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
On Sunday, The CW’s Pandora had its Season 2 finale yet posted only a 0.0 rating based on same-day viewing for the 18-49 demographic with 240K total viewers. The ratings for the broadcast networks are rounded to the nearest tenth point causing the goose egg score, but I count it as a 0.04 for calculation purposes. In the lead-out hour, The Outpost also pulled a 0.0 rating and had 257K total viewers. The CW did these shows no favors by scheduling them on highly competitive Sundays this Fall. The Outpost has received a thirteen-episode extension to its third season (which could be to wrap up the show), but the prospects for Pandora are looking iffy at the moment.
On Friday, MacGyver held steady for CBS at a 0.5 rating with 4.8 million total viewers. The network could keep that one around another year or two to continue to plug up a low-viewership hour on Fridays. On Thursday, the encore run of Star Trek: Discovery held at a 0.2 rating with 1.6 million total viewers. On Tuesday, The CW’s encore run of Swamp Thing remained at a 0.1 rating with 448K total viewers, and it is seeming less and less likely that the network will pick up a second season of that one. On Monday, His Dark Materials improved slightly to a 0.07 rating with 264K total viewers, but its fate may be more heavily dictated by viewership on the BBC in Britain.
Below are the linear numbers for all the sci fi and fantasy entries from the past week. You can see more detailed ratings info for the week at this link. Be sure to follow the Cancelled Sci Fi Twitter Site for the latest results and breaking news. For more info on what the ratings mean and how I use them to gauge the status of a show, check out our Cancelled Sci Fi FAQ Page. Ratings Source: ShowBuzzDaily
Ratings Results for the Week of 12/7/20
| Series | Rating / Tot Viewers |
| His Dark Materials (HBO) Tue 8 PM | Rtg: 0.07 ↑ / Tot Vwrs: 264K |
| Swamp Thing (CW) Tue 8 PM | Rtg: 0.10 / Tot Vwrs: 448K |
| NeXt (FOX) Tue 10 PM | Preempted |
| Star Trek Discovery (CBS) Thu 10 PM | Rtg: 0.20 / Tot Vwrs: 1.6M |
| MacGyver (CBS) Fri 8 PM | Rtg: 0.50 / Tot Vwrs: 4.8M |
| Pandora (CW) Sun 8 PM | Rtg: 0.04 ↓ / Tot Vwrs: 240K |
| Fear the Walking Dead (AMC) Sun 9 PM | On Hiatus |
| The Outpost (CW) Sun 9 PM | Rtg: 0.04 ↓ / Tot Vwrs: 257K |
| Moonbase 8 (Show) Sun 11:00 PM | Pending |
Renewal and Cancellation Announcements
Hulu renewed one show and cancelled another this past week, and Apple TV+ has given an early renewal to one of its shows. The Handmaid’s Tale has been given an early Season 5 renewal by Hulu ahead of its fourth season premiere in 2021 (read more about the renewal at this link). That is significant because it gets the show past the four-season wall that seems to impact most of the streaming originals. Not so lucky is Hulu’s Helstrom which was cancelled after only one season (read more about that at this link). It was one of the last of the Marvel Television projects before that division was dissolved and brought up under Marvel Studios. Apple TV+’s For All Mankind is returning for its second season in February, and the streamer has given it an early third season renewal ahead of its debut. More on that at this link.
Status Updates of Interest
For the status updates on all of the currently airing shows plus those awaiting word on their fate, go to this link.
Pennyworth (EPIX, Airing 2nd Season, Status – Renewal Possible): This Batman prequel series received very little promotion from its network prior to its second season return. Nielsen does not report ratings results for EPIX, so it is hard to gauge the status of this one. But perhaps it could stick around for a third season.
The Terror (AMC, 2nd Season Ended, Status – Ended): After proving to be a hit for AMC in its first season, this show’s rating dropped notably in its second year. The series has the chance to reboot itself each year, and network execs were previously listening to pitches for a third season. But it has been over a year since the second season wrapped up, so I am counting it as ended at this point.
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