' (0.3). The CW was on the upswing as both 'Walker' (0.2) and 'The Outpost' (0.1) gained a tenth. 

Finals Update: All shows held their preliminary ratings.