Monday, August 30, 2021

Saturday, August 28, 2021

Spotted Ratings, Friday 8/27/21


FINALS UPDATE: Shark Tank (R) (0.3), Secret Celebrity Renovation (0.3, -0.2), The Greatest #AtHome Videos (0.3), Blue Bloods (R) (0.2), American Ninja Warrior (R) (0.3), Dateline (0.3), WWE SmackDown! (0.6), Burden of Truth (0.0) and Dynasty (0.0) adjusted down.

WHAT MATTERS:
  • Numbers posted.

Thursday, August 26, 2021

Spotted Ratings, Wednesday 8/25/21


FINALS UPDATE: Press Your Luck (0.5), The $100,000 Pyramid (0.5), America's Got Talent (0.7), Chicago Med (R) (0.3) and MasterChef (0.6) adjusted up.

WHAT MATTERS:
  • Numbers posted.

The War of 18-49, Station 19


The Second Grey's Spin-off

Right around the time that Shonda Rhimes staple Scandal was wrapping up its seven-season run, ABC brought in some new blood to try to keep its 'TGIT' Thursday branding alive. It was Station 19, the second spin-off of Grey's Anatomy, premiering more than a decade after the first (Private Practice). And the show did not particularly impress out of the gate, opening with a 1.1 demo that was well below its 1.9 Grey's lead-in. It pulled out a season two renewal by staying pretty consistent post-premiere, ticking up to a 1.2 in week two and posting mostly 1.0's and 0.9's the rest of the way. 

It basically remained at the same level in a fall/spring run for season two. It roughly matched the mediocre final season of Scandal in the fall, then roughly matched itself in the spring ratings, and only really perked up during a trio of Grey's cross-over episodes.

The 8/7c Upgrade

Like Private Practice, Station 19 aired multiple seasons directly after the Grey's mothership, and in those episodes the two shows actually didn't look that different from each other. Where the stories diverged was what happened after the post-Grey's run. When Scandal launched in 2012, Private Practice was sent off to Tuesday, where it withered away rather quickly. But Station 19 remained part of Thursday night, at 8/7c in the pre-Grey's timeslot, giving the direct Grey's lead-in back to 10/9c shows.

This turned out to be a big win for Station 19, and for ABC's ratings overall; the Grey's audience followed it back to 9/8c, while Station saw a significant ratings improvement in the high-viewed 8/7c hour, hammocked between local programming and the Grey's mothership. Season three was actually up in raw numbers, staying around 1.0 in the winter and then bouncing up to the low-1's when COVID lockdowns hit in the spring. And season four basically took a league average decline, staying at those same high levels. As long as Grey's lives, there's no reason to mess with the Station/Grey's combo, so it will roll into 2021-22 intact.

Adults 18-49 info by season:

SeasYearSlotAvgy2yLoHiResultsGrade
1Spring 2018Thursday 9:001.060.91.2detailB-
22018-190.95-10%0.81.3detailB-
32020Thursday 8:001.05+10%0.81.3detailB+
42020-210.83-21%0.71.2detailB
52021-220.61-26%0.50.8detailC+
62022-230.47-23%0.40.5detailC+

Historical-adjusted ratings by season:

SeasYearA18-49+LabelNow23y2yLoHiPremiereFinale
1Spring 201896marginal0.418310810593
22018-19100solid0.43+4%8113711385
32020128hit0.55+28%100156149109
42020-21129hit0.55+1%102189189107
52021-22120solid0.51-7%94149149114
62022-23111solid0.47-8%91124120108

AVERAGE:114solid
CAREER:686staple


The War of 18-49 chronicles the ratings history of veteran primetime series. For more, see the Index.

Tuesday, August 24, 2021

Spotted Ratings, Monday 8/23/21


FINALS UPDATE: Bachelor in Paradise (1.0) adjusted up.

WHAT MATTERS:
  • Numbers posted. Competition reality series The Ultimate Surfer premiered after Bachelor in Paradise.

Saturday, August 21, 2021

Thursday, August 19, 2021

Spotted Ratings, Wednesday 8/18/21


FINALS UPDATE: America's Got Talent (0.7) and Chicago PD (R) (0.3) adjusted up.

WHAT MATTERS:
  • Numbers posted. CBS had the premiere of unscripted offering House Calls with Dr. Phil.

The War of 18-49, The Masked Singer


A Record-Setting Rookie Singing Show

While singing competitions have been dominant in primetime for the last two decades, even American Idol and The Voice were not megahit performers out of the gate; they both crossed that threshold in season two. But Fox's winter newbie The Masked Singer wasted no time, opening with a whooping 3.0 demo on January 2, 2019. That was well over double its lead-in from 24 Hours to Hell and Back.

The show took a somewhat sizable drop to 2.3 in week two, but it held in the low 2's for most of the rest of the season, then picked up momentum down the stretch with a 2.7 in the penultimate week and a 2.6/3.6 for the double-episode season finale. The season's Plus average of 272 was far bigger than any season of The Voice and barely 10% weaker than even the very strongest American Idol seasons.

On the Fall/Spring Schedule

Unlike American Idol, which always aired only one season per year, Fox was able to put The Masked Singer on the two-cycles-per-year plan long used with The Voice and Dancing with the Stars. In fall 2019, season two of The Masked Singer was still deep into megahit levels if not quite on the level of season one; it stayed just north of 2.0 for over a month and dipped into high-1's for the second half of the season.

Despite airing after the Super Bowl, season three looked like it was headed for another step down in raw numbers, but then the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and The Masked Singer got a sizable ratings bump during the lockdowns, breaking 2.0 through late March and most of April. The show kept going pretty strong the next fall, returning on Premiere Wednesday against a lot of filler competition due to pandemic-related production delays.

The first cracks in the mask might have finally appeared in season five in spring 2021; it started in the low-1's and stayed there, narrowly taking it out of megahit territory. A drop was inevitable considering how much it benefited in the previous spring season, but was this drop large enough to be worrisome? Its legacy as a high ratings achiever is absolutely secure, and it won't be a Joe Millionaire-esque flash in the pan. But the 2021-22 season will tell us a lot about the show's true longevity potential.

Adults 18-49 info by season:

SeasYearSlotAvgy2yLoHiResultsGrade
1Winter 2019Wednesday 9:002.582.23.6detailA+
2Fall 2019Wednesday 8:002.001.62.5detailA-
3Spring 20202.03-21%1.82.4detail
4Fall 20201.78-11%1.33.5detailB
5Spring 20211.21-40%1.11.4detailC
6Fall 20210.94-47%0.81.1detailC-
7Spring 20220.71-41%0.60.9detailD+
8Fall 20220.73-23%0.42.2detailD+
9Spring 20230.57-20%0.50.7detailB-

Historical-adjusted ratings by season:

SeasYearA18-49+LabelNow23y2yLoHiPremiereFinale
1Winter 2019272megahit1.16233376312376
2Fall 2019244megahit1.04194307307272
3Spring 2020248megahit1.06-9%215295248286
4Fall 2020275megahit1.17+13%202543243279
5Spring 2021188big hit0.80-24%164209203209
6Fall 2021185big hit0.79-33%165218218194
7Spring 2022139hit0.59-26%123171171139
8Fall 2022171big hit0.73-8%91516148155
9Spring 2023134hit0.57-4%113159148129

The War of 18-49 chronicles the ratings history of veteran primetime series. For more, see the Index.

Wednesday, August 18, 2021

Spotted Ratings, Tuesday 8/17/21


FINALS UPDATE: FBI (R) (0.3), America's Got Talent (0.9) and LEGO Masters (0.5) adjusted up while Stargirl (0.1) and Superman and Lois (0.1) adjusted down.

WHAT MATTERS:
  • Numbers posted.

The Breakdown: ABC Friday in 2020-21 (Shark Tank, 20/20)




It's time for a journey through the ABC Friday schedule in 2020-21...

Tuesday, August 17, 2021

Spotted Ratings, Monday 8/16/21


FINALS UPDATE: Bachelor in Paradise (0.9) and American Ninja Warrior (0.6) adjusted up.

WHAT MATTERS:
  • Numbers posted. Bachelor in Paradise returned to ABC after skipping summer 2020.

SpotVault - Stargirl (CW) - 2021 Ratings





Stargirl
Tuesdays, 8/7c, CW







SpotVault - Secret Celebrity Renovation (CBS) - Summer 2021 Ratings





Secret Celebrity Renovation
Fridays, 8/7c, CBS







SpotVault - Roswell, New Mexico (CW) - Summer 2021 Ratings





Roswell, New Mexico
Mondays, 8/7c, CW







SpotVault - Love Island (CBS) - Summer 2021 Ratings





Love Island
Wednesdays, 9/8c, CBS







SpotVault - Fantasy Island (Fox) - Summer 2021 Ratings





Fantasy Island
Tuesdays, 9/8c, Fox







SpotVault - Family Game Fight! (NBC) - Summer 2021 Ratings





Family Game Fight!
Wednesdays, 9/8c, NBC







SpotVault - Brooklyn Nine-Nine (NBC) - 2021-22 Ratings





Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Thursdays, 8/7c, NBC







SpotVault - Big Brother (CBS) - Summer 2021 Ratings





Big Brother
Wednesdays, 8/7c, CBS







SpotVault - Bachelor in Paradise (ABC) - 2021 Ratings





Bachelor in Paradise
Tuesdays, 8/7c, ABC







Monday, August 16, 2021

Spotted Ratings, Sunday 8/15/21


FINALS UPDATE: America's Funniest Home Videos (R) (0.4), Celebrity Family Feud (0.6), Big Brother (1.0) and America's Got Talent (R) (0.3) adjusted up.

WHAT MATTERS:
  • Numbers posted.

The Breakdown: CW Thursday in 2020-21 (Supernatural, Walker, Legacies)




It's time for a journey through the CW Thursday schedule in 2020-21...

Saturday, August 14, 2021

Spotted Ratings, Friday 8/13/21


FINALS UPDATE: Secret Celebrity Renovation (0.3), Love Island (0.3), Blue Bloods (R) (0.2) and Dateline (0.3) adjusted down.

WHAT MATTERS:
  • Numbers posted. Preliminary numbers may be affected by local NFL preemptions.

Friday, August 13, 2021

Spotted Ratings, Thursday 8/12/21


FINALS UPDATE: When Nature Calls with Helen Mirren (0.2), Big Brother (0.9), Love Island (0.4, -0.2), Bull (R) (0.2), Brooklyn Nine-Nine (0.4, -0.2), Brooklyn Nine-Nine (0.3, -0.2), Making It (0.2, -0.2), Law and Order: Organized Crime (0.1) and MLB Baseball (0.9, -0.4) adjusted down.

WHAT MATTERS:
  • Numbers posted. NBC had the double-episode return of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, its first originals in more than 15 months. NOTE: Numbers may be inflated due to local NFL preemptions.

The War of 18-49, Young Sheldon


Big Bang's Big Spin-off

It took nearly a decade, but in fall 2017 CBS finally came out with its first spin-off of longtime megahit comedy The Big Bang Theory. They aired together on Premiere Monday in fall 2017 and had one of the biggest comedy explosions in recent memory: Big Bang averaged a 4.1 demo (a series high 373 Plus) and Young Sheldon held onto almost all of it with a 3.8. Big Bang remained on Monday for a month longer, as CBS was still airing Thursday Night Football at this time, but Sheldon did not return until the Thursday slot opened up in early November. Sheldon's 2.3 demo was down about 40% from that huge premiere night, but it stayed very close to that for most of the rest of the season and even popped up to some mid-2's in January. In the end, Sheldon posted a 202 Plus average for the season, making it the biggest new comedy of the entire A18-49+ era.

The 2018-19 season was the announced final season for Big Bang, and while it was still at megahit levels, it was mostly a little weaker than the previous season. And Sheldon's retention got a little worse; Big Bang was usually in the low-2's and Sheldon in the high-1's until late in the season, when Sheldon dropped to some mid-1's. They were still an undeniably potent combination, with Sheldon off just 11% in Plus from its huge rookie season.

The Heir to the Thursday Lead-off Slot

But a new challenge awaited Young Sheldon in season three: opening Thursday night as Big Bang had in the previous nine seasons. It was quickly apparent that Sheldon would not step right in at the same strength level. It opened season three with just a 1.1 demo on Premiere Thursday, easily a new series low, and it spent pretty much the whole season hanging around a 1.0. That added up to a 128 Plus, down by almost 30% from its last season alongside TBBT, and not even half of what the peak TBBT seasons were doing.

Fortunately, it didn't get much worse from there, at least in season four; the show opened the season with a somewhat alarming 0.7, but perked up nicely in the winter with a bunch of 0.8's and 0.9's. Even after spring declines, it was down just 7% in Plus. It may not be Big Bang, but it's the best CBS can do right now, and the network rewarded it with a three-season renewal in spring 2021. With veteran Mom off the schedule in 2021-22, Sheldon will be asked to carry even more of a load on Thursday alongside a bunch of young guns.

Adults 18-49 info by season:

SeasYearSlotAvgy2yLoHiResultsGrade
12017-18Thursday 8:302.211.83.8detailA
22018-191.71-23%1.42.1detailC+
32019-20Thursday 8:001.05-39%0.91.3detailC
42020-210.76-27%0.61.0detailC
52021-220.66-13%0.60.8detailB+
62022-230.58-12%0.50.7detailB+

Historical-adjusted ratings by season:

SeasYearA18-49+LabelNow23y2yLoHiPremiereFinale
12017-18202megahit0.86162349349197
22018-19180big hit0.77-11%150222181222
32019-20128hit0.54-29%115155131137
42020-21118solid0.50-7%90147110112
52021-22130hit0.55+9%112163137129
62022-23136hit0.58+5%110159120134

AVERAGE:149hit
CAREER:893tentpole


The War of 18-49 chronicles the ratings history of veteran primetime series. For more, see the Index.

Thursday, August 12, 2021

Spotted Ratings, Wednesday 8/11/21


FINALS UPDATE: Press Your Luck (0.5) and MasterChef (0.5) adjusted up.

WHAT MATTERS:
  • Numbers posted. Family Game Fight! had its regular timeslot premiere, following the first Wednesday edition of America's Got Talent.

Monday, August 9, 2021

Spotted Ratings, Sunday 8/8/21


FINALS UPDATE: 60 Minutes (0.5), Tokyo Gold (0.9, +0.2), Summer Olympics (1.6, +0.5) and Family Game Fight! (0.7) adjusted up.

WHAT MATTERS:
  • Numbers posted. NBC previewed game show Family Game Fight! after the Closing Ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics. Its regular timeslot premiere comes on Wednesday.

The Breakdown: NBC Thursday in 2020-21 (Manifest, Superstore, Law and Order: SVU and more!)




It's time for a journey through the NBC Thursday schedule in 2020-21...

Friday, August 6, 2021

Spotted Ratings, Thursday 8/5/21


FINALS UPDATE: Summer Olympics (2.0) and NFL Preseason Football (2.0, +0.4) adjusted up.

WHAT MATTERS:
  • Numbers posted. The Olympics got some NFL competition as the Hall of Fame Game kicked off the preseason on Fox.

The War of 18-49, The Good Doctor


A Rare Breakout at 10/9c

After seven seasons with consistent cop drama Castle in the Monday 10/9c hour, then one very bad post-Castle season for the timeslot (shared by flop newbie Conviction and flop sophomore Quantico), ABC immediately came up with a new staple for the timeslot on Premiere Monday in 2017. Medical drama The Good Doctor opened with a whooping 2.2 demo at 10/9c, growing by more than 50% from its Dancing with the Stars lead-in (1.4). That ended up being a 200 Plus, far bigger than any Castle episode ever (its series high was 135). And Good Doc stayed above peak Castle levels throughout season one; it held its 2.2 in week two, then had a couple 2.0's and high-1's for the rest of the fall. In the winter, it mostly stayed north of 1.5 and was about in line with its much bigger lead-ins from The Bachelor. This added up to a 163 Plus, making it one of the biggest rookie dramas in the 10/9c hour over the last decade (a little behind How to Get Away with Murder, but bigger than The Blacklist).

A Fast Fall Back to Reality

 But The Good Doctor's time at those sky-high levels was short-lived. The season two premiere was a 1.3, tying its low from season one, and it stayed at very low-1's for the rest of the season. Season three was fractional almost all the way, only perking up into the 1's for its last couple episodes (at the start of the COVID lockdowns). It wasn't any help that these seasons aired after two of the weakest Dancing with the Stars seasons ever, but by season three it was usually a bit behind its DWTS lead-in: a far cry from its huge gains during season one.

Season four didn't premiere till November due to COVID-driven production delays, meaning the show largely missed out on a major resurgence season for DWTS, plus had to air much deeper into the spring than was typical. That provides some excuse for its continued declines, but the bottom line is that season four ended up looking like a below-average Castle season (at least in Live+SD), and at this point it's hard to imagine it turning around. Nevertheless, it will return to that Monday 10/9c hour for a fifth straight year in 2021-22.

Adults 18-49 info by season:

SeasYearSlotAvgy2yLoHiResultsGrade
12017-181.791.32.2detailA
22018-191.10-38%1.01.3detailC-
32019-200.86-22%0.71.1detailC+
42020-210.57-34%0.40.7detailC
52021-220.40-29%0.40.5detailC
62022-230.32-21%0.20.4detailC+

Historical-adjusted ratings by season:

SeasYearA18-49+LabelNow23y2yLoHiPremiereFinale
12017-18163big hit0.69121202200151
22018-19116solid0.49-29%104142136142
32019-20105solid0.45-10%84133117133
42020-2188marginal0.38-16%7010410285
52021-2279marginal0.34-11%69968071
62022-2375marginal0.32-5%59919175

AVERAGE:104solid
CAREER:625staple


The War of 18-49 chronicles the ratings history of veteran primetime series. For more, see the Index.

Thursday, August 5, 2021

Spotted Ratings, Wednesday 8/4/21


FINALS UPDATE: Big Brother (0.9) and Summer Olympics (2.4, +0.2) adjusted up.

WHAT MATTERS:
  • Numbers posted.

Spotted Ratings, Tuesday 8/3/21


FINALS UPDATE: The Goldbergs (R) (0.3), Black-ish (R) (0.2) and Summer Olympics (3.0, +0.3) adjusted up.

WHAT MATTERS:
  • Numbers posted.

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