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: Syfy’s Superman prequel series Krypton returned for its second season last Wednesday and ran into the kryptonite that is the Nielsen ratings. The show only managed a 0.11 rating based on same day viewing for the 18-49 demographic with 480K total viewers. That is down by 53% from the show’s average last season and down by 74% from its premiere last year. The show has actually been on a downward ratings spiral after having a promising debut for a Syfy entry in 2018. It posted a 0.42 premiere rating last year, but it’s ratings then went on a steady decline and it ended its first season with only a 0.14 score. It is now at a 0.11 rating and its future is very much in doubt. Below is a chart showing how the ratings have tracked from its series premiere to its Season 2 return (click to enlarge). I have also included the ratings for the recently-cancelled Happy! as that one charted a similar course. It saw a bigger drop-off after its premiere last year, but then tracked very closely to Krypton and it also started its second season with a 0.11 rating.
Krypton is owned by Warner Bros, so delayed viewing does little to help it out. For shows like this, Syfy makes its money on the advertising from the live broadcast and that is driven by the same day ratings. The lower they are, the less money Syfy makes from ad revenue. We have already seen shows like Dark Matter and The Expanse cancelled when their ratings were not drawing in enough from ads to keep them viable for the network. Krypton may pick up some slack from digital viewing, but that was not enough to help either of the above mentioned shows. I am starting this one out On the Bubble, and fans should definitely stage a Call to Action to bring attention to the show and hopefully get some Nielsen Family eyes on it. These ratings also put in doubt the Lobo spin-off which Syfy announced right before the Krypton season premiere (see the News Roundup section below).
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On Sunday, AMC’s supernatural drama NOS4A2 improved to a 0.28 rating with 921K total viewers. If that one can hold above a 0.25 average during its first season (and continue to score decent delayed viewing gains), I believe it has a chance of coming back for a second year. Leading in to that, Fear the Walking Dead improved to a 0.54 rating with 1.8 million total viewers. Expect at least one more season from that one.
On Tuesday last week, CBS’ Blood and Treasure slipped to a 0.4 rating with 3.7 million total viewers. That has the show right below what I believe is the fine ratings line that is acceptable for a Summer series on the broadcast nets these days, so it will need to rebound with its next episode. On Thursday, Freeform’s Siren returned from hiatus and posted a 0.17 rating with 557K total viewers. That is about even with where it was performing in Spring and it has already been renewed for a third season. On Friday, ABC’s Agents of SHIELD slipped to a 0.4 rating with 2.2 million total viewers, but it has already been renewed for a seventh season.
The other sci fi and fantasy entries remained mostly steady with the prior week or did not air new episodes, and you can see the full ratings results for the week at this link, Be sure to follow the Cancelled Sci Fi Twitter Site for the latest results and breaking news and to join #CancelledSciFiArmy as we fight to save our sci fi shows. Ratings Source: ShowBuzzDaily
News Roundup: Syfy announced plans for a Lobo series spinning out of Krypton, though as mentioned above, that may be in doubt at this point due to the poor showing from Krypton in its Season 2 debut. Ben Edlund has confirmed that no other venue has picked up the cancelled The Tick after attempts to shop it around. The story of Orphan Black will continue in an audio series that will bring Tatiana Maslany back to the franchise. WarnerMedia has announced plans for Dune: The Sisterhood which will be a companion series to the upcoming feature film adaptation of Frank Herbert’s classic.
Status Updates: Siren Remains Above Water after Returning from Hiatus
Below are the status updates for all the currently airing shows or those still awaiting word on their fate, including the those on the streaming services. 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 our Cancellation Watch Page.
Currently Airing / Streaming:
The 100 (CW, Status – Renewed): This show has returned for its sixth season with decent ratings for a CW entry and has already been renewed for a seventh season.
3 Percent (Netflix, Status – On the Bubble): This show has returned for its third season, but that’s typically where Netflix caps off its originals these days. If fans want the show to continue, they should make a Call to Action on the social networks and try to convince people to subscribe to Netflix to watch the show.
Agents of SHIELD (ABC, Status – Renewed): There were rumors that this show’s sixth season might be its last season, but ABC has decided to bring it back for a seventh year which will air in Summer 2020.
Black Mirror (Netflix, Status – Renewal Possible): Netflix tends to end its originals around the three season mark, but this one may be able to hold on longer because the streaming service continues to roll out each new season as a major event.
Blood and Treasure (CBS, Status – Renewal Possible): This show debuted with decent same day ratings for a Summer series on CBS, though it has slipped some in subsequent weeks. If it can rebound and at least hold around the 0.5 ratings level, it could still get a second season.
Fear the Walking Dead (AMC, Status – Renewal Possible): The Walking Dexit continues for this show as it has returned down from last year’s numbers. But it is still doing well enough for a cable series these days and could still stick around for another year.
Good Omens (Amazon, Status – Mini-Series): This show has been advertised as a six-episode mini-series with no indication that it might carry on beyond that point. But if it proves to be a huge hit for Amazon, they could find ways to continue the story.
The Handmaids Tale (Hulu, Status – Renewal Possible): This show has returned for its third season and I expect it will be drawing attention at awards time again this year. The streaming services have shown a tendency to wrap up their shows around the third season, but I’m thinking this one is good for at least another year if not more.
The InBetween (NBC, Status – Renewal Possible): This show was originally intended for Mid-Season but was pushed to a Summer start which is never a good sign. It debuted with decent ratings for a Summer entry, though it is right about where Reverie started for NBC about the same time last year and that one ended up getting cancelled after its ratings started to slip. Fans should definitely take to the social nets to bring more attention to the show and help its chances.
Into the Dark (Hulu, Status – Renewal Possible): There has been no word on whether Hulu plans to continue this show beyond the twelve planned installments, but it has been getting some good buzz and could carry on for another year on the streaming service.
iZombie (CW, Status – Final Season): While never a strong ratings contender for The CW, iZombie has had a devoted following and the network is given it one finale season to wrap up its storylines.
Krypton (Syfy, Status – On the Bubble): As mentioned above, the ratings are down for this show by over fifty percent in its second season and it finds itself On the Bubble right away.
Lucifer (Netflix, Status – Renewed): This show has been renewed by Netflix for a fifth season, but that will be its last. Whether fans will make a Call to Action on the social networks to keep it going beyond that remains to be seen.
NOS4A2 (AMC, Status – Renewal Possible): The debut numbers for this show are decent for a cable series these days and it had been seeing good gains from delayed viewing so this one could stick around for a second year if it does not slip too much.
The Rain (Netflix, Status – On the Bubble): Netflix has been in the business of cancelling lately and the streamer appears more interested in churning through shows than keeping them around for multiple seasons. This one could still get a third season (which seems to be the ceiling for Netflix shows of late), but a push from fans could definitely help to bring this one more attention.
Siren (Freeform, Status – Renewed): This show has returned from hiatus at about the same levels it was seeing in Spring and it has already received a third season renewal.
Young Justice (DCU, Status – Renewal Possible): According to Business Insider, this show has been a hit thus far, but that may not matter because the DC Universe streaming service may not be sticking around much longer. More on that at this link. It resumes new episodes on July 2nd.
Season Ended But Still Awaiting Renewal / Cancellation Decision:
Black Summer (Netflix, Status – Renewal Possible): As a new series on Netflix, this show has a decent chance of getting renewed for a second season because the streaming service tends to keep its originals around for two to three seasons.
Chambers (Netflix, Status – Renewal Possible): Another new series on Netflix that has a decent chance of getting renewed for a second season because the streaming service tends to keep its originals around for two to three seasons.
Cloak and Dagger (Freeform, Status – On the Bubble): This show’s numbers have slipped to dangerous territory the last few weeks and are down overall this season. Disney owns Marvel and Freeform, so they could give the show some slack and still bring it back for a third season. But a Call to Action from fans may be needed to keep this show going.
Doom Patrol (DCU, Status – On the Bubble): There were early rumors that this show had been renewed for a second season before its first season had started, but there was never official confirmation on that. Now, the show could be in trouble and could get squeezed out as Warner Bros. is rethinking the future of the DCU streaming service. More on that at this link.
Mars (NGC, Status – On the Bubble): 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 OA (Netflix, Status – Renewal Possible): This show could get a third season (which seems to be the ceiling for Netflix shows of late), but a push from fans could definitely help to bring it more attention.
Osmosis (Netflix, Status – Renewal Possible): Another new series on Netflix that has a decent chance of getting renewed for a second season because the streaming service tends to keep its originals around for two to three seasons.
SuperMansion (Crackle, Status – Renewal Possible): There has been no word on a fourth season of this show, but it has done well for Crackle so far and has also performed well in its encore run on Adult Swim. It released another special as recently as April 2019 and that might be its output for a while as the principals try to work in enough time in their schedules to produce more episodes.
Tidelands (Netflix, Status – Renewal Possible): This show is an Australian import for Netflix, so I’m not certain if its fate is more heavily determined by how it performs Down Under. As with any first-season entry on the streamer, though, I would say that it has a shot at a second season.
Ultraman (Netflix, Status – Renewal Possible): Another new series on Netflix that has a decent chance of getting renewed for a second season because the streaming service tends to keep its originals around for two to three seasons.
You can see the list of all of this season’s renewals and cancellations at this link.
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Krypton is a co production. It does not have the same contracts as the expanse. Please do your research.
It is a co production with who? Under production companies for the show on Wikipedia and IMDb, I see Phantom Four Films, DC Entertainment, Warner Horizon Television, and Northern Ireland Screen, none of which are linked to NBCUniversal. If the latter company does not have an ownership stake, then typically the only way that Syfy makes money is through the ad revenue. I’m making the assumption on the deal the network has for the show, but if you have additional inside info, please pass it along with your source.