The highest-rated sitcom on the NBC lineup will be coming to a close.
 |
| Photo Credit: NBC/Universal |
Sub-demo ratings for Superstore’s sixth season can be found here.
What do you think of this news? Are you a fan of the series? Will you be watching 'Superstore' when it returns in 2021? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.
Since our update last week, NBC brought back The Blacklist from hiatus. Keep reading to see where this veteran show will end up in our rankings!
Thursday, November 12 proved to be the hotbed of where the ratings action took place. NBC's Superstore registered another series low 0.5, leaving many wondering didn't NBC used to monopolize Thursday evenings? Over at CBS, the veterans held strong and newer sitcoms sank as predicted. Young Sheldon ticked up to 0.8, freshman sitcom B-Positive rejected a tenth at 0.5, and Mom held steady at 0.6. Sadly, The Unicorn returned to an all-time CBS sitcom low of 0.4.
Next week marks the return of The Neighborhood and Bob Hearts Abishola, finishing the fall roster with 16 sitcoms before 2021 approaches.
So how come some shows are Certain Renewal vs. Likely Renewal despite "strong" ratings? They are all indeed older sitcoms, but some much older and outsourced. The Simpsons has yet to end despite it should have done do about 19-20 seasons ago. Unless one of the principle voiceover artists passes, this show will continue churning out watered down episodes paling compared to the glorious first 8 seasons. Young Sheldon is in its 4th season and proved on Thursday it is still CBS' strongest player. While Mom continues strong, it is outsourced. Losing principle Anna Faris did free up some capital, and the writing has shown the series could survive if Allison Janney secures a new contract. And despite withering ratings, why is Superstore a Certain Renewal? NBC needs this sitcom to hold together some semblance of the genre and lead to new sitcom life.
Over at ABC, The Goldbergs is inches away from overtaking The Conners but like CBS' Mom is in its 8th season. Hardly original compared to its first 3 seasons, the series is aging and outsourced from Sony. It proves to continue to be a viable player for the network, so it is likely to be renewed. The Conners enjoyed two seasons as ABC's strongest player, but a move to Wednesdays is chipping down the sort-of-revival sitcom. Laurie Metcalf, Sara Gilbert and John Goodman do not come with a cheap price tag, so again contracts are the triggering factor. American Housewife is the youngest among ABC's players in its 5th season and showing sturdy performances, making it Certain Renewal. As for Blackish, it is critically-acclaimed, but alienates viewers causing noticeable drops.
Newer sitcoms on CBS show the weakest signs of survival. B-Positive and The Unicorn did not retain more than 70% of their lead-ins last night, leaving them On the Bubble or lower. COVID-19 showed if sitcoms are weaker, networks are not shy to let the hills run red with casualties. If Mom ends after 8 seasons, CBS could return the 9:00 hour to another run-of-the-mill procedural and bump off both B-Positive and The Unicorn. The same for ABC if The Goldbergs or The Conners ends, another sitcom could be bumped off and the schedule condensed so ABC could shop another drama or inexpensive reality platform. Given ratings are grinding metal on metal, the networks appear to be leaning on going reality, leaving scripted programming to cable and streaming.
Since my last NBC Renew/Cancel, NBC brought back their longest-running sitcom and said "sayonara" to another. Keep reading to see my prediction for Superstore and my final thoughts on Connecting!
Calculations for shows have been updated, without a single certain renewal. The justification lies in the fact that all shows save for Connecting and Bless The Harts are aging veterans over 5 years, two of which are outsourced productions. The Simpsons will likely be the first to be upgraded when more performance is registered, but the remains will be determined deeper into the season. Over at ABC, The Goldbergs is in its 8th Season and now belting out ratings above average. That, coupled with being outsourced from Sony will need more monitoring to determine if a renewal is likely. The Conners is still a strong player, but lost its niche as ABC's sure heavyweight. After a soft 0.8 (0.7 in initial numbers), it is no longer a juggernaut but an above average player, also outsourced.
American Housewife is ABC's youngest player which bounced back nicely after taking a battering of scheduling moves the prior two seasons. However, it hasn't proven itself sturdy enough to hold a lead position in the lineup. If any of the players end this season, AH could find its hair caught with the cancelled show as it circles the drain and ABC trims down the sitcom block further. Blackish is in a similar predicament at its advanced age in its 7th season. It is critically acclaimed, but failed to lead on Tuesday nights. ABC's entire sitcom block fits as a Likely Renewal as all are registering solid-ish numbers, but no one is the beacon for the network's future. NBC would be foolish to hock Superstore as it has once again moved into the network's leading sitcom, but it too is aging and salaries grow expensive as shows move out of the 5th year of production.
CBS is the only network marking sitcom returns for the remainder of 2020 as all 6 of its players return between November 5-16. Next Thursday marks the debut of veterans Young Sheldon and Mom, as well as freshman pilot B-Positive. Can Young Sheldon hang onto ratings above the 1.0 mark? Yearly losses coupled with COVID-19 disruptions could see the series tick down but it will likely remain CBS' lead player. Mom is in the spotlight November 5 as it marks the first episode minus Anna Faris, and a potential bump is anticipated. Readers need to be reminded though the prior season harmed CBS' entire comedy block after losing The Big Bang Theory, and Mom only experienced ratings between 0.7-1.0, often holding to 0.8. The Unicorn gallops in November 12, and surprisingly sturdy Monday players The Neighborhood and Bob Hearts Abishola come home November 16.
To look back at last week's entry, click HERE.
And curious how this season leverages against the prior? Check out the Scorecard from October 6, 2017.
