Sound Off! March 22, 2025: FOX Tells Dad Jokes and Could Expand Animation As TBS and Cable Sell Out

 

What is it with networks turning their backs on scripted programming?  Just yesterday, representatives from TBS announced they were declining additional episodes after the season 21 of American Dad finale which airs on Monday, March 24.  The leading cable network, known in past lifetimes as cable's super station, acquired American Dad in 2014 as FOX sought to shake up their Animation Domination block.  The series continued successfully for another 10 seasons on TBS, rating highly until recent seasons.  Ratings were not to blame per se but rather the network decided to do away with original scripted programming, because filler reality shows like Impractical Jokers are FAR superior.  Right....

15 years ago, cable networks had an embarrassment of riches with hit programming which paved the way for hits such as Bates Motel, Breaking Bad, American Horror Story and Walking Dead.  During this trend, American Dad found the perfect niche on TBS which invested in securing original comedies.  Flash forward to the end of the decade, and several cable networks decided to turn their backs on scripted programming following decreasing subscriptions from fed-up viewers tired of price increases and cutting the cord.  While alternative services such as DirectTV Now, YouTube and Sling displayed cable networks, price hikes hit all providers and cancellations continued to ensue.  First, networks such as A&E pulled their name out of the scripted runners instead shifting to unscripted.  It seemed like a small trickle of what was to come.  

Only 5 short years ago, original scripted series could be located on several channels from not only TBS and TNT, but also FX, USA, TV Land, Freeform, SyFy and too many worthy mentions.  After several scandalous mergers such as the Warner Bros./Discovery consolidated and caused divides, cable networks opted to cut costs and turned off the free-flowing faucet of creative scripted series.  And now, TBS, once the gold standard which helped found and drive cable, joins them and turned their backs on American Dad.

Out of this insulting dismissal, a beacon of hope has come for broadcast TV.  FOX, which is in ruins with aging animated series, underwhelming dramas and too many frivolous unscripted series to count, has a chance to enhance their sagging lineup.  True, majority of the "successful" animated series are all over 15 seasons and the newbies such as critically panned Krapopolis proliferating over the newer entries, it could lead to an expansion on other evenings or building a sturdier Sunday lineup throughout the season.  Given NBC is out of the ring with scripted programming on Tuesdays and CBS apparently needs to rebuild following discarding the FBI spinoffs, FOX may have a fertile ground to regrow the ruins of this evening.

FOX has opted against moving The Simpsons, despite years earlier they used it as the perfect weapon to take a bite out of Must-See-TV Thursdays and juxtaposed it against aging hit The Cosby Show.  Would moving Simpsons to Tuesday at 8pm for the earlier part of the season during NFL present a glowing opportunity to not only allow viewers to recommit to the aged series without games disrupting?  It has lost much of lead-in power in recent seasons to launch hits, but may be paired nicely during the earlier portions of the season with Family Guy in a power lineup.  And over on Sundays, let viewers fall in love with American Dad again on Sundays at 8pm, followed by a newer series sandwiched between Bob's Burgers at 9:00 and another filler after.  

This configuration would not only allow the weaker of the animated helpings enjoy the NFL-inflated numbers, but also call upon a strategy CBS used in the early 2010's when they were seeking to colonize a new Thursday Night evening of comedies and sent The Big Bang Theory on a train to a new evening where its audience amassed.  CBS moved sturdy hits Two and a Half Men and TBBT to 8:00 on Thursdays, branding it as America's best comedy hour.  The strategy worked as ABC struggled for years to locate a hit during that hour, and NBC lost its branding dominance of Must-See-TV.  As the block gained momentum, CBS split the comedies with TBBT anchoring 8:00 and Two and a Half Men holding down 9:00 during the 2013-14 season.  Results were mixed as Two and a Half Men aged, but it did allot CBS to hold a solid bed of two hours of comedies straight through to 2022.

The move of course would not be permanent for Simpsons, which could slide back to Sundays in February and allot another show to take their timeslot (or rotate American Dad).  CBS used rotation powers with The Big Bang Theory after acquiring Thursday Night Football for the first 5 weeks of the season starting in 2014, rotating TBBT to Mondays to lead the block and establish newer pilots on that evening.  While Simpsons doesn't quite possess the power to launch new series, it could present comfort food paired with fellow aging companion Family Guy in a Tuesday colony and help FOX give its series longer displays of episodes.

Can the animated series help bring FOX into a positive chapter and give it some clout again?  And would moving a worthy and strong show like The Simpsons to Tuesdays help re-energize not only FOX's tired lineup but get viewers to pay attention again?  Sound off and pick a bone with conversations in the comments below.

Full Frontal with Samantha Bee Canceled by TBS

The mass exodus of TBS programming continues, as the network is now saying goodbye to its long-running late night series Full Frontal With Samantha Bee after seven seasons. The series, hosted by former Daily Show correspondent Samantha Bee, debuted on the network in 2016 to strong ratings. Ratings have declined over the years, with its most recent final season notching a 54% decline as it moved from Wednesdays to Thursdays. The series will not return for additional episodes this fall after its customary summer break, and its June 23 episode will now function as its series finale. Full Frontal aired 218 episodes over its run.

Cable Renew/Cancel - TBS, TruTV, Comedy Central & FXX - The Last OG On Shaky Ground

There hasn't been an update to the TBS, TruTV, Comedy Central and FXX renew/cancel in months, and many shows have either premiered, been renewed, or been canceled since then. Keep reading for updates on The Last OG, The Misery Index, Tacoma FD, Dave and more!

Cable Renew/Cancel - TBS, TruTV, Comedy Central & FXX: Samantha Bee Shows In Strong Positions

It's time for the return of our cable renew/cancel centering on programs on TBS, TruTV and Comedy Central! This time, however, FXX joins the fold! These comedy-centric networks have premiered multiple shows since out last update, so keep reading to see where Miracle Workers, It's Personal, Dave and more land!

TBS:

Show	Status
Full Frontal With Samantha Bee	Certain Renewal
Miracle Workers	Likely Renewal
The Last OG	Returns April 7
The Misery Index	Returns TBA
American Dad!	Renewed
The Detour	Canceled
The Guest Book	Canceled
Chad	Premieres TBA
Obliterated	Premieres TBA

(Note: click any show with its name highlighted in blue to see the ratings for its most recent season.)

Miracle Workers: It's been completely revamped this season, due to its anthology premise, but otherwise Miracle Workers looks to be in the same position it was in last season. It started high this season but dropped throughout the season, while still posting decent numbers. TBS has been pretty ruthless lately with canceling scripted shows lately despite having solid performances, with both The Detour and The Guest Book being solid performers canceled before the ratings warranted it. TBS seems to be making an attempt to shake up their brand, adding dramas and axing some of their veteran comedies, but I'd bet on Miracle Workers surviving this season. It's a solid performer for them, and it starts as a LIKELY RENEWAL.

Full Frontal with Samantha Bee: Not only is this show a consistent collector of Emmy nominations, it's also a consistent ratings performer, pumping out solid ratings every week. TBS is clearly happy with its performance given that it's now in season five and is performing relatively the same now as it has the past few years, and it's a CERTAIN RENEWAL.

TruTV:

Show	Status
It's Personal with Amy Hoggart	Likely Renewal
The Carbonaro Effect	Likely Renewal
Adam Ruins Everything	Likely Renewal
Hot Ones: The Game Show	Likely Renewal
Laff Mobb’s Laff Tracks	Leans Renewal
Paid Off with Michael Torpey	Leans Cancellation
Jon Glaser Loves Gear	Likely Cancellation
I'm Sorry	Returns TBA
At Home with Amy Sedaris	Returns TBA
Tacoma FD	Returns March 26
Impractical Jokers	Renewed
Hack My Life	Essentially Canceled
Rachel Dratch's Late Night Snack	Essentially Canceled
Bobcat Goldthwait’s Misfits & Monsters	Essentially Canceled

It's Personal with Amy Hoggart: Producer by Samantha Bee and starring Full Frontal correspondent Amy Hoggart, this show had an unusual launch for a TruTV show, airing on both TBS and Tru on premiere night. That strategy helped it draw a far higher premiere rating than it otherwise would have. Though it's averaging a 0.08 for its two TruTV-exclusive episodes, that's still a solid number for TruTV, higher than most of their shows outside of the hit Impractical Jokers. There's always a chance it could drop even lower in the upcoming episodes and warrant a cancellation, it starts off in a pretty solid position. TruTV shows have a tendency to simply disappear without really getting canceled, but I don't think that'll happen in this case. It's a LIKELY RENEWAL.

Comedy Central:

Show	Status
Bill Burr Presents: The Ringers	Leans Cancellation
Alternatino with Arturo Castro	Leans Cancellation
Klepper	Likely Cancellation
Tosh.0	Returns March 17
South Park	Returns TBA
The Other Two	Returns TBA
Drunk History	Returns TBA
South Side	Returns TBA
Crank Yankers	Renewed
Awkwafina Is Nora From Queens	Renewed
Corporate	Renewed for Final Season
The Jim Jefferies Show	Canceled

Alternatino: In the last update, I marked this show as being in a decent position for renewal. At this point, though, I think the tides have turned. It wasn't a terribly strong performer to begin with, and it's been some time since it last aired. While a show such as this one could simply be silently renewed and only have an official announcement a few months ahead of its new season, I don't know if that's the case here. Star Arturo Castro has joined the cast of a new show, and while that's not necessarily a death knell because both are short-order shows, it's not a great sign. It now LEANS CANCELLATION.

FXX:

Show	Status
It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia	Certain Renewal
Dave	Likely Renewal
Cake	Leans Renewal
Archer	Returns May 6

Dave: FXX shows aren't expected to be massive performers. They have few shows so as it is, and even their top show, It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia, is now barely averaging a rounded 0.2. Their new show Dave is doing satisfactory so far, with a 0.11 average for the three episodes it's aired thus far. Even though it hit a 0.08 last week, that's actually higher than the new comedy on the main network FX, which received a 0.07. With a lower threshold for renewal, Dave is in pretty good shape, especially considering how fellow FXX show Cake was granted a second season despite far worse numbers. It's a LIKELY RENEWAL.

What do you think of my predictions? What are your predictions? Let me know in the comments and don't forget to vote in the poll!

Cable Renew/Cancel - TBS, Tru, & Comedy Central: The Guest Book Will be Reopened in 2019

It's been awhile since our last update, and there's been a lot of renewals and cancellations in the world of cable, some coming from TBS, TruTV and Comedy Central. Stay tuned for updates on predictions, plus updates on the fates of some shows.

TBS:

Show	Status
Drop the Mic	Certain Renewal
The Joker’s Wild	Certain Renewal
Wrecked	Likely Renewal
The Guest Book	Likely Renewal
Angie Tribeca	Returning TBA
Search Party	Returning TBA
The Last OG	Returning TBA
Final Space	Returning In 2019
Close Enough	Premieres In 2018
Miracle Workers	Premieres In 2019
Full Frontal with Samantha Bee	Renewed
American Dad!	Renewed
Tarantula	Canceled
People of Earth	Canceled

The Guest Book: While it's not showing the strength it showed in its first season, The Guest Book is still one of TBS's higher-rated series. It recently went as high as 0.36, a season high and a number that's close to its first-season average. It may have weakened over the long break, but fans of The Guest Book shouldn't fear: it starts off as a likely renewal, with potential for a status upgrade if it keeps in its current range.

Wrecked: While it didn't seem like TBS cared all that much about the third season of Wrecked, the show did pretty well anyway. Its average is closer to The Joker's Wild than it is to The Guest Book or The Detour, but it still made for solid Tuesday night fare. Its finale rating is somewhat-concerning, but it's probably coming back regardless. It'll start as a likely renewal, but it may be due for a downgrade in the future if its fate remains unannounced.

TruTV:

Show	Status
The Carbonaro Effect	Certain Renewal
Hack My Life	Leans Renewal
Bobcat Goldthwait’s Misfits & Monsters	Likely Cancellation
Rachel Dratch’s Late Night Snack	Likely Cancellation
Adam Ruins Everything	Returning In 2018
I’m Sorry	Returning In January
Those Who Can’t	Returning In January
At Home with Amy Sedaris	Returning In Early 2019
Impractical Jokers	Renewed
Paid Off with Michael Torpey	Renewed
The Chris Gethard Show	Canceled
Talk Show the Game Show	Canceled

Talk Show the Game Show: I left this in the leans renewal category before, but I was doubtful. And now, as confirmed by host Guy Branum, the show has been canceled. This is an incorrect prediction, and one that I'm quite frankly kicking myself over.

Paid Off with Michael Torpey: TruTV's renewal/cancellation decisions weren't all bad for our prediction record, as they renewed new game show Paid Off for another season, despite less-than-stellar ratings.

Hack My Life: Despite ratings that are in-line with Paid Off, Hack My Life is still waiting on its renewal. While I still expect that to come eventually, it's a little worrying that it hasn't happened, despite the show wrapping for the season in early September. I'm downgrading it to leans renewal,

Comedy Central:

Show	Status
The Jim Jefferies Show	Likely Renewal
Detroiters	Leans Cancellation
Another Period	Likely Cancellation
The President Show	Returning TBA
Corporate	Returning In January
Drunk History	Returning In January
Broad City	Ending In 2019
South Park	Renewed
Tosh.0	Renewed
Nathan For You	Canceled
Idiotsitter	Effectively Canceled

Idiotsitter: Despite the lack of an official cancellation by Comedy Central, I'm considering this show as canceled from here on. After this long off the air, its odds of returning are non-existent.

What do you think of these predictions? What are your predictions? Let us know in the comments below and don't forget to vote in the poll of the week!