Friday TV Ratings 4/30/21: MacGyver Eyes Series Low for Series Finale, Magnum PI and Blue Bloods Also Hit Lows, NFL Draft Weak in Night 2 (UPDATED)

Preliminary Analysis: A 5-season run came to a close on CBS, with drama 'MacGyver' (0.4) going out with a whimper for its final episode ever. The procedural was down a tenth from last week and will end on a series low unless it scores an upward adjustment. 'Magnum PI' (0.4) and 'Blue Bloods' (0.4) didn't fare much better, with the programs losing a tenth and two-tenths respectively. On ABC, night two of the 'NFL Draft' (0.4) was well below Thursday's broadcast (1.05) and also several tenths behind the average 'Shark Tank' installment. This meant that Fox's 'WWE Smackdown' (0.5) was able to cruise to a rare Friday win, topping the evening altogether and matching its last outing. NBC saw one-tenth declines from 'The Blacklist' (0.3) and 'Dateline' (0.4). The CW brought back 'World's Funniest Animals' (0.2) in pretty solid fashion, up from its usual 0.1s. A 'Penn & Teller' repeat (0.1) followed from there.

Finals Update: NFL Draft (+0.1), MacGyver (+0.1), Magnum PI (+0.1), Blue Bloods (+0.1) and The Blacklist (+0.1) adjusted up. World's Funniest Animals Spring Fling (-0.1) adjusted down.

Friday TV Ratings 4/16/21: Shark Tank Slides but Tied with Blue Bloods in First, WWE SmackDown and MacGyver Also Down (UPDATED)

Preliminary Analysis: A two-tenth decline from ABC's 'Shark Tank' (0.6) and a one-tenth rise from CBS's 'Blue Bloods' (0.6) put the two shows back into a tie for the top spot. Preceding 'Blue Bloods', 'MacGyver' (0.4) shed a tenth at 8 while 'Magnum PI' (0.5) held even in the 9pm slot. 'Shark Tank' was followed by a stable '20/20' (0.5). Over on Fox, 'WWE Smackdown' (0.5) inched down from last week. NBC's 'The Blacklist' (0.3) lost a tick but its 'Dateline' lead-out (0.4) grew from there. The CW had the steady season finales of 'Whose Line Is It Anyway' (0.1) and 'Penn & Teller: Fool Us' (0.1). A repeat of 'Whose Line' (0.1) was sandwiched in-between. 

Finals Update: Shark Tank (+0.1), 20/20 (+0.1), MacGyver (+0.1), WWE SmackDown (+0.1), and The Blacklist (+0.1) adjusted up.

Friday TV Ratings 4/9/21: MacGyver Down After Cancellation, First-Place Shark Tank Rises (UPDATED)

Preliminary Analysis: Fresh off its cancellation, CBS's 'MacGyver' (0.4) seemed to justify the network's decision. The 5th season drama not only lost a tenth but also tied its series low. 'Magnum PI' (0.5) was steady in the 9pm slot, but 'Blue Bloods' (0.5) came back down after last week's strong showing (0.65). The 'Blue Bloods' slippage meant that a rising 'Shark Tank' (0.7) was able to top the night unchallenged. ABC capped off their night with a stable, two-hour edition of 20/20 (0.5). On NBC, a repeat of 'The Blacklist' (0.3) wasn't far off from the rating of its week-ago original (0.36). Later in the evening, 'Dateline' (0.4) got back a tenth despite the smaller lead-in. Fox's 'WWE Smackdown' (0.6) remained a solid offering and matched its previous broadcast. The CW had a batch of 'Whose Line Is It Anyway?' repeats (0.2/0.1) and an original 'Penn & Teller: Fool Us' (0.1).

Finals Update: 'Shark Tank' (+0.1) and 'MacGyver' (+0.1) adjusted up.

MacGyver Canceled by CBS

CBS is saying farewell to yet another veteran series: MacGyver has been canceled after five seasons. The Friday staple has been an OK performer for the Tiffany Network throughout its run, but was never a hit for the network. It's the third veteran cancellation of the season, after comedy Mom and fellow procedural NCIS: New Orleans. The series fell near the middle of the CBS scripted ratings pack, rating as the #8 drama and #14 scripted series overall among 21 series. The show has averaged a 0.51 so far in season five, marking a 23% drop. The series was at the center of a lawsuit alleging that the plaintiffs were owed payments due to a deal made for the original MacGyver series from the 80s and 90s. It remains to be seen whether that lawsuit had anything to do with the cancellation, though the series was said to boast high production costs, only made higher in the age of COVID. MacGyver starred Lucas Till, Tristan Mays, Justin Hires, Meredith Eaton, Levy Tran and Henry Ian Cusick. The series finale will air April 30. It will be the fifteenth episode of the season and ninety-fourth overall.

Friday TV Ratings 4/2/21: Blue Bloods Ties Shark Tank for the Win, MacGyver and The Blacklist Steady at Lows (UPDATED)

Preliminary Analysis: It was a tight race for the #1 spot, but ABC's 'Shark Tank' (0.6) and CBS's 'Blue Bloods' (0.6) ended up tying for first place. 'Shark Tank' held even on a week-to-week basis and led into a lower '20/20' (0.4) while 'Blue Bloods' led out of stable helpings of 'MacGyver' (0.4) and 'Magnum PI' (0.5). Fox was in the same ballpark as those two networks with 'WWE Smackdown' (0.5), the wrestling program ticked down from its last episode. NBC trailed the others as 'The Blacklist' (0.3) and 'Dateline' (0.3) remained deathly low. The CW had an encore of the 'Wipeout' reboot (0.1) and an original 'Penn & Teller: Fool Us' (0.1).

Finals Update: Shark Tank (+0.1), 20/20 (+0.1), WWE SmackDown (+0.1), MacGyver (+0.1), Blue Bloods (+0.1) and The Blacklist (+0.1) adjusted up.

2020-21 Season To Date Report (9/21-3/25): Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist Shall Be Tested Again on Sundays But Leans Renewal on 1st Place NBC

NBC's show ponies took some hits during this bleak season.  Since 2007, every season has lost 10-20% each season for all networks.  Where things have grown critical is runaway hits such as The Masked Singer, This Is Us, Empire, The Big Bang Theory and Modern Family are becoming rarer and rarer.  Masked Singer and TIU are the only megahits left, and both have taken large hits as they age.  This is Us is already fractional, and The Masked Singer's spring average is a half point lower than Fall 2020.  Each profile of the Season To Date report sees scripted shows sliding further down the ladder, and Reality TV based programs are climbing past.

2021 Drama Scorecard (3/11-3/25): Reboots like MacGyver Are Paving The Way Past Dated CBS Procedurals

Friday television has surprisingly emerged as an opportune space for television.  Networks like FOX, CW and ABC have steered to Reality TV, but CBS corners a steady market with standalone procedurals (who have not duplicated or triplicated with tired spinoffs).  Both Magnum PI and MacGyver owe their existence to the reboot trend made popular in recent years which cooled down.  Both are reboots of popular 80's procedurals, and never quite lit the ratings on fire.  However, both perform steady and strong for Fridays, having filled the void Hawaii Five-O (itself a revival of the 1968-80 series) left on the schedule one year ago.  And given Blue Bloods is deep into its 11th season, CBS will need to fill an hour of its schedule if the series ends.  All three Friday shows deliver steady without a standout player rating higher than the other, only occasional bumps for Magnum PI being in the 8:00 hour.

Where these reboots (along with sturdy Sunday player The Equalizer) are helping CBS update their tired schedule is they fulfill the longstanding need of procedurals without spawning another boiler plate procedural off of an existing show.  Most shows which multiply from these franchises (such as NCIS, CSI and most recently FBI) is the reboots are energetic.  They have appealing stars, the settings are aesthetically pleasing and they provide compatible space for new pilots to be nestled next door to.  MacGyver or Magnum PI fit best on Fridays and are best not moved (Magnum PI didn't shine as well on Mondays).  But rather, let's hope CBS takes a cue with their success as well as The Equalizer revamping Sundays and steers in this direction vs a slew of tired spinoffs.  Viewers would rather they dip in the historic well instead of delivering NCIS: The Freeways or some overdone cliche.

With This Is Us losing steam on NBC, the race is on for 1st Place and The Equalizer will likely take this crown thanks to a bump from Superbowl.  If it matches its last 0.75 rating over the next 6 episodes, it will still remain one of the top 10 performers of the season (This is Us and Grey's Anatomy have already fallen out of the Top 10).  If it took a hit and delivered 0.65 for the next 6 episodes, it would indeed fall out of the top 10, but would still rank higher than This Is Us and Grey's Anatomy who would need a resurgence.

On the flip side, some shows are now evidently at risk for the chopping block:

ABC: The network gave For Life ample opportunities to grow and it could not make the cut.  Despite having a weakened sitcom block leading into it, the drops were noticeable and ABC clearly has a space for marketing next season.

CBS: SWAT and All Rise were eyed as the weakest members on the schedule.  However, All Rise narrowly clipped past lead-out Bull this week, and SWAT soared with an absence of Chicago PD.  Both could benefit from a timeslot move.  The weakest link lies in Clarice which has not located its plateau and didn't benefit from the sitcom block's evenings with rating surges.  A pity as it delivered some originality to CBS despite the dark tone of the series.

FOX: Prodigal Son has nowhere to hide nor any excuses for scheduling for its shortcomings.  The gap has grown wider between neighbor The Resident, and FOX needs scheduling space.  If FOX is committed, they could allow it to take on the earlier portions of the schedule, but Prodigal Son shows little signs of contributions to building the lineup.

NBC: Debris has weighted Mondays down like an albatross.  With so many shows renewed, something has to go.  Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist will need to meet the bar for Sunday evening but has more marketability and buzz to have it lean toward renewal.

..

Friday TV Ratings 3/26/21: Shark Tank Wins Another Night, Blue Bloods Grows on Magnum PI and MacGyver (UPDATED)

Preliminary Analysis: ABC's 'Shark Tank' (0.6) and '20/20' (0.5) duo took back their lead after 'NCAA Basketball' dominated last week. Both programs held steady, with 'Shark Tank' returning from a one-week break. CBS had a rough time competing with the alphabet network as 'Magnum PI' (0.4) ticked down in the 9pm slot. 'MacGyver' (0.4) and 'Blue Bloods' (0.5) matched their lows at 8 and 10 respectively. NBC went even lower than that as 'The Blacklist' (0.3) and 'Dateline' (0.3) declined by one-tenth. 'WWE Smackdown' (0.5) also shed a tenth on Fox. The CW had a pair of 'Whose Line' encores (0.1/0.1) and an original 'Penn & Teller' (0.1).

Finals Update: Shark Tank (+0.1), WWE SmackDown (+0.1) and Magnum PI (+0.1) adjusted up.

CBS Renew/Cancel: The Unicorn Has Flown And the Remaining Comedies Remain Strong

Ratings dropped across the board this week, hitting nearly all shows' interests.  The Neighborhood, which gloriously delivered a 1.00 weeks earlier, dropped to a 0.71.  This noticeable drop led to drops across Monday evening, most noticeable being the two dramas following the comedy block (All Rise at 0.41, Bull at 0.39) hemorrhaging nearly a third of Bob Hearts Abishola's softer 0.58.  Bull will be monitored in upcoming weeks as it may be downgraded from a Likely Renewal.

Tuesday evening saw the FBI franchise experience a spike as FBI (0.78) gained back a tenth and FBI: Most Wanted (0.60) regain a half-tenth.  Most Wanted is being eyed for an upgrade to Certain Renewal in upcoming weeks.  Elsewhere, The Unicorn flew for the last time on Thursday with a double outing (0.42, 0.40) as the only show on display Thursday evening.  CBS burning off this season surrounded by repeats (even ailing Clarice was given the night off) foreshadows the network has likely made up its mind about The Unicorn as it's had its opportunity and day.  

Fans of the sophisticated sitcom have a beam of hope as the ailing CBS All Access was revamped as Paramount+ and may potentially be looking for The Unicorn to become a regular mainstay.

Friday TV Ratings 3/5/21: Magnum PI Ties Low as MacGyver and Blue Bloods Hit New Ones, Shark Tank Remains on Top (UPDATED)

Preliminary Analysis: CBS was back on the scene after taking last week off, but the results probably make the network executives wish they were still in repeat-mode. 'MacGyver' (0.4) crashed to a new series low at 8, shedding two-tenths from its previous episode. 'Magnum P.I.' (0.5) and 'Blue Bloods' (0.4) were each down a tenth, with the former tying its low and the latter cementing a new one. ABC was unaffected by CBS's return as both 'Shark Tank' (0.7) and '20/20' (0.6) matched their week-ago broadcasts. 'WWE Smackdown' (0.6) picked up a tenth on Fox while 'The Blacklist' (0.3) held steady on NBC. 'Blacklist' led into a 'Dateline' original (0.4) that matched Thursday's performance. The CW had reruns of 'Whose Line Is It Anyway?' (0.1/0.1) and a stable edition of 'Penn & Teller: Fool Us' (0.1). 

Finals Update: MacGyver (+0.1), The Blacklist (+0.1), Blue Bloods (+0.1), and both repeats of Whose Line Is It Anyway? (+0.1) adjusted up.

Friday TV Ratings 2/19/21: MacGyver and Magnum PI Hold Steady, Shark Tank and 20/20 Slip (UPDATED)

Preliminary Analysis: ABC was down a tenth with 'Shark Tank' (0.6) and '20/20' (0.5) but 'Tank' continued to be the top-rated program. 'WWE Smackdown' (0.5) also shed a tenth on Fox while 'Whose Line Is It Anyway?' (0.2) and 'Penn & Teller' (0.1) held even on The CW. 'MacGyver' (0.5) and 'Magnum PI' (0.5) were flat on CBS as 'Blue Bloods' (0.4) went into repeat-mode at 10. Night two of 'Dateline' crime show 'The Widower' (0.4) was a tenth shy of Thursday's debut on NBC. Its 'Blacklist' lead-in (0.3) inched down at 8.

Finals Update: Shark Tank (+0.1), WWE SmackDown (+0.1), MacGyver (+0.1), Magnum PI (+0.1) and The Blacklist (+0.1) adjusted up.

Friday TV Ratings 2/12/21: Blue Bloods and Other CBS Shows Hold Steady, Dipping Shark Tank Leads, The Blacklist Down to New Low (UPDATED)

Preliminary Analysis: ABC's 'Shark Tank' (0.7) and Fox's 'WWE Smackdown' (0.5) each lost a tenth on a week-to-week basis. This marks the lowest rating that 'Smackdown' has posted since the January 1st installment (0.53). The alphabet network fared better after 'Tank' as '20/20' (0.6) matched last week's outing at 10. CBS was even across the board with dramas 'MacGyver' (0.5), 'Magnum PI' (0.5), and 'Blue Bloods' (0.5). On NBC, 'The Blacklist' (0.3) and 'Dateline' (0.3) both shed a tenth from last Friday but 'Dateline' actually tied what it posted on Thursday (0.34). The CW stayed out of the original business with repeats of 'Go-Big Show' (0.1) and 'Penn & Teller: Fool Us' (0.1).

Finals Update: WWE SmackDown (+0.1) and The Blacklist (+0.1) adjusted up.

CBS Renew/Cancel February 4-5, 2021 -- Young Sheldon is the Strongest Show CBS Offers Paramount Plus

 Is anyone aware Paramount Plus is launching March 4?  If this development was lost on viewers, CBS' broadcast of Superbowl LX made sure viewers knew their ailing CBS All Access streaming service is updating to include more viacom content produced by Paramount.  This means the same service a few paid to see CBS programs ups the ante and allows its viewers to enjoy original series originating on cable such as SpongeBob, Younger and even Jersey Shore (groan).  Perhaps this is wise as CBS has lacked buzzworthy shows for some time.  When CBS All Access launched a few short years ago, their drawing attention came from The Big Bang Theory and continuing series The Good Fight.  It seemed an intriguing premise until TBBT ended in 2019.  

Beyond that legacy, CBS had Young Sheldon drawing buzz and, that was it.  If CBS were ever foolish to axe the critical darling, they may as well forfeit their stake and hand their series out for free like NBC does for its series via Peacock.  CBS would not dare cancel Young Sheldon for this reason as its fellow Chuck Lorre sitcom Mom is fast hemorrhaging buzzworthy power in its 8th season.  The Neighborhood is gaining traction.  But beyond that, Young Sheldon remains CBS' most recognizable icon in original programming to offer Paramount Plus viewers.

Curious how much it costs?  Paramount Plus is a hair under Hulu, offering services at $5.99/month for limited commercials and $9.99/month to skip advertisements.  Competitive indeed, and lest pray they forego irritating Geico/insurance commercials and future political ads strewn everywhere like dogshit like viewers were exposed to in 2020.  Of all of the unholy atrocities people experienced that year, both of the mentioned were possibly the worst.

What does it tell a show when a broadcast network takes most of the week off and leaves them buried behind repeats?  The Unicorn ought to realize they are on borrowed time and hopefully finish on a high note, dig a grave or pick out another means for their final resting place.  That is all that really needs to be discussed on Renew/Cancel discussions this week.  So here was the scant breakdown on original series broadcast this week:

Thursday, February 4 :The Unicorn (0.42) gained a half of a tenth.  Too little, too late.

Friday, February 5: Some shed old clothes to donations or damaged hair for a fresh new cut.  Friday's lineup appeared to do the same as MacGyver (0.52) shed a half of a tenth, Magnum PI (0.51) dropped 0.09 and Blue Bloods (0.49) lost 0.06.

Keep an eye out next week as new dramas Equalizer and Clarice make their debuts.  As well as expect a full deck of original programming after CBS plugged ample promotion for these series in this week's underwhelming Superbowl LX which the Kansas City Chefs better go back to Snickers commercials for promotion after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers tackled them into the Gulf of Mexico.

Friday TV Ratings 2/5/21: Shark Tank Steady & On Top After Week Off, The Blacklist Hits New Low, CBS Lineup Also Slips (UPDATED)

Preliminary Analysis: ABC made its return to first place as 'Shark Tank' (0.7) came back after a week off. Although the reality juggernaut was down a tenth from its last original, it narrowly outperformed its closest challenger, Fox's 'WWE Smackdown' (0.6). But any decline from 'Tank' was countered by the fact that '20/20' (0.6) rose two-tenths from its previous outing in the 10pm slot. CBS's drama trio was also back in originals after taking a one-week break but the results were far less savory. 'MacGyver' (0.5), 'Magnum PI' (0.5), and 'Blue Bloods' (0.5) all inched down to match their season lows. On NBC, 'The Blacklist' (0.3) lost a tenth and fell into legitimately ugly territory. 'Dateline' (0.5) was able to pick up the slack at 9. 'Whose Line Is It Anyway?' (0.1) was also a tenth short of last week's number on the CW while 'Penn & Teller: Fool Us' (0.1) remained unchanged. 

Finals Update: Shark Tank (+0.1), The Blacklist (+0.1), WWE Smackdown (+0.1) and Whose Line Is It Anyway? (+0.1) adjusted up.

Friday TV Ratings 1/22/21: The Blacklist Returns Steady, Shark Tank Remains On Top, Magnum PI Rises as MacGyver and Blue Bloods Slip (UPDATED)

Preliminary Analysis: Friday night staple 'Shark Tank' (0.7) matched last week's performance and reigned victorious, leading ABC to another easy win. '20/20' (0.5) was in repeat-mode at 9 but still outperformed an original episode of NBC's 'Dateline' (0.4) head-on. The peacock network also offered up the winter return of 'The Blacklist' (0.4), steady with its previous installment. 'MacGyver' (0.5) and 'Blue Bloods' (0.5) both lost a tenth on CBS while 'Magnum PI' (0.6) inched up at 9. 'WWE Smackdown' (0.6) shed a tenth on Fox after tying 'Shark Tank' seven days prior. The CW had 'Whose Line Is It Anyway?' (0.2/0.1) and 'Penn & Teller' (0.1).

Finals Update: Shark Tank (+0.1), MacGyver (+0.1) and Blue Bloods (+0.1) adjusted up.

Friday TV Ratings 1/15/21: Figure Skating Draws Little Interest, Shark Tank and 20/20 Lead (UPDATED)

Preliminary Analysis: 'US Championship Figure Skating' (0.3) made very little noise on NBC, prompting ABC's 'Shark Tank' (0.7) to top the night despite shedding a tenth from last week's episode. Lead-out '20/20' (0.7) held even despite the slippage from 'Shark', likely benefiting from 'Dateline' not airing. Fox's 'WWE Smackdown' (0.6) matched its previous installment but was a tenth shy of the alphabet network. 'MacGyver' (0.5) and 'Magnum P.I.' (0.5) both lost a tenth on CBS while 'Blue Bloods' (0.4) was in repeat-mode. The CW had a surprisingly solid night (by their standards) as 'Whose Line Is It Anyway' (0.2) and 'Penn & Teller' (0.2) both rose a tenth.

Finals Update: 'WWE Smackdown' (0.7, +0.1) adjusted up on Fox.

What’s In Demand: Star Trek and SVU Lead, NCIS: LA and MacGyver Strong, Bob Hearts Abishola Lags Behind

  

Friday TV Ratings 1/8/21: Shark Tank Ties Season High for Midseason Premiere, Blue Bloods and 20/20 Also Rise (UPDATED)

Preliminary Analysis: Back after a month-long hiatus, ABC's 'Shark Tank' (0.8) rose two-tenths and matched its season high. While the longtime reality series did top the night, it was likely fueled by having Alex Trebek's final 'Jeopardy' episode as a lead-in in some areas. '20/20' (0.6) also rose two-tenths in the 10pm hour. 'MacGyver' (0.5) held even for its return on CBS but 'Magnum PI' (0.6) and 'Blue Bloods' (0.6) inched up to new season highs. Fox's 'WWE Smackdown' (0.5) tied its previous episode but couldn't quite reach the heights of Christmas evening. NBC aired a pair of 'Mr. Mayor' encores (0.4/0.3) and a steady 'Dateline' (0.4). The CW had 'Whose Line' (0.1/0.1) and 'Penn & Teller' (0.1).

Finals Update: MacGyver (+0.1), WWE SmackDown (+0.1) and the repeats of Mr. Mayor (+0.1 each) and Whose Line Is It Anyway? (+0.1) adjusted up.

Friday TV Ratings 12/18/20: Shrek the Halls and Olaf’s Frozen Adventure Perform Decently, MacGyver Steady, College Football Leads (UPDATED)

Preliminary Analysis: 'Shark Tank' took the night off on ABC, replaced by Christmas specials 'Olaf's Frozen Adventure' (0.5) and 'Shrek the Halls' (0.5). 'Olaf' matched what it garnered when it aired last month (0.5) while 'Shrek' was two-tenths below last year (0.7). A steady edition of '20/20' (0.4) closed out the alphabet network's evening. CBS's 'MacGyver' (0.4) inched down to a new series low but 'Magnum PI' (0.5) and 'Blue Bloods' (0.5) clung to last week's numbers. Fox won the night altogether with 'College Football' (0.7). NBC offered up a repeat of 'Weakest Link' (0.4) and a low-rated 'Dateline' (0.3). The CW had a double-pump of 'The Christmas Caroler Challenge' (0.1/0.1).

Finals Update: 'PAC-12 Champsionship' (+0.2), 'MacGyver' (+0.1), and the repeat of 'Dateline NBC' (+0.1) adjusted up.

Friday TV Ratings 12/11/20: Shark Tank Down for Last Episode of 2020, WWE SmackDown Leads, CBS Dramas Steady (UPDATED)

Preliminary Analysis: It was a lackluster night on ABC as 'Shark Tank' (0.5) and '20/20' (0.4) both lost a tenth when compared to their last episodes. The pair was a good bit behind a steady edition of 'WWE Smackdown' (0.6) on Fox. The wrestling program managed to top the night as a result. CBS was stable across the board with 'MacGyver' (0.5), 'Magnum PI' (0.5), and 'Blue Bloods' (0.5), all three matching their week-ago premieres. NBC went with a repeat of 'Weakest Link' (0.4) and a 'Dateline' original (0.4). The CW had the return of 'The Christmas Caroler Challenge' (0.1).

Finals Update: 'Shark Tank' (0.6, +0.1) adjusted up.