FINALS UPDATE: American Idol (1.9) and
The Simpsons (1.0) adjusted up.
WHAT MATTERS:- Disney Night came to American Idol as the show went live in all time zones. It got a major week-to-week bounce even in the preliminary ratings (1.8/1.7), and I'm assuming it would be subject to more upward adjustment than usual given the new arrangement? Stay tuned. Also on the upswing were its surrounding programs, America's Funniest Home Videos (1.2) and Deception (0.8), by two tenths apiece if they manage to hold in finals.
- Against a bigger ABC, the CBS dramas (0.6/0.7/0.6) and NBC reality (0.8/0.6) stayed really low, though NBC's Timeless (0.6) did get a useful uptick at 10/9c. Fox had a better night, as Bob's Burgers (0.8) and The Simpsons (0.9) were even while Brooklyn Nine-Nine (0.9), Family Guy (1.0) and The Last Man on Earth (0.7) all went up.
Welcome to Upfront Renewology!
This is the SHOW-centric half of the upfront preview, digging into the
merits of individual shows by network. The next round will be Upfront Questions,
the SCHEDULE-centric look ahead to upfront week. The following week, the schedules come out,
and with them come the Upfront Answers.
WHAT MATTERS:- Night two of NFL Draft coverage on Fox (0.6/0.6/0.5) was actually a little worse than the usual MasterChef Junior rating. It was behind the CBS dramas (0.7/0.9/0.8) and about on par with NBC's Blindspot (0.5) / Dateline (0.6/0.7) in the nightly race.
- On ABC, Agents of SHIELD (0.4) mercifully did not get any lower on Avengers premiere weekend, and Once Upon a Time (0.5) actually edged up.
- The CW's Life Sentence made its move to Friday with a familiar 0.1, and its preliminary total viewership (495,000) was actually above the last couple Wednesday episodes. Dynasty eked out a 0.2 at 8/7c.
FINALS UPDATE: Grey's Anatomy (1.5),
The Big Bang Theory (2.0),
Young Sheldon (1.8) and
Supernatural (0.5) adjusted up.
WHAT MATTERS:- ABC's Quantico (0.5) was back for season three to begin a 13-episode run that will extend deep into the summer. It led out of new season lows for Grey's Anatomy (1.4) and Station 19 (0.9). Quantico tied its lowest rating from last year, but last year it actually once had a 0.5 with a 1.8 lead-in!
- On Fox, the NFL Draft (1.1/1.2/1.1) made its broadcast network debut with a simulcast of the NFL Network production. It was nowhere close to what the draft did on ESPN last year (2.78), but it will be worth keeping an eye on whether it made a dent in ESPN's usual delivery. In households, ESPN went from 4.8 last year to 3.9 this year.
- There was a vintage Draft night bloodbath (with some help from The Avengers as well) on the other broadcast networks, especially in the 8:00 hour when the Draft is at its strongest. The Big Bang Theory (1.9) took a half-point hit, while Young Sheldon (1.7) was down two tenths, but CBS held up better later in the night with Mom (1.3), Life in Pieces (1.0) and S.W.A.T. (0.8).
- NBC's Superstore (0.7) and A.P. Bio (0.5) fell to new lows in the 8:00 hour, while Champions held at 0.4 and Chicago Fire (0.9) was down a tenth. And the CW's Supernatural (0.4) and Arrow (0.3) were also on the low end.
It's the return of the Renew/Cancel Big Board: a live record of what's renewed, what's cancelled and what's to be determined on broadcast TV as news comes in during the newsiest days of the TV year. Below the table, there's an also live-updating timeline, because it might be neat to look back on what time everything happens.
(Here's last year's version.)This year I am trying to capture the entire 2017-18 renew/cancel timeline, dating back to decisions made in 2016. Beginning on Monday, May 7, the timeline will start including the time like last year. Before the craziness arrives, please let me know of any omissions or errors. (Also, please refer to the disclaimer at the bottom, as that might cover some of your suggestions.) Thanks!
FINALS UPDATE: Modern Family (R)
(0.8) and
Empire (1.7) adjusted up.
WHAT MATTERS:- Things got darker for the CBS drama lineup with Criminal Minds out of the picture on Wednesday, as SEAL Team (0.8) dropped two tenths to tie its series low while Code Black (0.7) returned to the 10/9c hour after over 14 months off. That tied Code Black's 0.7 low from last season (in November 2016 against Game 7 of the World Series), but everything else last season was a 0.9 or higher.
- And those CBS results came even as NBC's heavy hitters were in repeats (0.6/0.7); only The Blacklist (0.8) at 8/7c was original. ABC also snuck in repeats of its comedy anchors (0.7/0.7) on the eve of sweeps, going original with Alex, Inc. at 8:30 (0.7) and 9:30 (0.6). With an Alex lead-in, Designated Survivor fell to its first 0.5 at 10/9c.
- Fox was down but still dominant with Empire (1.6) and Star (1.2), while the CW's The Originals was able to hold onto last week's nice 0.4 premiere rating.
FINALS UPDATE: The Voice (1.6),
Chicago Med (1.0) and
LA to Vegas (0.7) adjusted up while
Deception (0.7) and
Rise (0.7) adjusted down.
WHAT MATTERS:- It was the first Tuesday in five weeks without an original episode of Roseanne, but it didn't stop ABC from taking another Tuesday title on the back of four strong Roseanne repeats (1.3/1.3/1.5/1.5). It was big enough to even provide some lift for Deception (0.8), which (if it can hang on after finals) outrated its last couple Sunday airings on a special night.
- On the CW, The 100 (0.4) was back for season five in solid fashion following a low-end The Flash (0.6). It tied last year's premiere, which also had a 0.6 lead-in (from Arrow).
- The other 8/7c originals may have benefited a bit from the Roseanne break, as Lethal Weapon (0.9) was up a tick and The Voice (1.5) was even and may be up after finals. However, Fox's comedies were stuck at 0.6/0.6, and NBC saw another 0.8 from Rise leading into an oddly large drop to 0.9 for Chicago Med. CBS (0.7/0.7/0.6) was in repeats.
Four weeks from the end of the season, here's a quick look at how the 2017-18 ratings landscape is going to look.
FINALS UPDATE: The Resident (0.9) adjusted up.
WHAT MATTERS:- American Idol (1.3/1.4) drew closer than ever to The Voice (1.5) on Monday, though that was more about The Voice than Idol; preliminarily, it was down a whooping three tenths week-to-week, while Idol was close to even. 10/9c dramas The Crossing (0.7) and Good Girls (0.9) matched last week's finals.
- CBS' originals took the night off in favor of Sheldon-verse repeats (1.0/1.0/1.0/1.0), which as always meant better ratings than the usual occupants. A Carpool Karaoke special (0.8) also improved the 10/9c hour vs. last week's Scorpion finale. Elsewhere, Fox's The Resident (0.8) along with CW's Supergirl (0.4) and iZombie (0.2) ticked down.
WHAT MATTERS:- All the regular broadcast lineups were back in place on Sunday, which helped American Idol (1.5) to rebound by multiple tenths. But that was no help to its lead-out Deception, which tanked to 0.6 for the first time as it prepares for a special original following a Roseanne repeat marathon on Tuesday.
- The CBS dramas were back, and roughly in line with three weeks ago when they didn't have help from The Masters. That meant a return to 0.6 for Instinct and a small drop for NCIS: Los Angeles (0.8), while Madam Secretary matched last week's 0.6.
- On Fox, Family Guy (0.9) returned but was unable to boost The Last Man on Earth (0.6), while Bob's Burgers (0.8) and The Simpsons (0.9) gave back last week's upticks. All things NBC matched last week (0.6/0.8/0.6/0.5)
FINALS UPDATE: Dynasty (0.1) adjusted down.
WHAT MATTERS:- Table will be posted on Sunday.
FINALS UPDATE: Grey's Anatomy (1.7) adjusted up while
S.W.A.T. (0.8),
Supernatural (0.5) and
Arrow (0.3) adjusted down.
WHAT MATTERS:- Table will be posted on Sunday.
FINALS UPDATE: Modern Family (R)
(0.8),
The Voice (1.5) and
Empire (1.8) adjusted up.
WHAT MATTERS:- With The Voice (1.4) airing at 8/7c, NBC's Law and Order: SVU (1.4) and Chicago PD (1.2) got a big jolt. (In addition to Voice, they usually bounce back from their first episodes after hiatus anyway.)
- Against a stronger NBC, CBS' Criminal Minds (1.0/0.9) did fairly typical ratings with its two-hour season finale. It could turn out to be a series finale, but Minds did get at least one more return to the Wednesday 9/8c hour it occupied for 12 years. Survivor (1.6) matched last week.
- Empire (1.7) was nicked a bit against The Voice, but alongside Star (1.3) was still enough for another Wednesday victory on Fox.
- ABC's Alex, Inc. (0.6) went straight from the Roseanne lead-in on Tuesday to a repeat of The Goldbergs (0.7) on Wednesday, tanking to three tenths behind what it did after an original last week. The only other ABC original Designated Survivor held onto its 0.6 at 10/9c.
- And with Life Sentence exiled to Friday, the CW welcomed The Originals (0.4) to the night to air its final season, where it continued the impressive streak it began on Friday last season. Unless it adjusts down, it will finish ahead of anything Dynasty or Life Sentence have done there all season. Riverdale's musical episode (0.4) inched off of its low from three weeks ago.
FINALS UPDATE: Alex, Inc. (1.3),
NCIS (1.2),
Lethal Weapon (0.8) and
The Flash (0.7) adjusted up while
For the People (0.5) adjusted down.
WHAT MATTERS:- In Johnny Galecki's return to Roseanne (3.4), the show took little to no week-to-week drop as it heads into a repeat night next week. This week, the gigahit lead-in juice was squandered on a special Tuesday showing of Wednesday comedy Alex, Inc. (1.2), which took an enormous drop relative to last week's The Middle (2.0). That difference resonated later in the night, as Black-ish (1.1) and Splitting Up Together (1.0) each fell by two more tenths.
- It was a rough night elsewhere on the big four, especially in the 8/7c hour as CBS' NCIS (1.1) got rolled in its return after a week off and NCIS: New Orleans (0.8) also fell to a new low (though Bull (1.1) held up better).
- Fox also saw a big 8/7c drop with Lethal Weapon (0.7) in its second episode of the spring, while LA to Vegas (0.6) and New Girl (0.6) fell as well. And NBC was down at 8/7c with The Voice (1.5), but Rise stayed at 0.8 and Chicago Med somehow managed an increase to 1.2.
- And the CW said goodbye to a highly successful season one of Black Lightning with another 0.5, while The Flash was stuck at last week's 0.6.
FINALS UPDATE: American Idol (1.4) and
The Voice (1.8) adjusted up while
Good Girls (0.9) adjusted down.
WHAT MATTERS:- Fox dramas Lucifer (0.7) and The Resident (0.9) were back from multiple weeks off, with the latter impressing once again, while the CW's Supergirl did well to hold onto a 0.5 in its first episode in over two months. Preliminarily, it also brought iZombie (0.3) up a notch with it.
- The Monday reality staples were both down, but NBC's The Voice (1.8/1.7) pulled a little farther ahead of ABC's American Idol (1.3/1.4). The same was true in the 10/9c drama duel as Good Girls looks to hold onto another 1.0 while The Crossing (0.7) inched down again in week three.
- CBS' Kevin Can Wait (0.9) and Man with a Plan (0.8) ticked down, while Superior Donuts (0.8) and Living Biblically (0.6) were even. Scorpion (0.7) also matched last week as it wrapped up for the season, with an uncertain future awaiting.
FINALS UPDATE: Little Big Shots (0.8) and
Bob's Burgers (0.9) adjusted up while
Genius Junior (0.6) and
Brooklyn Nine-Nine (0.8) adjusted down.
WHAT MATTERS:- CBS had a turn at Sunday dominance with the Academy of Country Music Awards (2.0/2.3/2.1), two weeks later in April than last year, and were very close to even with last year's 2.1 rating.
- ABC had a decidedly mixed night as the spring late afternoon NBA playoffs boost really kicked in for America's Funniest Home Videos (1.2), then American Idol (1.3) fell to a season low against the ACMs, then the network zoomed back up to a big 1.7 average in the 10/9c thanks to its George Stephanopoulos interview with James Comey.
- On NBC, Little Big Shots (0.7) got clobbered, though Genius Junior managed to hold onto its 0.7 at 9/8c. In a much busier than usual 10/9c hour, Timeless fell to its first 0.5.
- Fox was unaffected in the 8/7c hour as The Simpsons (1.0) inched back into the ones and Brooklyn Nine-Nine (0.9) was up at 8:30 as well. But a special second Brooklyn (0.7) took a dip at 9/8c, and so did The Last Man on Earth (0.6).
FINALS UPDATE: Agents of SHIELD (0.5) adjusted up while
Taken (0.4) adjusted down.
WHAT MATTERS:- The big four bumped their 9:00 Eastern/8:00 Central programming forward by approximately 15 minutes due to a live presidential address, so the preliminary averages for everything in the last two hours will be a bit scrambled.
- This interruption came on the first night that Fox's MasterChef Junior (0.7/0.7) went to originals in both hours, and it was down a tenth from last week. ABC (0.4/0.4/0.4) also seemed to take a hit on this night, while CBS (0.8/0.9/0.8) and NBC (0.5/0.6/0.7) looked relatively steady.
FINALS UPDATE: Grey's Anatomy (1.7),
The Big Bang Theory (2.4) and
Superstore (0.9) adjusted up.
WHAT MATTERS:
FINALS UPDATE: The Goldbergs (1.3),
Survivor (1.6) and
Empire (1.9) adjusted up while
Harry Potter: A History of Magic (0.2) and
Masters of Illusion (R)
(0.1) adjusted down.
WHAT MATTERS:- Fox continued to rule on Wednesday as Empire (1.8) and Star (1.3) promisingly matched last week. Empire was only around -20%ish year-to-year, which is a marked improvement.
- In week three, ABC's Alex, Inc. managed to hold onto its 0.9, despite it being a down night for all the other comedies (1.2/1.4/1.1).
- All the CBS/NBC dramas were back in play with NBC's The Blacklist (0.8), Law and Order: SVU (1.1) and Chicago PD (1.1) all coming in on the low side, something we've seen before when SVU and PD return from multi-week hiatuses. CBS' Criminal Minds (0.9) was also down against the return of PD, though SEAL Team (1.0) actually inched up despite a lower lead-in from Survivor (1.5).
FINALS UPDATE: Roseanne (3.5),
The Middle (2.0) and
Lethal Weapon (0.9) adjusted up while
Black-ish (1.3) adjusted down.
WHAT MATTERS:- ABC's Roseanne (3.4) stayed in giga-hit territory in week three, dropping by 0.5 in the prelims for a low-teens decline week-to-week. The other comedies The Middle (1.9), Black-ish (1.4) and Splitting Up Together (1.2) followed in similar fashion, with SUT falling just a bit farther behind its Black-ish lead-in this time. At 10/9c, the aura finally wore off for For the People, which crashed back to the 0.6 it pulled in the last week pre-Roseanne.
- On Fox, New Girl (0.7) was back for its final season at 9:30, airing its first new episode in over a calendar year. It didn't look particularly different from what The Mick had been doing in the hour, and fell behind everything it did last season. Lethal Weapon (0.8) also returned from hiatus on Fox, dropping to a new season low in its first episode since Daylight Saving Time.
- ABC may have gotten some help from lighter competition on the other two networks; NBC's The Voice (1.3) was in recap special mode (though Rise (0.8) and Chicago Med (1.1) held steady), while CBS went with an NCIS repeat (0.7) and a two-hour Elton John special (1.0/0.9). On the CW, The Flash returned to a new low 0.6.
FINALS UPDATE: American Idol (1.6) and
Kevin Can Wait (1.0) adjusted up.
WHAT MATTERS:- ABC's The Crossing had a decent week two hold, dropping just a tenth to 0.8 in week two, and with a 0.9 -> 0.8 breakdown it looks relatively unlikely to hit a 0.7 after finals. It had some help as American Idol (1.5) was up at least a tenth from last week's low against the basketball game.
- But NBC's Good Girls (1.0) took sole possession of the lead at 10/9c, and will hope to hold in the ones for the first time in three weeks after finals. In the first two hours, The Voice (1.8/1.9) was roughly even.
- CBS was back from a week off, steady in the first half of the night with Kevin Can Wait (0.9), Man with a Plan (0.9) and Superior Donuts (0.8). But Living Biblically (0.6) plunged to a new low at 9:30, and Scorpion (0.7) was down as well. The season finale of Legends of Tomorrow (0.4) as well as iZombie (0.2) were even on the CW.
FINALS UPDATE: America's Funniest Home Videos (R)
(0.9) adjusted up.
WHAT MATTERS:- CBS had another dose of Sunday sports assistance in the late afternoon with the final round of the Masters golf tournament. It didn't spill over into primetime at all, but still had a tangible effect on 60 Minutes (1.5) and Instinct (0.9), and helped NCIS: Los Angeles (0.9) and Madam Secretary (0.6) a bit as well.
- ABC's American Idol (1.5) and Deception (0.7) both fell, while Fox got a couple upticks with Bob's Burgers (0.8) and The Last Man on Earth (0.7). NBC's Little Big Shots (0.9), Genius Junior (0.7) and Timeless (0.6) were all even after a week off.
FINALS UPDATE: Agents of SHIELD (0.6) adjusted up.
WHAT MATTERS:- NBC's Taken (0.4) began a two-week stop in the 8/7c hour with Blindspot on hiatus. It did bounce back a touch from last week's first-ever 0.3, but was still below anything Blindspot has done there this season. This allowed Dateline (0.7) to expand back to two hours, which was a positive for the network's ratings.
- CBS' Hawaii Five-0 (0.9) and Blue Bloods (0.8) each shed a tenth, ABC's Once Upon a Time (0.5) and Agents of SHIELD (0.5) were even, and Jane the Virgin returned from a week off with a 0.2 on the CW.
FINALS UPDATE: Grey's Anatomy (1.7) and
The Big Bang Theory (2.4) adjusted up while
Mom (1.3),
Supernatural (0.4) and
Arrow (0.3) adjusted down.
WHAT MATTERS:
- It was another mixed bag on ABC Thursday, as Station 19 (1.0) suggested that it overachieved some last week and slid back by two tenths in week three. But Scandal (0.9) went the opposite way, upticking from its rough start in the 10/9c hour last week.
- Elsewhere, the CBS comedies (2.4/1.9/1.3/0.9) all inched down in their second weeks after March Madness. Fox (0.7/0.6) and NBC (0.8/0.6/0.9/0.5/1.0) matched last week, meaning no finale uptick for Will and Grace (0.9). And the CW's Supernatural (0.4) and Arrow (0.3) got destroyed in the finals due to an NYC baseball preemption, posting their lowest numbers since Thanksgiving.
FINALS UPDATE: The Goldbergs (1.4),
Survivor (1.7) and
Empire (1.8) adjusted up while
Designated Survivor (0.6) and
Life Sentence (0.1) adjusted down.
WHAT MATTERS:- ABC's new sitcom Alex, Inc. (0.9) took a two-tenth drop in week two, putting it behind anything Speechless did with an original The Goldbergs lead-in. (Speechless did get to a 0.9 on March 14 when it led off the night.) It was a low-end night for Goldbergs (1.3) as well, though Modern Family (1.5) perked up a bit at 9/8c. American Housewife (1.2) and Designated Survivor (0.7) looked pretty standard.
- Fox stayed on top on Wednesday with Empire (1.7) and Star (1.3) both down 10-15% from last week's spring premieres.
- On CBS, SEAL Team was off for the night and replaced by an NCIS repeat (0.7) at 9/8c. Surrounding it, Survivor (1.6) and Criminal Minds (1.0) both inched down. The Blacklist (0.9) was the only NBC original, and the CW's Life Sentence (0.2) came up from last week despite a repeat lead-in.
FINALS UPDATE: Rise (0.8) adjusted down.
WHAT MATTERS:- ABC's Roseanne revival phenomenon (3.9) came only part of the way back to ratings reality in week two, staying very close to what was the previous highest regular episode on broadcast this season: 4.1 for The Big Bang Theory's season premiere. It's a little steeper drop than the typical week two of a new show, but still a smaller decline than Will and Grace saw in its second week back. Considering the unthinkable point it was starting from, that goes down as a win.
- This week, Roseanne was only a half hour, and The Middle (2.2) returned to begin its final stretch of episodes at 8:30. That was easily a season high for Middle, and its first time in the twos since January 2016. The 9:00 hour fell hard with much-reduced lead-in support, but Black-ish (1.5) still tied with the season premiere for the second-biggest episode of the season. And Splitting Up Together (1.4) once again exhibited great retention at 9:30. For the People (0.8) was down just a tenth at 10/9c.
- A few viewers migrated back to the other networks, as NBC's The Voice (1.8), Rise (0.9) and Chicago Med (1.1) were all up a notch from last week. CBS' Bull (1.2) and Fox's LA to Vegas (0.7) also edged up.
FINALS UPDATE: The Crossing (0.9) adjusted down. The basketball game averaged a 4.09 on TBS + 0.55 on TNT + 0.19 on TruTV.
WHAT MATTERS:
- ABC began life after The Good Doctor with new genre drama The Crossing (1.0) premiering in unspectacular fashion at 10/9c. This kind of show doesn't have a great history of holding up well post-premiere, but it was available online for awhile and faced a big basketball game last night. The network's mojo was also a bit diminished earlier in the night, as American Idol (1.4) was down multiple tenths from 8:00 to 10:00.
- NBC's The Voice (1.9) also ticked down, though Good Girls preliminarily was able to stay even at 0.9. The other two networks mostly sat out against TBS' NCAA basketball championship, though in CBS' case that meant doing better numbers than usual with repeats of the Sheldon shows (1.3/1.2/1.1). That helped bump the lone original Living Biblically (0.8) up a notch.
- On the CW, Legends of Tomorrow (0.4) was even and iZombie took the night off in favor of a Penn and Teller: Fool Us special (0.3).
FINALS UPDATE: Dateline (0.8) and
Bob's Burgers (0.7) adjusted up.
WHAT MATTERS:- On Easter Sunday, NBC got much better numbers than its usual lineup thanks to special Jesus Christ Superstar: Live in Concert, which averaged a 1.7 from 8:00 to 10:00 and a 1.5 in the 10:00 half-hour (when it handed off to a special Dateline (0.7) to round out the night). That gave it a narrow head-to-head edge against American Idol (1.6), which was down just a tenth for ABC. After Idol, Deception (0.8) is eyeing an uptick preliminarily but has been getting some savage downward adjustments in finals.
- On CBS, Instinct (0.6) got its first airing with a non-sports-inflated 60 Minutes (0.7), and the results were not pretty as it went even below Wisdom of the Crowd's series low. NCIS: Los Angeles managed to pull CBS back up to a 0.8 at 9/8c, but Madam Secretary tanked right back to 0.5 at 10/9c.
- Fox's animated anchors The Simpsons (0.9) and Family Guy (0.9) were even, but there were some downticks at the bottoms of the hour with Brooklyn Nine-Nine (0.8), The Last Man on Earth (0.6) and especially Bob's Burgers (0.6).
FINALS UPDATE: Blindspot (0.6) adjusted up while
Dynasty (0.2) adjusted down.
WHAT MATTERS:- CBS Friday returned after March Madness with a strong night for Hawaii Five-0 (1.0), back into the ones for the first time in almost two months. Surrounding it, MacGyver (0.8) inched down and Blue Bloods (0.9) was even.
- On ABC, Once Upon a Time (0.5) picked up a notch but 20/20 (0.4) lost one at 10/9c. A tough week for NBC continued with Blindspot (0.5) and Taken (0.3) somehow getting even lower. Fox's MasterChef Junior (0.8) was steady.
- And the CW's Dynasty (0.3) will be looking to pull off the elusive +200% growth in rounded numbers. (I'm thinking there may be a preemption involved here, but we'll see!)
© SpottedRatings.com 2009-2022. All Rights Reserved.
