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: Two shows had their debuts last week on the cable nets, with one returning down while the other sustained its prior year viewership. On Wednesday, Syfy’s The Magicians had its fourth season debut and posted a 0.19 rating with 611K total viewers. That is down notably from the 0.30 score the show had for its third season bow and also down from last year’s 0.26 ratings average. But it is still Syfy’s best rated show and does have a very active following on the social networks. And this one was renewed for a fifth season prior to its fourth season debut. On Thursday, Freeform’s Siren returned for its second season and posted a 0.23 rating with 709K total viewers. That is down from its first season debut, which pulled a 0.30 score, but slightly above its 0.22 average last year. If it holds around its current range, then it should be on track for a third season renewal.
On Tuesday of last week, The CW’s The Flash improved slightly to a 0.7 rating with 1.9 million total viewers while Roswell New Mexico held steady from the prior week at a 0.4 rating with 1.2 million total viewers. On the History Channel, Project Blue Book improved to a 0.38 rating with 1.9 million total viewers as that one looks to be on target for a second season renewal. Over on FOX, The Gifted remained firmly On the Bubble at a 0.5 rating with 1.8 million total viewers.
On Wednesday, Syfy’s Deadly Class dropped over forty percent to a 0.13 rating with 438K total viewers for its second episode. I expected less of a drop from that one since the pilot episode had been available for online viewing for close to a month before its premiere. I’m not raising a red flag yet, but we will have to keep an eye on how it tracks in the coming weeks.
On Thursday, NBC’s The Good Place slipped to a 0.7 rating with 2.4 million total viewers for its season finale, but that one has already been renewed for a fourth year. On FOX, The Orville held stead at a 0.7 rating with 3.2 million total viewers while Gotham slipped to a 0.6 rating with 2.4 million total viewers. On The CW, Legacies returned from hiatus even with its Fall average pulling a 0.3 rating with one million total viewers.
On Sunday, The CW’s Supergirl held steady with last week at a 0.3 rating with 1.3 million total viewers while Charmed improved to a 0.3 rating with 884K total viewers. Over on Starz, Outlander was down just a tick for its season finale to a 0.23 rating with 1.5 million total viewers. It has already been renewed through a sixth season. In the lead-out hour, Counterpart slipped to 0.05 rating with with 262K total viewers as that one will need to rely on its global viewing to survive to a third season.
I covered last week’s Monday shows in the prior Weekly Roundup post, and most of the other sci fi and fantasy shows remained steady from last week. 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
What’s to watch on the Streaming Services? Click on the following links for a comprehensive list of the Sci Fi TV Shows available on Netflix | Prime Video | Hulu | Other
News Roundup: IFC’s horror comedy Stan Against Evil has been cancelled after three seasons as the Peak TV crunch seems to be taking its toll on the basic cable shows living on ratings scraps. In the Scorecard, FOX’s The Passage and Syfy’s Deadly Class both debuted in the Top 10, though both are expected to drop out this week after declining ratings. In development news, there are talks that Chad Stahelski’s Highlander reboot could become a TV series. And Bright Wright is currently working with MGM to try and revive the Stargate franchise.
Status Updates: IFC Cancels Stan Against Evil after Three Seasons
Below are the status updates for 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.
Currently Airing / Streaming:
Arrow (CW, Status – Renewal Likely): With the Crisis on Infinite Earths cross-over event (aka Project: Purge the Arrow-verse) scheduled for next season, Arrow looks to be assured to return for an eighth year. Whether that will be the show’s last remains to be seen. I go into more detail on the impact of the Crisis cross-over at this link.
Black Lightning (CW, Status – Renewal Possible): The numbers are down for this show in its second year and it will not have too many episodes under its belt by season end. The CW prefers to renew shows rather than cancel them, but with the waning popularity of its superhero entries, this one could be the first casualty if its ratings remain low.
Charmed (CW, Status – Renewal Possible): The same day ratings for this show may not be great on highly competitive Sunday nights, but it is one of the most watched shows in digital viewing on the network’s website and app. Since The CW has better adapted to the 21st century than the other broadcast nets, it factors online viewing more heavily into its model, and I would say this show has a good chance at a second season renewal.
Counterpart (Starz, Status – On the Bubble): This show has been well-received by critics but has yet to find much of an audience in the States. Its ratings were low in its first year, and it only survived to a second season because it was renewed in advance. This year it is barely registering in the ratings and I have to consider it very much On the Bubble. The show’s studio has international deals in place that could prop it up, but fans should probably stage a Call to Action on the social networks to give the show a boost.
Deadly Class (Syfy, Status – Renewal Possible): The premiere for this show pulled the highest numbers that Syfy has seen for a scripted show so far this season, but it did slip notably with its second episode. We will have to see how it tracks in the coming weeks.
The Flash (CW, Status – Renewal Likely): The ratings for The Flash are down year-over-year, but it is still the network’s top-rated show and should be back for a sixth season to participate in the Crisis on Infinite Earths cross-over event (aka Project: Purge the Arrow-verse). I go into more detail on the potential impact of that at this link.
The Gifted (FOX, Status – Renewal Possible): This show is down notably year over year and it is not getting the same lift from delayed viewing that it was seeing last year. FOX owns the show and it is part of the X-Men franchise, so that works in its favor. But seeing as it is currently one of the network’s lowest rated shows (and is certainly expensive to produce) it has to be counted as very much On the Bubble and could definitely use a Call to Action from fans.
God Friended Me (CBS, Status – Renewal Possible): This feel-good show’s numbers in the 18-49 demo are just passable, but it continues to rank in the Top 25 based on total viewers each week. It fits in well with the CBS brand and I consider it more likely than not to return for a second year, but we will see how it tracks in the second half of the season with no boost from NFL games.
Gotham (FOX, Status – Final Season): The ratings have been on a downturn for this one the last few seasons, but FOX elected to bring it back for one more year to wrap up up the origin of Batman.
The Good Place (NBC, Status – Renewed): This show received the expected renewal even though its numbers have been down from its second season average. It is still doing well enough for an NBC show on highly competitive Thursday nights and it sees decent gains in delayed viewing, plus it is still drawing some good reviews from critics. Expect another season or two from this one.
Legacies (CW, Status – Renewal Possible): This one has not gotten off to a great start based same day ratings, but it is one of the most watched shows in digital viewing on the network’s website and app. Since The CW has adapted to the 21st century better than the other broadcast nets, it factors online viewing more heavily into its model, and I would say this show has a good chance at a second season renewal.
Legends of Tomorrow (CW, Status – Renewal Possible): This show is at series low levels so far in its fourth season, but I believe it will be back for at least one more year to participate in the Crisis on Infinite Earths cross-over event (aka Project: Purge the Arrow-verse). Whether it continues beyond that remains to be seen which I discuss in more detail at this link. LoT returns in April with new episodes.
MacGyver (CBS, Status – Renewal Likely): This show’s ratings are down from last year’s levels, but that likely will not matter. It is owned by CBS and it will have three full seasons after this year, so it is worth it to the network to keep it going at least one more season to get it to the episode threshold the syndication market prefers. Also, it plugs up and hour on low-viewership Fridays.
The Magicians (Syfy, Status – Renewed): This show’s fourth season debut was down from last year’s numbers, but it is still the highest rated show on Syfy overall. It has already been renewed for a fifth season, so it is safe for at least one more year.
Manifest (NBC, Status – Renewal Possible): This show got off to a strong start based on same day viewing early in the Fall, but saw its numbers slip as the season progressed. But it has remained one of the most-watched broadcast network shows based on Live+7 delayed viewing. Rumor is that NBC has already renewed the show for a second season, but I am currently waiting for an official announcement.
The Orville (FOX, Status – Renewal Possible): This show returned with good ratings for its Season 2 debut, getting a boost from NFL Football with a special Sunday airing, but its numbers are down in its regular Thursday timeslot. It continues to perform well in Live+7 delayed viewing like last year, but fans might want to start prepping a Call to Action campaign just in case.
Outlander (Starz, Status – Renewed): This show’s number are down in its fourth season, but Starz pays less attention to the same day viewing and more to the total airings for the week plus online viewing. This is an established franchise for the network that performs well overseas and it has already been renewed through a sixth season.
The Passage (FOX, Status – Renewal Possible): This show pulled decent debut numbers for its network and has been getting some pretty good buzz early on. If it does not drop too much, it could be on track for a second season renewal.
Project Blue Book (History, Status – Renewal Possible): This show got off to a decent start for a cable series these days and has been able to hold on to its audience through the first few weeks of its first season. If it holds around current levels then it should be on target for a second season renewal.
Riverdale (CW, Status – Renewal Likely): This show is only down slightly from last year’s numbers and it tends to get plenty of attention on the social networks. It also performs very well in its encore runs on Netflix and is on the verge of the syndication stretch. Expect it to be back for at least one more season if not more.
Roswell New Mexico (CW, Status – Renewal Possible): This one has started out with decent numbers for the fifth place network and I expect it will also perform well in digital viewing. If so, it should stick around for a second season.
Siren (Freeform, Status – Renewal Possible): This show’s second season debut was slightly higher than its ratings average from its first year which definitely counts as a win in the current ratings-challenged environment. If it does not slip too much in the coming weeks, then a third season renewal looks like a good bet.
Supergirl (CW, Status – Renewal Possible): This show is down from last season’s numbers, but it has still done quite well for The CW’s first foray into Sunday night programming in a decade, and I expect it to be back to participate in the Crisis on Infinite Earths cross-over event (aka Project: Purge the Arrow-verse). Whether the show continues beyond its fifth season remains to be seen which I look at in more detail at this link.
Supernatural (CW, Status – Renewal Possible): This venerable genre entry remains one of the better-rated shows on The CW. The network boss has already said that this one will continue as long as the lead actors want to stay with the show, so whether it has a fifteenth season is largely up to them.
Star Wars Resistance (Disney, Status – Renewed): This show’s numbers are on the low side, but then animated series tend to live and die more by their merchandising than overnight ratings results. It has been renewed for a second season that will debut in Fall 2019.
The Walking Dead (AMC, Status – Renewal Likely): The post-Rick Grimes era has not led to an improvement in the ratings for this show, but TWD still continues to rank as the top scripted series on cable and also outperforms most broadcast network shows. Expect at least a tenth season from this one if not more.
Season Ended But Still Awaiting Renewal / Cancellation Decision:
The Haunting of Hill House (Netflix, Status – Renewal Possible): This show was promoted as a “limited series”, but the response has been pretty good thus far and Netflix could decided to extend that limited run into a second season.
Humans (AMC, Status – On the Bubble): This show’s numbers were down in its third season, and AMC kicked it 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.
Mars (NGC, Status – Renewal Possible): This show’s same day viewing numbers were down notably in its second year, but it relies more heavily on its global viewership stats. I consider a third season possible, though Nat Geo may decide to wrap it up at that point.
Nightflyers (Syfy, Status – On the Bubble): This show debuted with passable numbers for a Syfy series, but airing it on consecutive nights did not work in its favor as it was not able to sustain its nightly viewership. It may have done better in digital viewing, but Syfy is apparently keeping those numbers under wraps. A second season is still possible as the network tends to renew freshmen shows to give them a chance to build up an audience, but I consider that very much a tossup at this point which I discuss in more detail at this link.
Origin (YouTube, Status – Renewal Possible): This show has flown under the radar since its debut in November, but it is receiving mostly positive buzz thus far. YouTube is in the early stages of ramping up its scripted programming for its premium service, so it will likely stick by its shows and give this one at least one more season to find an audience.
Stan Against Evil (IFC, Status – Cancelled): IFC has cancelled this show despite the fact that it has performed well enough compared to the other originals on that network. Its numbers were down in its third season, though, and the Peak TV crunch is making it getting harder for the basic cable networks to sustain original programming on ratings scraps. More on that at this link.
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