Weekly Roundup: 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 throughout the week, be sure to follow the Cancelled Sci Fi Twitter Site
Ratings Results of Interest
Genre shows on the cable networks are really struggling to find an audience these days and Starz’s American Gods continues that trend with its Season 3 premiere on Sunday. It managed only a 0.04 rating based on same-day viewing for the 18-49 demographic with 204K total viewers. Starz is a premium cable channel, so the same-day numbers are not as important, but they do act as a leading indicator. The ratings are down from the already marginal 0.10 score the show averaged in its second season, so this is definitely not a good start. I have been saying for a while that this show’s third season will likely be its last, and these numbers seem to back that up.
Over on BBC America on Sunday, The Watch slipped a tick to a 0.04 rating with 248K total viewers, making this yet another cable entry that is not off to a good start this January. Sundays are particularly competitive right now, especially with NFL playoff games, but I have a hard time believing this one will improve much over the coming weeks, even after football is out of Prime Time. It will get moved to Bubble status next week unless the numbers make a turnaround.
ShowBuzzDaily has started taking the ratings result for the broadcast network shows to two decimals now, almost certainly because several CW shows were netting a 0.0 score when rounded to a tenth point. There were only two genre entries airing in Prime Time this past week, but more are on the way shortly. On Friday, MacGyver improved to a 0.59 rating with 5.2 million total viewers as its prospects for a sixth season continue to look good. And On Thursday, the encore run of Star Trek: Discovery managed only a 0.15 rating with 1.6 million total viewers.
Below are the linear numbers for all the sci fi and fantasy entries from the past week. You can see more detailed ratings info for the week at this link. Be sure to follow the Cancelled Sci Fi Twitter Site for the latest results and breaking news. For more info on what the ratings mean and how I use them to gauge the status of a show, check out our Cancelled Sci Fi FAQ Page. Ratings Source: ShowBuzzDaily
Ratings Results for the Week of 1/4/21
| Series | Rating / Tot Viewers |
| His Dark Materials (HBO) Mon 8 PM | Season Ended |
| Star Trek Discovery (CBS) Thu 10 PM | Rtg: 0.15 / Tot Vwrs: 1.6M |
| MacGyver (CBS) Fri 8 PM | Rtg: 0.59 / Tot Vwrs: 5.2M |
| The Watch (BBCA) Sun 8 PM | Rtg: 0.04 ↓ / Tot Vwrs: 248K |
| American Gods (Starz) Sun 8 PM | Rtg: 0.04 / Tot Vwrs: 209K |
| The Outpost (CW) Sun 9 PM | On Hiatus |
Sci Fi TV News of Note
The CW has decided not to move forward with the Arrow-verse spin-off series Green Arrow and the Canaries. The pilot for that series aired as an episode of Arrow last season and it was being considered as an addition to the network’s schedule for the 2021-22 season. The prequel spin-off for that network’s recently concluded sci fi series The 100 is still alive, though, and could run concurrently on The CW and HBO Max . . . The Loki series will debut on Disney+ in May of this year and a second season of that show may already be in the cards. According to Deadline, showrunner Michael Waldron’s new deal with Disney includes a second season of that along with other projects. That does not count as a firm renewal, but consider it a strong vote for the show to continue past its initial run . . . The long-in-development sequel series to Willow has lost director and executive producer John M. Chu. In a statement, he indicated that he will be departing from the Disney+ series for personal reasons. The production is still moving forward, though, with filming set to start later this year.
Status Updates of Interest
For the status updates on all of the currently airing shows plus those awaiting word on their fate, go to this link.
Pandora (CW, 2nd Season Ended, Status – Renewal Possible): This show’s ratings slipped while airing on highly competitive Sunday nights this past Fall. It is an acquisition for The CW, though, intended to pad out the network’s scripted programming (typically in Summer, but it got moved to Fall due to the shutdowns), so it still has a chance of returning for a third season.
The Outpost (CW, Airing 3rd Season, Status – Renewed): The CW has ordered thirteen additional episodes of this show, though those have not been officially referred to as a fourth season. At this point, consider it a possibility that those eps are designed to wrap up the show’s storylines. More on that at this link. The show will likely resume airing new episodes in Summer 2021.
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