Syfy’s new sci fi series Astrid & Lilly Save the World is barely registering in the ratings and could be heading to cancellation. But the fans may still be able to save it.
What Is Astrid & Lilly Save the World?
This fun little series focuses on the two high school girls of the show’s title who are not exactly among the popular crowd and who have a tendency to semi-stalk other kids from their school in order to find out what it would take to improve their social status. After a disastrous intrusion into a party hosted by one of the most popular kids on campus, Astrid and Lilly vent their frustrations by burning tokens they had from other kids and they accidentally cast a spell that opens a portal to another dimension. They are then tasked with hunting down and killing the monsters they have set loose on the world. The show definitely has a Buffy, the Vampire Slayer vibe to it, and even references that when Astrid and Lilly’s mentor Brutus refers to himself as “their Giles”. It also throws in some Scooby Doo for good measure and does not take itself too seriously, though it does offer some poignant moments that will touch a nerve with anybody who has felt themself an outsider. (You can read my review of the show at this link.)
Why Is the Show Struggling?
Syfy did very little to promote this show beyond internal spots on the network, and not surprisingly it has not attracted much of an audience. The same-day ratings for the show started low and have remained there throughout the five episodes that have aired so far. In addition, it is regularly losing a large chunk of the lead-in audience from Resident Alien as you can see from the chart below.
| Air Date | Resident Alien SD Ratings | Astrid & Lilly SD Ratings | % Drop |
| 1/26/2022 | 0.23 | 0.05 | -78% |
| 2/2/2022 | 0.14 | 0.04 | -71% |
| 2/9/2022 | 0.17 | 0.05 | -71% |
| 2/16/2022 | 0.11 | 0.04 | -64% |
| 2/23/2022 | 0.11 | 0.05 | -55% |
| StD | 0.15 | 0.05 | -70% |
From what I can tell, NBCUniversal (Syfy’s parent company) does not have an ownership stake in the show, so the network only makes money from advertising. The rates for commercials that air during the live broadcast are driven largely by the same-day ratings. Since the numbers for Astrid & Lilly are low, the network cannot charge much for commercial spots and may even have to compensate sponsors for the initial ads since viewership failed to meet expectations. The current ratings are at or below levels where we have seen other Syfy shows cancelled lately such as Wynonna Earp and Vagrant Queen. So the current chances of Astrid & Lilly surviving to a second season do not look promising.
What Can the Fans Do to Help Astrid & Lilly Save the World?
With the numbers consistently low for the show and with Syfy doing little to attract viewers to it, I will be moving it to Cancellation Likely status. But fans should not fret just yet, because that does not necessarily mean this one is done. So far, it has received good marks from critics and even higher ratings from viewers, currently holding a 67% Fresh Rating and 85% Audience Score at Rotten Tomatoes. This is the type of show that will certainly develop a cult following, and that could be what ultimately saves it.
I have not seen too much in the way of fan support at this point, but if its followers could start stumping for the show on the social networks, that would certainly help. Live-tweeting during the broadcasts can bring the show some attention and possibly help rally the fans. Watching episodes on Syfy’s website and app would help as well because the network sees that activity without the Nielsen filter (linear viewing is estimated based on samples). And any push on social media to bring more attention to the show will certainly help. (You can read more about how to help a struggling show at this link.)
Even if Syfy ends up cancelling this one, a rally by the fans could interest other venues it picking it up. I don’t believe this is a very expensive production, so one of the streaming services or perhaps another cable network could take a flyer on it. But at this point it will take a Call to Action by the fans to keep it going on Syfy or for another network to step in and save it. We have seen other shows like The Expanse, Lucifer, and Manifest saved in the past, and perhaps Astrid & Lilly could carry on as well if it gets enough support.
Are you watching Astrid & Lilly Save the World and will you lend your support to the show? Chime in below with your comments.
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