| Timeslot | Lo | Avg | Hi | y2y | A18-49+ | Label | y2y | Results |
| Sunday 10:00 | 1.2 | 1.45 | 1.8 | -16% | 77 | marginal | -6% | detail |
Rating the Ratings: In what was widely assumed to be the last season for The Mentalist, the show continued its slow slide into mediocrity. It seemed to have made something of a surge back into the renewal conversation around the middle of the season, when it had a long run of upper-1's ratings (often noticeably outrating lead-in The Good Wife). But all appeared to be lost in March when it returned to a 1.3ish level. Then CBS pulled a shocker by renewing the show for an announced final season, but it was left off the fall schedule. Part of me wonders if CBS struck this deal to block The Mentalist from going to a cable network in originals (I had a similar theory about Unforgettable). But its services could end up being welcome if a creative Sunday schedule with Madam Secretary at 8/7c blows up in CBS' face. Grade: C.
Here's the now updated War of 18-49 post for The Mentalist.
8 comments:
That blocking of a cable deal is what I believe NBC did with Hannibal. They know the moment they let it go, some cable channel would save it and THEN it will become a hit. 9
I think The Mentalist's renewal is less about preventing a move to a cable network (presumably TNT as it's essentially the cable version of CBS in terms of its drama focus and older skew for its originals). An older show like this is expensive to start with, and with its history it feels like a big ask to get new viewers caught up in the show. A newer production like Unforgettable or Hannibal feels more likely to happen for that reason.
I think CBS wanted more shows in reserve so that a Hostages or Intelligence wouldn't have to play out the low-rated string. CBS is filling 4 hours of its schedule with new dramas (Scorpion, NCIS: NoLa, Stalker, and Madam Secretary). Given that it's unlikely all 4 will be a success, it gives CBS some security to have a known, if mediocre, quantity in the chamber to fill a problem slot.
After last minute cutting down comedy blocks to 3, CBS wanted one more drama backup. What I don't understand is why they actually picked 2, why they BOTH uncancelled Mentalist and ordered CSI: Cyber.
Best rationale I have: The Mentalist is a known show, while CSI: Cyber could become a cash cow like its parent show and fellow spinoffs.
And it could replace *any* of those four and it would count as a timeslot upgrade for it after its service in the Sunday 10:xx death slot!
I don't know about that. If Madam Secretary flops, I can easily envision a scenario that goes 60 Minutes / The Good Wife / CSI / The Mentalist. The only other scenario that immediately comes to mind, though, would be an upgrade: 2 Broke Girls / Mom / NCIS: LA / The Mentalist on Monday.
Now they know thay are just postponing its move to Yahoo haha.
TVLine has reported that Mike and Molly has again a 22 episode order so I don't think it's impossible that at some point we see it doubling up somewhere (Mondays at 9?) in case the McHarthys doesn't flop right away.
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