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
This site that I get most of my ratings data from, ShowBuzzDaily, is continuing to experience technical issues, so I do not have updates on the daily numbers yet. ProgrammingInsider puts out ratings data as well, but not as complete as ShowBuzzDaily and they tend to be sporadic in their posting. But that site also puts out delayed viewing results (again, sporadically), so I did manage to cobble together some recent Live+7 data for three shows still awaiting renewal announcements: The Nevers (HBO), Debris (NBC), and Manifest (NBC).
HBO’s The Nevers just completed the first half of its freshman season with new episodes scheduled to hit either later this year or early next. The overnight linear ratings for that show have not been too strong across its first six episodes, averaging a 0.10 score for the 18-49 demo, but the delayed viewing numbers look pretty good. For the four episodes that ProgrammingInsider had data for, the show had a 95% increase in its rating improving to a 0.19 score. The total viewers also increased from an average of 549K to over a million (an 86% lift). And those numbers do not take into account the digital viewing on HBO Max. Seeing as delayed and digital viewing are counted pretty much the same as same-day viewing for the premium cable channels since they are not beholden to advertisers, these numbers look decent and I still like the chances for this one to get a second season.
For NBC’s first-year series Debris, that numbers are not as promising. That show’s overnight ratings have been soft thus far, only averaging a 0.40 score in the demo. Across the four episodes that I have delayed viewing data for, the show averaged a 0.38 rating for same-day viewing and only saw a lift of 69% to a 0.64 score. In total viewers it was slightly better, improving 73% from 2.55 million to 4.42 million. However, the broadcast networks pay less attention to the delayed viewing (no matter what they claim) because the same-day numbers are what counts for the advertisers. I’m close to moving Debris to Cancellation Likely status, but I will hold off upon the chance that NBC decides to shift it over to the Peacock streaming platform.
For NBC’s other sci fi entry Manifest, the numbers look a little bit better. It is down year-over-year by 30%, but it is still making up some slack with delayed viewing. Across the four episodes that I have data for, it averaged a 0.49 rating in the demo and saw an increase of 87% to a 0.91 score. It was seeing closer to a hundred percent lift last year, but those are still decent gains in the current pandemic-challenged season. I’m still guessing that the show gets at least a fourth and final season, or perhaps it could get shifted to Peacock where it has a better chance of completing the six-year plan envisioned by its creators.
Hopefully, by next week the full ratings data will be available again. Though we already know the fate of all the CW shows currently airing (all renewed except Black Lightning and Supergirl which are in their final seasons). And Adult Swim’s Final Space appears to be on track for a fourth season renewal. Once the numbers are available, I will start posting them again on the Cancelled Sci fi Twitter Site.
Sci Fi TV News of Note
CBS supernatural drama Evil will be moving to Paramount+ starting with its second season. The show was originally scheduled to return this year, but was delayed due to pandemic-related shutdowns. It has now received a premiere date of June 20th on the streaming service affiliated with the broadcast network . . . Mystery Science Theater 3000 will be returning for a thirteenth season after a successful crowdfunding campaign by series creator Joel Hodgson. This is the second time Hodgson has revived the show through fan support and he managed to raise $6.5 million. That will be enough for thirteen episodes and several shorts and the new season will air on the Gizmoplex platform . . . The CW has picked up the DC superhero series Namoi for the upcoming season. As for the other pilots in the works, the Nancy Drew spin-off Tom Swift is still in contention, while the Powerpuff Girls reboot will get retooled and the Black Lightning spin-off Painkiller will not go forward. The 4400 reboot was already ordered straight to series. 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.
Castlevania (Netflix, Streaming Fourth Season, Status – Final Season): Netflix tends to wrap up its originals around their third or fourth year, and sure enough, this show’s upcoming fourth season has been announced as its last. But a spin-off may follow set in the same universe.
Love Death and Robots (Netflix, Streaming 2nd Season, Status – Renewed): This animated anthology series has proven popular for Netflix so far and it was renewed for a third season in advance of its second season premiere. Originals for this streamer tend to cap out around their third or fourth year, but sometimes the animated entries last longer.
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