Weekly Roundup: Resident Alien Starts Strong, Snowpiercer Still Has Steam, and More

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 Wednesday of last week, Syfy’s new series Resident Alien had its premiere and pulled a 0.17 rating based on same-day viewing for the 18-49 demographic with 1.1 million total viewers, the highest score a show on that network has seen since the 2018-19 season. It was also simulcast on USA, and combining the ratings brought it up to a 0.29 score with 1.5 million total viewers. Those numbers look good early, but comic book-based shows like this have a tendency to see their numbers drop after they premiere once the curious onlookers bow out. We saw that previously with both Krypton and Happy, so I want to see how this one tracks in the coming weeks to better gauge its status.

On TNT on Monday, Snowpiercer returned for its second season and pulled a 0.28 rating based on the demo with 1.1 million total viewers. That ratings score is down by 12% from its first season, but those numbers are not bad for a basic cable show these days. And this series was already renewed for a third season in advance of its second season premiere.

On Sunday, BBC America’s The Watch improved to a 0.04 rating with 233K total viewers. Those numbers are still on the low side, though, and that show remains firmly On the Bubble. Starz’s American Gods did not show up in the Cable Top 150, meaning that it had only a 0.03 rating or less. That show is also On the Bubble and stay tuned to the Cancelled Sci Fi Twitter Site for a ratings update. With the exception of Legacies and Batwoman, The CW shows saw some slippage this past week, with several dropping by a tick or two. But none slipped to levels that would raise any concern.

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 1/25/21

Sci Fi TV News of Note

The Canadian supernatural drama Trickster has been cancelled by CBC following a controversy relating to its co-creator’s claims of indigenous heritage. The show, which is currently airing in the U.S. on The CW, was originally renewed for a second season . . . George Clooney’s Smokehoue pictures will be producing a six-hour Buck Rogers television mini-series with Clooney onboard as executive producer. Brian K. Vaughn (Y: The Last Man, Lost) will be penning the scripts for the series . . . Babylon 5 Remastered is now streaming on HBO Max and is available for purchase at Amazon and iTunes. This is the first HD version that has been available for the show, but sadly it also means that B5 is no longer included with Amazon Prime. Be sure to follow r/SciFiTV for news, schedule updates, trailers, discussions, and more.

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.

The Watch (BBCA, Airing 1st Season, Status – On the Bubble): The ratings for this show started low and have slipped to the point that they barely register. It may have international funding and/or syndication deals keeping it aloft, but I have moved it to Bubble status for now. Fans may want to make a Call to Action on the social networks to bring more attention to the show.

American Gods (Starz, Airing 3rd Season, Status – On the Bubble): After already seeing a notable ratings drop from its first to its second season, this show has dropped further to open its third year. I am moving this one to Bubble status and I discuss its prospects in more length at this link.

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