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: Last week was the beginning of the Fall season for the broadcast networks, and we continue to see the trend of ratings declines across the linear channels. That will take its toll at some point, but the two new genre entries that had their debuts last week do not appear to be in any immediate danger.
On Tuesday, ABC’s Emergence had its debut and pulled a 0.8 rating based on same day viewing for the 18-49 demographic with 4.1 million total viewers. That is below last season’s 0.9 average for non-sports, non-special, non-repeat programming for the network, but it is not an immediate red flag for the show. That is actually a better rating than the 0.7 score that ABC averaged for the Tuesday 10 PM hour last year, so perhaps it counts as a decent start, but there is not much leeway for slippage. I will watch how it tracks vs. the network average in the coming weeks to get a better idea where it stands.
On Thursday, the supernatural drama Evil had its debut on CBS and pulled a 0.6 rating (down from a 0.7 in the preliminaries) with 4.6 million total viewers. That’s down from the 0.7 rating that S.W.A.T. had in the same timeslot last year for its second season debut, but about even on total viewers. The numbers look less than promising, though, at this point because shows generally trend down after their premieres, and this show is airing on genre-averse CBS. But in the current ratings crunch perhaps this will be good enough, and I will keep a close eye on how this one trends in the coming weeks.
Over on NBC, The Good Place posted a 0.7 rating with 2.4 million total viewers for its Season 4 premiere. That is down from its premiere numbers last year, but it performed better than some of the other comedies was airing that night. And the network has already announced that this will be the show’s final season.
On Friday, Syfy’s Van Helsing returned for its fourth season and posted a 0.07 rating with 357K. That’s down 36% from its Season 3 premiere and also below last year’s 0.09 average. But Syfy shows have been on a steep decline lately as that network is struggling in the face of the Peak TV crunch. It tends to end its shows around the fourth or fifth season, so don’t be surprised if this one wraps up this year. Van Helsing does have a dedicated fanbase, though, so they may want to make some noise on the social networks to bring more attention to the show.
As for the Summer holdovers, On Monday Adult Swim’s Final Space improved slightly to a 0.33 rating with 639K total viewers for its season finale as it continues to look like it will return for a third year. AMC’s The Terror slipped to a 0.07 rating with 331K total viewers as it remains On the Bubble. AMC’s Fear the Walking Dead improved slightly for its season finale to a 0.41 rating with 1.5 million total viewers. It has already been renewed for a sixth season. And Preacher wrapped up its four-year run with a 0.12 rating and 506K total viewers.
The other sci fi and fantasy entries remained mostly steady with the prior week, 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 the #CancelledSciFiArmy as we fight to save our sci fi shows. For more info on what the ratings mean and how I use them to gauge the status of a show, check our our Cancelled Sci Fi FAQ Page. Ratings Source: ShowBuzzDaily
News Roundup: Netflix has officially renewed Stranger Things for a fourth season and also handed a nine-figure development deal to the Duffer brothers. Hulu has cancelled the Ghost Rider series it had in development due to “creative differences”. ABC has passed on the pilot Triangle after giving it extra time for consideration. The CW has announced plans for an all-female spin-off from Arrow which will get a backdoor pilot episode in the parent series later this year. Keep up with the top stories in sci fi TV each Friday with our weekly Sci Fi TV Top 5 column.
Status Updates: Stranger Things Will Be Back for a Fourth Season
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:
American Horror Story (Netflix, Status – Renewed): The numbers are down for this show year-over-year, but that is pretty much true across the board with the cable channels and broadcast nets. This one has already been renewed through a tenth season and could still stick around for a few years beyond that unless Disney execs (the Mouse House now owns the show) decide to wrap this one up.
Carnvial Row (Amazon, Status – Renewed): While the critics may have mixed feelings about this show thus far, it appears to have proven popular with the viewers (currently holding an 87% Audience Score on Rotten Tomatoes), and it has already been renewed for a second season.
Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (Netflix, Status – Renewed): This show has been well-recieved thus far (currently holding an 86% Fresh Rating and 94% Audience Score on Rotten Tomatoes) and has a decent chance of returning for a second season if the creative team wish to continue the story.
Disenchantment (Netflix, Status – Renewed): This animated comedy has proven popular thus far and has already been renewed for a second season which will comprise two ten-episode runs (on some sites this is being refered to as Season 3 and 4).
Emergence (ABC, Status – Renewal Possible): This show had a modest debut for its network, but it is too early in the season to fully gauge where it stands. If it can hold steady in the coming weeks, it could be on track for a full season order of episodes.
evil (CBS, Status – Renewal Possible): The premiere numbers are marginal for this show which is not good seeing as it airs on genre-averse CBS. But they are not disastrous, and if it does not slip too much perhaps the network will keep this one going for a while.
Fear the Walking Dead (AMC, Status – Renewed): The Walking Dexit continues for this show as it has returned down from last year’s numbers. But as expected it has been renewed for a sixth season. Whether that will be its last remains to be seen.
Final Space (ADSW, Status – Renewal Possible): This show has switched to Adult Swim in its second season which worked out well seeing as its ratings improved by 30% from last year. A third season renewal seems like a good bet for this one.
The Good Place (NBC, Status – Final Season): This show has returned with numbers down from last year, but we are pretty much seeing that across the board these days. It is in its final season, so it will at least get the chance to wrap up its storylines.
The I-Land (Netflix, Status – Renewal Possible): Early reactions to this show have not been good as it is currently at a 0% Fresh Rating and 27% Audience Score on Rotten Tomatoes. But Netflix did give this one more promotion than it usually does for one of its originals, so they may be more invested in the show and could keep it around for a second season.
Into the Dark (Hulu, Status – Renewed): Hulu has announced that this show will be returning for another cycle of monthly horror films with the second season kicking off in October.
The Outpost (CW, Status – Renewal Possible): The numbers for this show are down in its second season, but it is an acquisition that fills up space on the schedule during the Summer months. If it continues to do well internationally, it could come back for a third year.
Pandora (CW, Status – Renewal Possible): As with The Outpost, this series is an acquisition for The CW that fills up space on the Summer schedule. Its ratings are not great, but may be good enough to get a second season nod from the fifth place network.
Pennyworth (Epis, Status – Renewal Possible): The viewership for Epix is not picked up by Nielsen, so it is difficult to gauge the show’s status. This is a pretty high-profile series for the network, though, so I would say it has a decent chance of sticking around for a second season.
Preacher (AMC, Status – Final Season): The ratings have been declining for this series since its first season, but AMC still gave it the fourth season renewal to wrap up its storylines.
The Terror (AMC, Status – On the Bubble): After proving to be a hit for AMC in its first season, this show has returned with ratings down notably in its second year. At its current level, I have to consider it as being On the Bubble. But it does have the opportunity to reboot itself each season, so it is still possible the network will keep it around for another year.
Titans (DCU, Status – Renewal Possible): As with the other streaming services, DC Universe does not reveal its viewership numbers. But Titans has proven popular for the streamer thus far and has a decent chance of returning for a third season. Even if WarnerMedia decides to shut down the DCU platform, I would expect this one to move to the upcoming HBO Max service.
Undone (Amazon, Status – Renewal Possible): As with any of the shows on the streaming services, this series has a chance of returning for a second season if the creative team has enough story ideas to keep the show going.
Van Helsing (Syfy, Status – Renewal Possible): The ratings are down for this show year-over-year, but then we are seeing that for all Syfy shows of late. The network tends to cap off its shows by the fourth or fifth season, so fans should probably rally for this one if they want it stick around beyond the current year.
Season Ended But Still Awaiting Renewal / Cancellation Decision:
Another Life (Netflix, Status – On the Bubble): Netflix tried to make a big splash with this space drama, pulling in genre veteran Katee Sackhoff, but that does not appear to have worked out too well. The buzz on this show has not been good thus far, and it only has a 6% Fresh Rating at Rotten Tomatoes (though at least it has a 61% Audience Score). This streamer tends to give its shows at least two seasons, but Another Life is rather expensive to produce and may get end up getting cut short after only one.
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.
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.
Cloak and Dagger (Freeform, Status – On the Bubble): This show’s numbers are down from the prior season and at levels that have seen other series cancelled by Freeform. 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.
The InBetween (NBC, Status – On the Bubble): 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, but those have slipped and the network has preempted it twice already suggesting that they see this as a burn-off run. More on that at this link. I have moved this one to Bubble status and fans should definitely take to the social nets with a Call to Action to bring more attention it.
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.
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.
Scream (VH1, Status – On the Bubble): This show actually posted decent numbers for its double-episode season premiere on Monday night, but saw those drop notably the next two nights. Considering the long delay between seasons and the fact that it was shifted to another network, these ratings will likely not encourage Viacom / VH1 to move forward with a fourth season. Fans may want to make a Call to Action on the social nets, though, to see if that can help.
Stranger Things (Netflix, Status – Renewed): As expected, this show has been renewed for a fourth season. Whether that will be its last remains to be seen. More on that at this link.
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.
The Rook (Starz, Status – On the Bubble): This show barely registered in the ratings during its first season and I have it at Bubble status. Its international viewership may have more influence on its fate, but it would probably be a good idea for fans to make a Call to Action on the social networks to bring it more attention.
Tidelands (Netflix, Status – On the Bubble): This Australian-made series arrived in December of last year with little fanfare and there has been no word on it since. Netflix does tend to give its shows at least two seasons, but at this point they may have decided to let the tide go back out.
Two Sentence Horror Stories (CW, Status – Renewal Possible): The debut numbers for this show were pretty low, but still not terrible for a Summer entry on The CW. It’s possible that this one could return for a second season on the fifth place network.
You can see the list of all of this season’s renewals and cancellations at this link.
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