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: The ratings have been down pretty much across the board this year, but The CW is one of the few networks that is not seeing major declines in its numbers so far this Fall. On Monday of last week, Black Lightning returned for its third season and posted a 0.3 rating based on same day viewing for the 18-49 demographic with 891K total viewers, which is even with last season’s average. On Tuesday, The Flash had its sixth season debut and posted a 0.6 rating with 1.6 million total viewers, which is also on par with last season’s numbers. On Wednesday, Riverdale returned with a 0.4 rating and 1.1 million total viewers which is up from last year, but that was a special episode paying tribute to the late Luke Perry. Leading out from that, Nancy Drew posted a 0.3 rating with 1.2 million total viewers for its series premiere, acceptable numbers for The CW these days (and I expect that one to do well in digital viewing).
On Thursday, Supernatural returned for its final season with a 0.4 rating and 1.2 million total viewers while Legacies had a 0.3 rating with 799K total viewers. Both were even with last year. On Friday, Charmed had a 0.2 rating with 649K total viewers, which was down from last year but expected due to the move to that lower viewership night (it will likely make up the gap with digital viewing). On Sunday, both Batwoman and Supergirl slipped from their premiere ratings to a 0.3 rating each. But those are still decent numbers for the fifth place network, especially on such a competitive night. I expect the other shows to slip a bit in subsequent weeks, because that is the typical post-premiere trend, but not by much. And The CW has adapted better to the 21st century as it pays more attention to the digital viewership for its shows and does not weight its renewal decisions heavily on the overnight ratings (and it has notably fewer cancellations than the other broadcast nets).
On Tuesday of last week, ABC’s Emergence slipped again, this time to a 0.5 rating with 3.1 million total viewers. As I said after its debut, this one did not have a lot of room for slippage, and it is currently heading into dangerous territory considering it has not seen much lift from the early delayed viewing numbers. On CBS, Evil held steady at a 0.6 rating with 3.7 million total viewers for a third week in a row. It is below its network’s benchmark, but possibly still doing okay for its Thursday 10 PM EST timeslot.
Primal had a good run for Adult Swim this past week, averaging a 0.30 rating with 597K total viewers across its five nights. If Genndy Tartakovsky is up for doing more of this series, I’m sure Adult Swim would be interested in more seasons. On Friday, Syfy’s Van Helsing slipped a bit to a 0.08 rating with 264K total viewers. That might still be enough to get it to a fifth season, especially if its fans make a Call to Action on the social networks.
On Sunday, AMC’s The Walking Dead continued its ratings slide as it posted another series low at a 1.29 rating with 3.5 million total viewers. That was still the top-rated non-sports programming in Prime Time on Sunday, though, so AMC is not too worried at the moment. And TWD has already been renewed for an eleventh season. Over on USA, Mr. Robot slipped to a 0.10 rating with 342K total viewers as it airs out its final season.
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
Status Updates: Adult Swim Could Order More Episodes of Primal
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.
Batwoman (CW, Status – Renewal Possible): The early numbers look good for this show and the buzz remains strong. It airs on The CW, aka the Happy Net because it prefers to renew rather than cancel shows (and it has adapted to the 21st century with its focus on digital viewing). Consider a second season a good bet for this show at this point.
Black Lightning (CW, Status – Renewal Possible): Over the past five-plus years, once a show has made it past its second season on The CW, it sticks around for at least seventy episodes no matter the ratings. Black Lightning will reach that point right about the end of its fourth season, so expect this one to stick around at least one more year unless the network decides to shake things 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.
Charmed (CW, Status – Renewal Possible): The numbers are down a bit for this show because of its move to Fridays, but it should do well in digital viewing like it did last season (The CW pays more attention to those stats than the other broadcast networks). At this point, a third season definitely looks like a possibility.
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 (though decent for its timeslot), but its numbers have been slipping since then. If it can rebound in the coming weeks, it might at least be able to get a full season order.
Evil (CBS, Status – Renewal Possible): The early 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.
The Flash (CW, Status – Renewal Likely): This show returned mostly even with where it was last Spring which is to be expected. It remains The CW’s top-rated series and will become the lead Arrow-verse show with Arrow ending this season. Expect a seventh year and possibly more from 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.
Legacies (CW, Status – Renewal Possible): This show has returned even with last year’s numbers and and it should do well in digital viewing like it did last season (The CW pays more attention to those stats than the other broadcast networks). At this point, I would expect this one to stick around for a third season.
Mr Robot (USA, Status – Final Season): This show has returned down in its fourth season, which is what we are seeing for pretty much all shows these days. It did receive the final season renewal, though, so it will have the chance to wrap up its storylines.
Primal (Adult Swim, Status – Renewal Possible): This show’s numbers are decent for a cable series these days, especially one airing at midnight. Apparently only five episodes were produced for its first season, but I’m sure Adult Swim will want more of this show if Genndy Tartakovsky has a desire to produce more episodes.
Raising Dion (Netflix, Status – Renewal Possible): As with any Netflix original series, this show has a decent chance of sticking around for a second season. But don’t expect an extended run because the streamer tends to cap off its shows around the third season.
Riverdale (CW, Status – Renewal Possible): This show has returned mostly even with last season’s numbers and it typically does very well in digital viewer (The CW pays more attention to those stats than the other broadcast networks). Consider a fifth season renewal for this one to be a good bet.
Supergirl (CW, Status – Renewal Possible): This show’s numbers look good for a CW series airing on highly-competitive Sundays and the network has indicated that they have no plans of ending any of the Arrow-verse shows beyond Arrow at this point. Consider a sixth season a good bet for this one at this point.
Supernatural (CW, Status – Final Season): After a record-busting fifteen-year run, this show will finally be coming to an end. But don’t be surprised if The CW has a spin-off from this one on the schedule for next season.
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 not great for this show so far in its fourth season, but we will see how it tracks in the coming weeks. The network tends to cap off its shows by the fourth or fifth season, so fans should probably rally for this one on the social nets if they want it stick around beyond the current year.
The Walking Dead (AMC, Status – Renewed): The Walking Dexit continues for this show as it has returned at series-low levels for its tenth season. But it remains one of the top-rated scripted shows on television and AMC is committed to the franchise for the long-term. TWD as already been renewed for an eleventh season.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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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