Cancellation Watch Weekly Roundup: The Outpost Starts Low, Salvation Slips

Ratings results and status updates on all the currently airing sci fi & fantasy shows as well as those still awaiting word on their fates. For the latest ratings updates, be sure to follow the Cancelled Sci Fi Twitter Site

Ratings Results of Interest: The Outpost Barely Registers With Its Debut

On Tuesday, The CW’s new fantasy series The Outpost had its debut but managed only a 0.1 rating based on same day viewing for the 18-49 demographic with 770K total viewers. Those numbers would be disastrous on any of the other broadcast networks, but for The CW they do not necessarily mean the show is doomed. That one is actually an acquisition for the network to fill up some space on the schedule during the Summer months, and it likely does not come at a high price tag. The series is airing on Syfy over in Europe, and if it does well internationally The CW could keep it going here in the States if a second season is produced. Still, I will be starting it out On the Bubble because those numbers are pretty darn low.




On Monday, CBS’ Salvation slipped to a 0.3 rating with 2.6 million total viewers and its chances of surviving to a third season continue to slip despite its streaming deal. On Wednesday, NBC’s Reverie held at a 0.4 rating with 2.2 million total viewers, but that one still looks like it is heading down the one-season-and-done route. Over on USA, Colony slipped to a 0.13 rating with 659K total viewers as that one continues to struggle in its third season.

On Thursday, Freeform’s Cloak & Dagger held at a 0.18 rating with 539K total viewers, and it could survive if it holds around these levels.  On Sunday, AMC’s Preacher held at a 0.21 rating with 750K total viewers, but its numbers are down from last year and it remains On the Bubble.

You can see the full ratings results for the week at this link, and be sure to follow the Cancelled Sci Fi Twitter Site for the latest results and breaking news.  Ratings Source: ShowBuzzDaily

In sci fi TV news from this past week, the animated series The Dragon Prince will be heading to Netflix in September; that one comes from Avatar: The Last Airbender‘s head writer Aaron Ehasz. Jason Momoa has been cast in a lead role in Apple’s upcoming epic sci fi series See. Game of Thrones once again wracked up plenty of Emmy nominations while Netflix got the most nominations of any network. You can read about those stories and more in the latest This Week in Sci Fi TV column.

Status Updates: Salvation‘s Chances for Salvation Are Slipping

Below is the status of all the currently airing shows or those still awaiting word on their fate.  This does not include streaming shows, unless there is information worth mentioning, because there is typically too little data available to gauge their fates. You can click through to the show pages to see week-over-week ratings results (where available) and find out more information about the series.  You can see the status of all the currently airing and returning sci fi TV shows at the Cancellation Watch Page.

The 100 (CW, Status – Renewed): This show returned for its fifth season posting decent numbers for The CW with The Flash as its lead-in, though it has dropped off some in Summer while airing on its own. It has been renewed for a sixth season which will get it close enough to the episode threshold that should get it a profitable syndication deal. Whether the show’s upcoming season will be its last is uncertain at this point, but consider that a strong likelihood.

Altered Carbon (Netflix, Status – On the Bubble): There has been no word yet on a second season renewal for this show, and series star Joel Kinnaman has moved on to a new gig.  Its viewership has been on the low side for a Netflix entry according to Nielsen, and the show received mixed reviews from critics.  It is possible that this could be a rare one-season-and-done sci fi causality for this streaming service.

Cloak and Dagger (Freeform, Status – Renewal Possible): This show debuted with good numbers for a Freeform entry, but it has fluctuated notably since its debut. Its numbers have looked better the past couple of weeks and in its favor is the fact that Disney owns the network and the show and tends to stand behind its Marvel related entries at least through a second season.

Colony (USA, Status – On the Bubble): This show’s third season ratings are down by over 30% from last year, and it really seems to be struggling to maintain its audience this Summer. I currently have it On the Bubble and fans need to make some noise in support of this show on the social networks if they want it to survive to a fourth season.

Fear the Walking Dead (AMC, Status – Renewal Possible): This show has been doing well in its fourth season, but with the cast changes and the new story direction in its fourth season it seems almost like AMC is in the process of rebooting it.  It returns from hiatus on August 12th and I am guessing the ratings for the second half of the season will heavily dictate its fate.  I still believe it will be back for at least one more year, but I am a little less certain about that at this point.

Ghosted (FOX, Status – Cancelled): Apparently FOX’s claims that they would give this show a chance to prove itself in Summer were not entirely true.  It was slipped on the schedule with almost no notice and aired amidst repeats.  Not surprisingly, the ratings were low and the network pulled the plug after only a few weeks.  It is currently airing its final episodes before getting cast to the TV wasteland.

Humans (AMC, Status – On the Bubble): This show’s numbers have been down, and now AMC has kicked this show out of Prime Time to the 11 PM hour; never a good sign. Its fate is more closely tied to how it is performing in Britain on Channel 4, however, its numbers are down over there as well according to Wikipedia. I have moved it to Bubble status and will probably keep it there until we hear final word on its fate.

Into the Badlands (AMC, Status – On the Bubble): This show wrapped up the first half of its third season with ratings declines of over fifty percent from its second year and remains firmly On the Bubble. Fans should definitely make a Call to Action on the social networks to help it out and maybe bring more attention to it when it returns later this Summer.

The Originals (CW, Status – Final Season): This show is currently airing its final season, though a spin-off titled Legacies will debut in Fall 2018 and will focus on Hope Mikaelson.

The Outpost (CW, Status – On the Bubble): The debut numbers for this one were low even for a CW series, but as an acquisition to fill up space on the Summer schedule it’s not necessarily doomed. If it does well internationally and if it does not cost the network too much, it could be back for another season.

Preacher (AMC, Status – On the Bubble): This showed returned for its third season with ratings down by 42% from last year and I already considered it on iffy ground then. I have it On the Bubble and fans should definitely take to the social networks if they want this one to survive to a fourth season.

Reverie (NBC, Status – Cancellation Likely): This show debuted with tepid numbers even for a Summer entry. It was originally planned for a mid-season start, but was pushed on the schedule suggesting that the network lost faith in it. At this point, it is almost certainly in burn-off mode and I have moved it to Cancellation Likely status. If there are any fans out there, they need to make some noise on the social nets RIGHT NOW to draw attention to the show.

Salvation (CBS, Status – On the Bubble): This show’s numbers continue to slip as do it chances of surviving to a third season. It has a streaming deal that likely makes it profitable for the network, but CBS may prefer to fill the hour with something that will draw more viewers watching live. I consider it firmly On the Bubble and will likely keep it there until we hear word on the show’s fate.

Superstition (Syfy, Status – Cancellation Likely): This show barely registered in the ratings during its first season and was kicked out of its Prime Time slot to 11 PM EST on Thursdays about mid-way through its run.  It has started streaming internationally on Netflix, so perhaps it will get a boost from that, but at this point it appears it will be another one-season-and-done Peak TV casualty.


LAST WEEK: Humans Gets Kicked Out of Prime Time, Cloak and Dagger Improves Read

Author: johnnyjay

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