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: Manifest Takes to the Skies, Fear the Walking Dead Improves
On Monday, the preliminary numbers for the premiere of NBC’s Manifest looked quite good with that show pulling a 2.2 rating based on same day viewing for the 18-49 demographic with 10.3 million total viewers. The show not only took advantage of its lead-in from The Voice, but it actually improved on the 2.1 score that the singing competition had in the hour prior (the first time that the lead-out has built on that show’s audience on a Monday). That’s much better than the premiere for the now-cancelled The Brave in the same timeslot last year and also better than the premiere for Timeless in that hour two years ago (also now cancelled). At this point, Manifest is off to a strong start and could count as an early hit for the season, although a single episode is not a good enough sample yet. If the post-premiere numbers for this one do not drop too much (holding at a 1.5 or above), then it should easily fly into a second year. We will keep a eye on how it tracks over the next few weeks, but this show is definitely flying high at the moment.
On Sunday, AMC’s Fear the Walking Dead saw a nice improvement to its numbers as it posted a 0.69 rating with two million total viewers. The audience appears to have regained interest in that show as it heads into its fourth season finale next week (it has already been renewed for a fifth season). For some reason, there were no ratings results for TNT’s The Last Ship on Sunday. I will get those posted as soon as that is updated.
On Friday, Syfy’s Killjoys improved to a 0.10 rating with 482K total viewers for its season finale. That show will return next year for its final season. Wynonna Earp slipped a bit to a 0.11 rating with 460K total viewers, but it has already been renewed for a fourth season. Cinemax’s Outcast remained low at a 0.03 rating with 93K total viewers and that one is almost certainly done when it wraps up its current season.
On Wednesday, FX’s American Horror Story saw its usual post-season premiere drop as it posted a 1.1 rating with 2.2 million total viewers. But it remained as the top rated cable show for the evening and has already been renewed through a tenth season. On Tuesday, The Purge slipped just a bit to a 0.44 rating with 1.1 million total viewers and it was the fourth highest rated cable show for the night. On Monday, CBS’s Salvation had a 0.4 rating with 2.6 million total viewers for its season finale, and that one likely could be done at this point.
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
The Fall 2018 Season is upon us and brings more than forty new and returning sci fi and fantasy television shows. See our full rundown of the shows at this link and the full schedule at this link.
News Roundup: Netflix has changed the Facebook page for The Defenders to the somewhat broad “Multiple Universes One Home”, leading many to speculate that there would not be second season of that show. However, Marvel TV head Jeph Loeb has said that a second season could still happen and possibly with other heroes. Netflix has announced that they are working on a live-action reboot of Avatar: The Last Airbender with the original show’s creators onboard. ABC is developing another Marvel superhero series that will focus on super-powered female characters.
Status Updates: Killjoys Preps for Its Final Season
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.
American Horror Story (FX, Status – Renewed): This show has returned with decent debut numbers for its eighth season and remains one of the highest rated cable shows on television. FX has already renewed it through its tenth season and could keep it around longer if it continues to draw strong viewership.
Fear the Walking Dead (AMC, Status – Renewed): After getting off to a strong start in its fourth season, the ratings have been on a downward trend for this one, but AMC still renewed it for a fifth year. That does not come as a huge surprise because it is still one of the highest rated cable shows, and the network is likely targeting at least six seasons total for this one to get it to a syndication friendly count of episodes.
Humans (AMC, Status – On the Bubble): This show’s numbers have been down in its third season, and AMC kicked the 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, but its numbers are down over there as well according to Wikipedia. I have moved it to Bubble status and will 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 in June and there is still no word on when it will be back, leading me to wonder if AMC has given up on it (more on that at this link). Its ratings are down over fifty percent from its second year and it remains firmly On the Bubble at this point. Fans should definitely make a Call to Action on the social networks to show that it has a loyal following.
Killjoys (Syfy, Status – Renewed): This show posted series low ratings levels in its fourth season, averaging viewership of less than half of what it saw in its third year. It has already been renewed through a fifth and final season, though, so it should at least have the opportunity to wrap up its storylines.
The Last Ship (TNT, Status – Final Season): This show has had a decent run for TNT, but its numbers have dropped off the last couple of years. The network did decide to bring it back for a fifth and final season to give it a chance to wrap up its storylines.
Manifest (NBC, Status – Renewal Possible): This one pulled very strong numbers for its series premiere and actually built on the lead-in audience from The Voice, the first time a series has accomplished that in the Monday 10 PM EST hour. It will likely see the usual post-premiere drop in its numbers, but as long as it does not slip too much it should be cleared for a second season.
Outcast (MAX, Status – Cancellation Likely): By all appearances, this show appears to be in burn-off mode. The second season already aired in Europe over a year ago and the contracts for the actors have lapsed. The network has indicated that if viewership is strong enough for the second season in the U.S. that they could try to get the cast back, but the show is barely registering in the ratings so it appears to be done.
The Outpost (CW, Status – On the Bubble): The numbers for this one have been 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.
The Purge (USA, Status – Renewal Possible): The debut numbers for this show were good, and it did not suffer too much from the loss curious onlookers after the first episode. USA has billed this one as a “10-Episode Television Event”, but if the ratings hold around current levels the network may extend that.
Preacher (AMC, Status – On the Bubble): This show has wrapped its third season with ratings down by close to 40% 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 has wrapped up its first season and is now awaiting word on its fate. It was originally planned for a mid-season start, but was pushed on the schedule suggesting that the network lost faith in it. Its numbers were pretty low even for a Summer entry, and it didn’t seem to generate much activity on the social networks. 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, otherwise it seems certainly set for a date with the Network Executioner.
Salvation (CBS, Status – On the Bubble): This show’s numbers remain low 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.
Wynonna Earp (Syfy, Status – Renewed): This show has returned even with its prior year ratings and it received a fourth year renewal notice during Comic-Con. It is one of the few shows not experiencing year-over-year declines, but fans should definitely remain active on the social networks to help expand the audience beyond its cult following.
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