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, be sure to follow the Cancelled Sci Fi Twitter Site
Ratings Results of Interest: On Wednesday last week, FX’s horror comedy mockumentary What We Do in the Shadows had its series debut and pulled a 0.21 rating based on the same day viewing for the 18-49 demographic with 617K total viewers. Those are okay numbers for a comedy on one of the basic cable channels these days, especially if it is not too expensive to produce, and FX execs will be paying attention to the delaying viewing stats. We will have to see how this one tracks, but if it does not slip too much it could some back for a second season.
Over on Syfy, Happy! returned for its second season, but network execs are certainly not happy with the early returns for that one. It posted only a 0.11 rating with 337K total viewers which puts it at a series low and down by 48% from its first season average. This one may see some gains in delayed viewing and Syfy’s parent company does have an ownership stake in the show, but it is definitely on the low end of acceptable numbers for its network and I am starting it off On the Bubble.
On Sunday, The Walking Dead improved to a 1.9 rating with five million total viewers for its Season 9 finale. That marks a low-point for a season finale for that show, but it is still doing well enough that it should stick around beyond its tenth season which will debut in Fall. Over on Starz, American Gods remained low at a 0.10 rating with 336K total viewers. It has already been renewed for a third season, but that will likely be its last.
On Thursday, The CW’s Legacies improved to a 0.3 rating with 925K total viewers for its season finale even though it only had a repeat of Supernatural as a lead-in. That show has already been renewed for a second season. On Tuesday, The CW’s Roswell New Mexico remained at a 0.2 rating with 916K total viewers as it continues to get little help from The Flash as that show has been frequently preempted or in repeats of late.
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On Monday, AMC’s Into the Badlands slipped in the ratings as expected with no lead-in from The Walking Dead. It dropped 60% to a series low 0.17 rating with 591K total viewers. That will do nothing to get AMC execs to change their minds about cancelling the show.
The other sci fi and fantasy entries remained mostly steady or did not air new episodes during the 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
Call to Action: Several sci fi and fantasy shows are struggling as we head into the final months of the season and several more have already been cancelled. But as we have seen the last few seasons, a strong outpouring of support from fans can convince the networks to change their mind about the cancellation or at least produce a series finale (i.e., Timeless and Shadowhunters) or sway other venues into picking up these shows (i.e., The Expanse and Lucifer). Among the shows currently in need of support from fans are The Orville, Deadly Class, Siren, Origin, Wynonna Earp and more. You can see the full rundown of our Call to Action shows at this link.
News Roundup: Netflix has renewed The Dragon Prince for a third season as confirmed at WonderCon, and The Umbrella Academy has been renewed by that streaming service for a second season. Netflix has also given a second season order to its horror series The Order. YouTube has cancelled its sci fi series Origin after one season but its producers are shopping it around to other venues. In development news, HBO is developing the epic fantasy series Asunda based on the comics from Stranger Worlds, and the upcoming Dark Tower TV series on Amazon will be a reboot of the franchise. You can read about those and more development at this link.
Status Updates: YouTube Cancels Origin But It Is Being Shopped Around
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:
American Gods (Starz, Status – Renewed): Despite the ratings being down for this show from last year, Starz went ahead and renewed it for a third season (more on that at this link). Don’t be surprised if that gets announced as its final season at some point, though.
Arrow (CW, Status – Renewed): This show has been renewed for an 8th season and that will be its last. Expect it to wrap up with next season’s Crisis on Infinite Earths cross-over event which will bring major changes to the Arrow-verse.
Charmed (CW, Status – Renewed): 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 has given this one a second season renewal.
The Flash (CW, Status – Renewed): As expected, this show has been renewed for an 6th season. There could be some changes coming with next season’s Crisis on Infinite Earths cross-over event which I discuss in more detail at this link.
God Friended Me (CBS, Status – Renewed): As expected, this show has been renewed for a second season . Its numbers in the 18-49 demo are just passable, but it continues to rank in the Top 25 based on total viewers each week and it fits in well with the CBS brand.
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 Batman’s origin story.
Happy (Syfy, Status – On the Bubble): No happy returns for this one as its viewership is well below its first season numbers and I am starting it out On the Bubble. Fans may want to make a Call to Action on the social nets to see if they can bring more attention to the show and help it out.
Into the Badlands (AMC, Status – Cancelled): This show returned with its best ratings since the beginning of its third season with the help of a lead-in from The Walking Dead, but it did drop notably after moving to its regular Monday timeslot. If fans can stage a Call to Action on the social networks and make enough noise, perhaps they can convince AMC to change its mind about the cancellation or another venue to pick the show up.
Legacies (CW, Status – Renewed): This show did not have great same day ratings in its first season, but it was 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 has renewed it for a second season.
Legends of Tomorrow (CW, Status – Renewed): As expected, this show has been renewed for an 5th season. It could be targeting wrapping up with next season’s Crisis on Infinite Earths cross-over event which I discuss in more detail at this link.
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.
The Orville (FOX, Status – Renewal Possible): The numbers are down for this show in its regular Thursday timeslot, but it continues to perform well in Live+7 delayed viewing like last year. As a marginal performer, though, it could get swept out with any house-cleaning that might follow from the Disney buyout unless the Mouse House recognizes the franchise potential of this property. Fans should certainly take to the social networks at this point with a Call to Action to bring the show more attention and give it a boost.
Riverdale (CW, Status – Renewed): 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. The CW has renewed it for a fourth season as expected and it could stick around beyond that.
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. It did not get included with the network’s renewal of its Fall shows, but it just joined the schedule at Mid-Season and looks to be on target for a second season nod.
Shadowhunters (Freeform, Status – Cancelled): This show has been cancelled by Freeform and is currently airing the second half to its third season which will also include two additional episodes that will act as its series finale.
Siren (Freeform, Status – Renewal Possible): This show started its second season with decent debut numbers, but then saw those slip somewhat. I don’t count it as a Bubble show just yet, but it could benefit from a Call to Action from fans on the social networks to bring it some more attention. It returns from hiatus on July 11th.
Supergirl (CW, Status – Renewed): As expected, this show has been renewed for an 5th season. There could be some changes coming with next season’s Crisis on Infinite Earths cross-over event which I discuss in more detail at this link.
Supernatural (CW, Status – Renewed): As expected, this series has been renewed for a record-busting 15th series, but it will finally be coming to an end with that announced as its final year. More on that at this link.
The Walking Dead (AMC, Status – Renewed): The post-Rick Grimes era has been well-received by fans and critics, but it has not led to an improvement in the ratings for this show. Still TWD continues to rank as the top scripted series on cable and also outperforms most broadcast network shows. It has been renewed for a tenth season and I expect it to stick around for at least a few more years.
What We Do in the Shadows (FX, Status – Renewal Possible): This show debuted with modest ratings, but perhaps still good enough to support a comedy series on one of the cable networks. If it does not slip too much in the coming weeks, it could survive to a second season.
Season Ended But Still Awaiting Renewal / Cancellation Decision:
Deadly Class (Syfy, Status – Renewal Possible): This show got off to a decent start, but then saw its numbers slip in subsequent weeks. But it still did okay overall for a Syfy entry, especially with its delayed viewing numbers, and the network’s parent company NBC Universal has an ownership stake in the show. It has a chance at coming back for a second season, but fans may want to make a Call to Action on the social nets to give it a boost.
The Gifted (FOX, Status – Cancellation Likely): This is currently one of FOX’s lowest-rated shows and it is not seeing enough in delayed viewing gains like it did last year. The network does own the show and it is part of the X-Men franchise, so that works in its favor. But even series creator Matt Nix does not have much confidence in the show returning for another season on FOX. I have moved this one to Cancellation Likely status and it could definitely use a Call to Action from fans on the social networks.
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.
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.
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.
The Passage (FOX, Status – On the Bubble): This show got off to a good start with its premiere, but it wrapped up its first season with less than stellar numbers and I have moved it to Bubble status (more on that at this link). If fans want this one to return for a second season, a Call to Action on the social networks could definitely give it a boost.
Origin (YouTube, Status – Cancelled): YouTube has quietly cancelled this show as the streaming service appears to be shifting its strategy for scripted programming and moving away from big budget originals. The show’s producers are shopping it around, so a Call to Action from fans can certainly aid in that effort.
You can see the list of all of this season’s renewals and cancellations at this link.
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