Tuesday, October 31, 2017

WEEKLY RECAP: October 23-29, 2017

Here is the weekly ratings recap looking back at the week in ratings for Week #5. Please note no repeats, sports, specials, or Saturday airings are counted.

TOP 20 SHOWS (18-49 DEMO)
1. The Big Bang Theory (CBS, Monday 8:00pm) - 2.8    5th week
    This is Us (NBC, Tuesday 9:00pm) - 2.8    5th week
3. The Voice (NBC, Monday 8:00pm) - 2.2    5th week
4. The Voice (NBC, Tuesday 8:00pm) - 1.9    5th week
5. The Good Doctor (ABC, Monday 10:00pm) - 1.8    5th week
    Grey's Anatomy (ABC, Thursday 8:00pm) - 1.8    4th week
    Will & Grace (NBC, Thursday 9:00pm) - 1.8    5th week
8. Modern Family (ABC, Wednesday 9:00pm) - 1.7    5th week
    Survivor (CBS, Wednesday 8:00pm) - 1.7    5th week
10. 9JKL (CBS, Monday 8:30pm) - 1.4    4th week
    NCIS (CBS, Tuesday 8:00pm) - 1.4    5th week
    The Goldbergs (ABC, Wednesday 8:00pm) - 1.4    5th week
13. Dancing with the Stars (ABC, Monday 8:00pm) - 1.3    4th week
    The Middle (ABC, Tuesday 8:00pm) - 1.3    4th week
    American Housewife (ABC, Wednesday 9:30pm) - 1.3    5th week
16. Kevin Can Wait (CBS, Monday 9:00pm) - 1.2    2nd week
      Bull (CBS, Tuesday 9:00pm) - 1.2    3rd week
      Law & Order: SVU (NBC, Wednesday 9:00pm) - 1.2    2nd week
     Superstore (NBC, Thursday 8:00pm) - 1.2    1st week
     Chicago Fire (NBC, Thursday 10:00pm) - 1.2    2nd week
     The Orville (FOX, Thursday 9:00pm) - 1.2    1st week
     60 Minutes (CBS, Sunday 7:00pm) - 1.2    4th week

BOTTOM 20 SHOWS (18-49 DEMO)
1. Valor (CW, Monday 9:00pm) - 0.2    3rd week
    Dynasty (CW, Wednesday 9:00pm) - 0.2    3rd week
    Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (CW, Friday 8:00pm) - 0.2    3rd week
4. Jane the Virgin (CW, Friday 9:00pm) - 0.3    3rd week
5. The Toy Box (ABC, Sunday 7:00pm) - 0.4    5th week
6. Supergirl (CW, Monday 8:00pm) - 0.5    3rd week
    DC's Legends of Tomorrow (CW, Tuesday 9:00pm) - 0.5    3rd week
    Arrow (CW, Thursday 9:00pm) - 0.5    3rd week
    Once Upon a Time (ABC, Friday 8:00pm) - 0.5    4th week
    Marvel's Inhumans (ABC, Friday 9:00pm) - 0.5    5th week
    20/20 (ABC, Friday 10:00pm) - 0.5    5th week
12. Riverdale (CW, Wednesday 8:00pm) - 0.6    3rd week
    Supernatural (CW, Thursday 8:00pm) - 0.6    3rd week
    Madam Secretary (CBS, Sunday 10:00pm) - 0.6    4th week
15. Kevin (Probably) Saves the World (ABC, Tuesday 10:00pm) - 0.7    4th week
    Designated Survivor (ABC, Wednesday 10:00pm) - 0.7    3rd week
    Blindspot (NBC, Friday 8:00pm) - 0.7    1st week (New Season)
    Wisdom of the Crowd (CBS, Sunday 8:00pm) - 0.7    2nd week
19. Scorpion (CBS, Monday 10:00pm) - 0.8    5th week
      Lucifer (FOX, Monday 8:00pm) - 0.8    1st week
      The Mayor (ABC, Thursday 9:30pm) - 0.8    2nd week
      NCIS: Los Angeles (CBS, Sunday 9:00pm) - 0.8    2nd week

TOP 20 SHOWS (TOTAL VIEWERS)
1. NCIS (CBS, Tuesday 8:00pm) - 13.3 million    5th week
2. The Big Bang Theory (CBS, Monday 8:00pm) - 13.2 million    5th week
3. 60 Minutes (CBS, Sunday 7:00pm) - 11.3 million    5th week
4. Bull (CBS, Tuesday 9:00pm) - 10.7 million    5th week
5. This is Us (NBC, Tuesday 9:00pm) - 10.6 million    5th week
6. The Good Doctor (ABC, Monday 10:00pm) - 10.4 million    5th week
7. The Voice (NBC, Monday 8:00pm) - 10.1 million    5th week
8. The Voice (NBC, Tuesday 8:00pm) - 9.7 million    5th week
9. NCIS: New Orleans (CBS, Tuesday 10:00pm) - 9.5 million    5th week
10. Dancing with the Stars (ABC, Monday 8:00pm) - 9.2 million    5th week
11. Blue Bloods (CBS, Friday 10:00pm) - 8.3 million    5th week
12. Survivor (CBS, Wednesday 8:00pm) - 8.2 million    5th week
13. Grey's Anatomy (ABC, Thursday 8:00pm) - 7.7 million    4th week
14. NCIS: Los Angeles (CBS, Sunday 9:00pm) - 7.5 million    5th week
15. 9JKL (CBS, Monday 8:30pm) - 7.2 million    4th week
16. SEAL Team (CBS, Wednesday 9:00pm) - 6.9 million    5th week
17. Will & Grace (NBC, Thursday 9:00pm) - 6.8 million    5th week
      Wisdom of the Crowd (CBS, Sunday 8:00pm) - 6.8 million    5th week
19. Chicago Fire (NBC, Thursday 10:00pm) - 6.5 million    2nd week
      MacGyver (CBS, Friday 9:00pm) - 6.5 million    3rd week

BOTTOM 20 SHOWS (TOTAL VIEWERS)
1. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (CW, Friday 8:00pm) - 0.6 million    3rd week
    Jane the Virgin (CW, Friday 9:00pm) - 0.6 million    3rd week
3. Dynasty (CW, Wednesday 9:00pm) - 0.7 million    3rd week
4. Valor (CW, Monday 9:00pm) - 0.9 million    3rd week
5. DC's Legends of Tomorrow (CW, Tuesday 9:00pm) - 1.4 million    3rd week
    Arrow (CW, Thursday 9:00pm) - 1.4 million    3rd week
7. Riverdale (CW, Wednesday 8:00pm) - 1.6 million    3rd week
8. Supergirl (CW, Monday 8:00pm) - 1.8 million    3rd week
9. Supernatural (CW, Thursday 8:00pm) - 1.9 million    3rd week
10. The Toy Box (ABC, Sunday 7:00pm) - 2.0 million    5th week
11. Marvel's Inhumans (ABC, Friday 9:00pm) - 2.1 million    5th week
12. 20/20 (ABC, Friday 10:00pm) - 2.2 million    5th week
13. Once Upon a Time (ABC, Friday 8:00pm) - 2.5 million    4th week
14. The Flash (CW, Tuesday 8:00pm) - 2.6 million    3rd week
15. Kevin (Probably) Saves the World (ABC, Tuesday 10:00pm) - 2.9 million    2nd week
    Gotham (FOX, Thursday 8:00pm) - 2.9 million    3rd week
17. The Mayor (ABC, Tuesday 9:30pm) - 3.0 million    2nd week
18. Shark Tank (ABC, Sunday 10:00pm) - 3.2 million    Special Airing
19. Lucifer (FOX, Monday 8:00pm) - 3.3 million    2nd week
20. The Gifted (FOX, Monday 9:00pm) - 3.4 million    1st week

WINNERS OF THE NIGHT
Monday - 9JKL (CBS)    1st week
Tuesday - The Flash (CW)    1st week
Wednesday - Riverdale (CW)    2nd week
Thursday - The Orville (FOX)    1st week
Friday - Dateline NBC (NBC)    2nd week
Sunday - MLB World Series (FOX)    Special Airing

LOSERS OF THE NIGHT
Monday - The Gifted (FOX)    1st week
Tuesday - Kevin (Probably) Saves the World (ABC)    1st week
Wednesday - The Blacklist (NBC)    1st week
Thursday - Gotham (FOX)    1st week
Friday - 20/20 (ABC)    1st week
Sunday - Wisdom of the Crowd (CBS)    1st week

Monday, October 30, 2017

QUICK HITS: ABC Midseason Schedule Suggestion

Here are my midseason thoughts for ABC! ABC has American Idol coming in March and a lot of shows on the bench. I think they could go a lot of ways but this is my suggestion.

MONDAY
(Jan)
8:00 (Jan) The Bachelor/(Mar) Dancing with the Stars
10:00 The Good Doctor

(Apr)
8:00 Dancing with the Stars
9:30 American Idol
10:00 Deception
I know American Idol is going to dominate the midseason schedule but I think ABC needs to hedge its bets with that show. I'm not convinced it will be the hit ABC is hoping for because I don't think anyone is ready for or excited about a return of Idol, it's just too soon. So I think ABC's main Monday focus should be fall hit The Good Doctor by having it paired first with The Bachelor then with Dancing with the Stars. Then in April, after The Good Doctor's season is complete, I would air just half an hour of Idol results shows and lead that into the new Deception.

TUESDAY
8:00 The Middle
8:30 (Jan) Fresh Off the Boat/(Feb) Alex, Inc.
9:00 Black-ish
9:30 (Jan) The Mayor/(Feb) Fresh Off the Boat
10:00 (Jan) Kevin (Probably) Saves the World/(Mar) Shark Tank
I would leave Tuesdays alone in January, but then in February I would cancel The Mayor and move Fresh Off the Boat to 9:30pm to make room for Alex, Inc. I would also eventually cancel Kevin (Probably) Saves the World and move Shark Tank temporarily here since Sundays will be tied up.

WEDNESDAY
8:00 The Goldbergs
8:30 (Jan/May) Speechless/(Mar) Roseanne
9:00 Modern Family
9:30 American Housewife
10:00 (Jan) Designated Survivor/(Apr) Quantico
I would leave Wednesdays alone until March when I would run Roseanne for eight weeks in the 8:30pm slot. Yes it's a revival but why not give it a protected slot? It's not like Speechless is doing boffo numbers. Designated Survivor is Quantico 2.0 with its ratings so why not eventually replace it with a very late spring start for Quantico, which was inexplicably renewed for a third season.

THURSDAY
8:00 Grey's Anatomy
9:00 (Jan) Scandal/(Apr) Untitled Grey's Anatomy Spinoff
10:00 (Jan) How to Get Away with Murder/(Mar) For the People
Thursdays will and should remain a Shonda night while Shonda is still making shows for ABC (this is it with her Netflix move). I would replaced How to Get Away with Murder with For the People in March. I would then replace Scandal with the Grey's Anatomy spinoff in April.

FRIDAY
8:00 Once Upon a Time
9:00 Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
10:00 20/20
This is the hole ABC has dug itself into and I don't think there's anything they can do this season about it. So they'll have to keep Once Upon a Time and Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (returning in December). They'll have to tackle this night in 2018-19.

SUNDAY
(Jan)
7:00 America's Funniest Home Videos
8:00 Shark Tank
9:00 Specials/Encores

(Mar)
7:00 America's Funniest Home Videos
8:00 American Idol
10:00 The Crossing
I would not do much with Sundays in January but then after the Oscars, premiere American Idol and following it with high concept new drama The Crossing at 10pm. This seems like a pretty likely scenario.

DURING OLYMPICS: The Bachelor: Winter Games

ENDING/CANCEL: Ten Days in the Valley, Marvel's Inhumans, The Toy Box

SAVE FOR SUMMER: Splitting Up Together, Dancing with the Stars Junior

Sunday, October 29, 2017

THE WEEK AHEAD: October 30-November 5, 2017

Here is a look at Week #6!

ABC
ABC has yanked Ten Days in the Valley off the air, the first show pulled this season (more below) so they will double up the Shark Tank airings next Sunday in what will certainly be a ratings improvement for ABC. The rest of the week has a normal schedule. Tuesday could get slammed by Halloween and the World Series not only for ABC but also for CBS and NBC.

MONDAY
8:00 Dancing with the Stars (Halloween episode)
10:00 The Good Doctor

TUESDAY
8:00 The Middle
8:30 Fresh Off the Boat
9:00 Black-ish
9:30 The Mayor
10:00 Kevin (Probably) Saves the World

WEDNESDAY
8:00 The Goldbergs
8:30 Speechless
9:00 Modern Family
9:30 American Housewife
10:00 Designated Survivor

THURSDAY
8:00 Grey's Anatomy
9:00 Scandal
10:00 How to Get Away with Murder

FRIDAY
8:00 Once Upon a Time
9:00 Marvel's Inhumans
10:00 20/20

SATURDAY
8:00 College Football

SUNDAY
7:00 The Toy Box
8:00 America's Funniest Home Videos
9:00 Shark Tank
10:00 Shark Tank

CBS
CBS has a big week with the debut of their Thursday lineup and their revamped Monday lineup. Thursday should go well but Monday could be rough. Kevin Can Wait will return to 8pm while they made a last minute decision to premiere Superior Donuts at 9pm instead of moving the low rated Me, Myself and I up a half hour. Thursdays brings The Big Bang Theory back to the night while pairing it with Young Sheldon, which was last seen on the first night of the season receiving huge ratings. It will be interested to see how many come back for episode two after being off for over a month. The solid Mom and Life in Pieces pair continues at 9pm while the new Shemar Moore-led reboot of S.W.A.T. is the final fall show to premiere at 10pm that night.

MONDAY
8:00 Kevin Can Wait
8:30 9JKL
9:00 Superior Donuts (Season Premiere)
9:30 Me, Myself & I
10:00 Scorpion (Halloween episode)

TUESDAY
8:00 NCIS
9:00 Bull
10:00 NCIS: New Orleans

WEDNESDAY
8:00 Survivor
9:00 SEAL Team
10:00 Criminal Minds

THURSDAY
8:00 The Big Bang Theory
8:30 Young Sheldon
9:00 Mom (Season Premiere)
9:30 Life in Pieces (Season Premiere)
10:00 S.W.A.T. (SERIES PREMIERE)

FRIDAY
8:00 MacGyver
9:00 Hawaii Five-0 (Halloween episode)
10:00 Blue Bloods

SATURDAY
8:00 College Football

SUNDAY
7:00 NFL Overrun
7:30 60 Minutes
8:30 Wisdom of the Crowd
9:30 NCIS: Los Angeles
10:30 Madam Secretary

NBC
NBC has its regular lineup. It will be very interesting to see the This is Us numbers as it will be dealing with a lead in from a clip show, Halloween, and Game 6 of the World Series. I imagine a season low is coming and it could be a somewhat brutal hit for a family drama on Halloween night though I'm sure it will recover if that does happen.

MONDAY
8:00 The Voice
10:00 The Brave

TUESDAY
8:00 The Voice Clip Show
9:00 This is Us (Halloween episode)
10:00 Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders

WEDNESDAY
8:00 The Blacklist
9:00 Law & Order: SVU
10:00 Chicago PD

THURSDAY
8:00 Superstore
8:30 The Good Place
9:00 Will & Grace
9:30 Great News
10:00 Chicago Fire

FRIDAY
8:00 Blindspot
9:00 Dateline NBC

SATURDAY
8:00 2017 Breeders' Cup
9:00 Dateline NBC
10:00 Saturday Night Live (Repeat)

SUNDAY
7:00 Football Night in America
8:30 Sunday Night Football: Oakland at Miami

FOX
FOX will definitely get a Game 6 of the World Series on Tuesday night with the series currently tied 2-2. If the Dodgers and Astros split the next two games, they will get a Game 7 on Wednesday as well. If not, Empire and Star will return. Either way, getting to preempt the low rated Tuesday lineup for a second week is not a bad situation for FOX.

MONDAY
8:00 Lucifer
9:00 The Gifted

TUESDAY
8:00 MLB World Series Game 6

WEDNESDAY
8:00 MLB World Series Game 7

or

8:00 Empire
9:00 Star

THURSDAY
8:00 Gotham
9:00 The Orville

FRIDAY
8:00 Hell's Kitchen
9:00 The Exorcist

SATURDAY
8:00 College Football

SUNDAY
7:00 Bob's Burgers (Repeat)
7:30 Bob's Burgers
8:00 The Simpsons
8:30 Ghosted
9:00 Family Guy
9:30 The Last Man on Earth

CW
The CW has their regular lineup across the board. Nothing too exciting to see here!

MONDAY
8:00 Supergirl
9:00 Valor

TUESDAY
8:00 The Flash
9:00 DC's Legends of Tomorrow

WEDNESDAY
8:00 Riverdale
9:00 Dynasty

THURSDAY
8:00 Supernatural
9:00 Arrow

FRIDAY
8:00 Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
9:00 Jane the Virgin

TV NEWS & THOUGHTS
- CBS has cancelled Zoo after three summer seasons. This comes as no surprise as the show was never a hit and it trended downward over the three summers it aired (1.1 demo average in 2015, 0.7 in 2016, 0.5 in 2017).

- ABC has handed a series order to The Rookie, which will bring Castle's Nathan Fillion as an older man who moves to Los Angeles to fulfill his dream of being an LAPD cop, despite being surrounded by much younger peers. Fillion is a popular ABC brand and the show in general seems on brand for ABC.

- ABC has basically cancelled Ten Days in the Valley as the show will be yanked off Sundays effective immediately. It will return in December on Saturday nights where it will air its final four episodes. Considering it was a limited series anyway with minuscule ratings, its future was never really a question, but ABC is not even going to let it air out the string on Sundays.

Tuesday, October 24, 2017

WEEKLY RECAP: October 16-22, 2017

Here is the weekly ratings recap looking back at the week in ratings for Week #4. Please note no repeats, sports, specials, or Saturday airings are counted.

TOP 20 SHOWS (18-49 DEMO)
1. This is Us (NBC, Tuesday 9:00pm) - 2.9    4th week
2. The Big Bang Theory (CBS, Monday 8:00pm) - 2.8    4th week
3. The Voice (NBC, Monday 8:00pm) - 2.4    4th week
    60 Minutes (CBS, Sunday 7:34pm) - 2.4    3rd week
5. The Voice (NBC, Tuesday 8:00pm) - 2.2    4th week
6. The Good Doctor (ABC, Sunday 10:00pm) - 2.0    4th week
7. Survivor (CBS, Wednesday 8:00pm) - 1.8    4th week
    Empire (FOX, Wednesday 8:00pm) - 1.8    4th week
9. Modern Family (ABC, Wednesday 9:00pm) - 1.7    4th week
    Will & Grace (NBC, Thursday 9:00pm) - 1.7    4th week
11. The Simpsons (FOX, Sunday 8:00pm) - 1.6    2nd week
12. The Goldbergs (ABC, Wednesday 8:00pm) - 1.5    4th week
13. Dancing with the Stars (ABC, Sunday 8:00pm) - 1.4    3rd week
    NCIS (CBS, Tuesday 8:00pm) - 1.4    4th week
    American Housewife (ABC, Wednesday 9:30pm) - 1.4    4th week
16. The Middle (ABC, Tuesday 8:00pm) - 1.3    3rd week
      Star (FOX, Wednesday 9:00pm) - 1.3    4th week
     Bob's Burgers (FOX, Sunday 7:30pm) - 1.3    1st week
19. 9JKL (CBS, Monday 8:30pm) - 1.2    3rd week
    Bull (CBS, Tuesday 9:00pm) - 1.2    2nd week
    Law & Order: SVU (NBC, Wednesday 9:00pm) - 1.2    1st week
    Family Guy (FOX, Sunday 9:00pm) - 1.2    2nd week

BOTTOM 20 SHOWS (18-49 DEMO)
1. Valor (CW, Monday 9:00pm) - 0.2    2nd week
    Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (CW, Friday 8:00pm) - 0.2    2nd week
    Jane the Virgin (CW, Friday 9:00pm) - 0.2    2nd week
4. Dynasty (CW, Wednesday 9:00pm) - 0.3    2nd week
5. Marvel's Inhumans (ABC, Friday 9:00pm) - 0.4    4th week
    The Exorcist (FOX, Friday 9:00pm) - 0.4    4th week
    The Toy Box (ABC, Sunday 7:00pm) - 0.4    4th week
    Ten Days in the Valley (ABC, Sunday 10:00pm) - 0.4    4th week
9. Supergirl (CW, Monday 8:00pm) - 0.5    2nd week
    DC's Legends of Tomorrow (CW, Tuesday 9:00pm) - 0.5    2nd week
    Arrow (CW, Thursday 9:00pm) - 0.5    2nd week
    Once Upon a Time (ABC, Friday 8:00pm) - 0.5    3rd week
    20/20 (ABC, Friday 10:00pm) - 0.5    4th week
14. Brooklyn Nine-Nine (FOX, Tuesday 9:30pm) - 0.6    4th week
    Riverdale (CW, Wednesday 8:00pm) - 0.6    2nd week
16. Supernatural (CW, Thursday 8:00pm) - 0.7    2nd week
     Dateline NBC (NBC, Friday 9:00pm) - 0.7    3rd week
18. Scorpion (CBS, Monday 10:00pm) - 0.8    4th week
      The Mayor (ABC, Tuesday 9:30pm) - 0.8    1st week
      Kevin (Probably) Saves the World (ABC, Tuesday 10:00pm) - 0.8    3rd week
     The Mick (FOX, Tuesday 9:00pm) - 0.8    4th week
     Designated Survivor (ABC, Wednesday 10:00pm) - 0.8    2nd week
    Great News (NBC, Thursday 9:30pm) - 0.8    2nd week
    MacGyver (CBS, Friday 8:00pm) - 0.8    4th week
    Hell's Kitchen (FOX, Friday 8:00pm) - 0.8    4th week
    Madam Secretary (CBS, Sunday 10:34pm) - 0.8    3rd week
    The Last Man on Earth (FOX, Sunday 9:30pm) - 0.8    4th week

TOP 20 SHOWS (TOTAL VIEWERS)
1. 60 Minutes (CBS, Sunday 7:34pm) - 14.6 million    4th week
2. The Big Bang Theory (CBS, Monday 8:00pm) - 13.1 million    4th week
3. NCIS (CBS, Tuesday 8:00pm) - 12.9 million    4th week
4. This is Us (NBC, Tuesday 9:00pm) - 10.7 million    4th week
5. The Good Doctor (ABC, Monday 10:00pm) - 10.6 million    4th week
6. Bull (CBS, Tuesday 9:00pm) - 10.5 million    4th week
7. The Voice (NBC, Monday 8:00pm) - 10.4 million    4th week
8. The Voice (NBC, Tuesday 8:00pm) - 10.0 million    4th week
9. Dancing with the Stars (ABC, Monday 8:00pm) - 9.8 million    4th week
10. NCIS: New Orleans (CBS, Tuesday 10:00pm) - 9.5 million    4th week
11. Blue Bloods (CBS, Friday 10:00pm) - 9.1 million    4th week
12. Hawaii Five-0 (CBS, Friday 9:00pm) - 8.7 million    4th week
13. NCIS: Los Angeles (CBS, Sunday 9:34pm) - 8.2 million    4th week
14. Survivor (CBS, Wednesday 8:00pm) - 8.1 million    4th week
15. Wisdom of the Crowd (CBS, Sunday 8:34pm) - 7.7 million    4th week
16. SEAL Team (CBS, Wednesday 9:00pm) - 7.1 million    4th week
17. MacGyver (CBS, Friday 8:00pm) - 6.8 million    2nd week
18. 9JKL (CBS, Monday 8:30pm) - 6.7 million    3rd week
      Will & Grace (NBC, Thursday 9:00pm) - 6.7 million    4th week
20. Chicago Fire (NBC, Thursday 10:00pm) - 6.4 million    1st week
      Madam Secretary (CBS, Sunday 10:34pm) - 6.4 million    2nd week

BOTTOM 20 SHOWS (TOTAL VIEWERS)
1. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (CW, Friday 8:00pm) - 0.6 million    2nd week
2. Jane the Virgin (CW, Friday 9:00pm) - 0.6 million    2nd week
3. Dynasty (CW, Wednesday 9:00pm) - 0.9 million    2nd week
4. Valor (CW, Monday 9:00pm) - 1.0 million    2nd week
5. The Exorcist (FOX, Friday 9:00pm) - 1.2 million    4th week
6. Arrow (CW, Thursday 9:00pm) - 1.5 million    2nd week
7. DC's Legends of Tomorrow (CW, Tuesday 9:00pm) - 1.6 million    2nd week
8. Brooklyn Nine-Nine (FOX, Tuesday 9:30pm) - 1.7 million    4th week
9. Supergirl (CW, Monday 8:00pm) - 1.8 million    2nd week
    Riverdale (CW, Wednesday 8:00pm) - 1.8 million    2nd week
11. Supernatural (CW, Thursday 8:00pm) - 1.9 million    2nd week
12. Marvel's Inhumans (ABC, Friday 9:00pm) - 2.0 million    4th week
      The Last Man on Earth (FOX, Sunday 9:30pm) - 2.0 million    4th week
14. Ten Days in the Valley (ABC, Sunday 10:00pm) - 2.2 million    4th week
15. The Mick (FOX, Tuesday 9:00pm) - 2.3 million    4th week
      The Toy Box (ABC, Sunday 7:00pm) - 2.3 million    4th week
17. The Flash (CW, Tuesday 8:00pm) - 2.5 million    1st week
      Once Upon a Time (ABC, Friday 8:00pm) - 2.5 million    3rd week
19. 20/20 (ABC, Friday 10:00pm) - 2.7 million    4th week
      Ghosted (FOX, Sunday 8:30pm) - 2.7 million    4th week
      Family Guy (FOX, Sunday 9:00pm) - 2.7 million    4th week

WINNERS OF THE NIGHT
Monday - The Good Doctor (ABC)    3rd week
Tuesday - This is Us (NBC)    2nd week
Wednesday - American Housewife (ABC)    1st week
Thursday - Will & Grace (NBC)    2nd week
Friday - Hawaii Five-0 (CBS)    2nd week
Sunday - The Simpsons (FOX)    1st week

LOSERS OF THE NIGHT
Monday - Valor (CW)    1st week
Tuesday - The Mayor (ABC)    1st week
Wednesday - Designated Survivor (ABC)    2nd week
Thursday - Great News (NBC)    2nd week
Friday - Once Upon a Time (ABC)    1st week
Sunday - Ten Days in the Valley (ABC)    2nd week

Monday, October 23, 2017

QUICK HITS: NBC Midseason Schedule Suggestion

Here are my midseason thoughts for NBC! They have the Olympics in mid February and will/should use it to launch several new shows.

MONDAYS
(Jan)
8:00 Genius Junior
9:00 The Handmade Project
10:00 The Brave

(late Feb)
8:00 The Voice
10:00 Reverie
We all know The Voice will come back after the Olympics. I would punt a bit on the night until the Olympics by airing some unscripted shows and letting The Brave finish out its run. When The Voice returns, I would pair it with Reverie. I'm not convinced that show will work but it's definitely worth a shot in a slot that I think can still make an impact, especially if it gets a lot of Olympics promotion.

TUESDAYS
8:00 (Jan)The Wall/(late Feb) The Voice
9:00 (Jan) This is Us/(Mar) Rise
10:00 Chicago Med
I would bring The Wall back to Tuesdays in January, where it did decently last season. This is Us doesn't need The Voice to be successful so it can continue along with Chicago Med, which is premiering November 21. Then after the Olympics, I would premiere Rise at 10pm following This is Us for a week of two before This is Us ends for the season. After that, I would slide the promising Rise to 9pm. I think that's the best way to handle a new show that has a lot of buzz. Unless NBC is planning Rise for Mondays at 10pm, any other scenario would be wrong in my opinion.

WEDNESDAYS
8:00 The Blacklist
9:00 Law & Order: SVU
10:00 Chicago PD
I would leave Wednesdays alone for the season. This is a solid lineup that can keep things steady through the whole season. With some big time shows to premiere after the Olympics, they don't need to do new things every night.

THURSDAYS
(Jan)
8:00 Superstore
8:30 The Good Place
9:00 Will & Grace
9:30 A.P. Bio
10:00 Chicago Fire

(Mar)
8:00 Superstore
8:30 A.P. Bio
9:00 Good Girls
10:00 Chicago Fire
First of all, I know NBC won't do it but it's time to pull the plug on the Great News experiment. I know NBC loves the show but it is not getting any interest and NBC is wasting the Will & Grace lead-in. So I would put it on hiatus (or de facto cancel it) and let A.P. Bio air in the 9:30pm slot. Then after the Olympics and the end of the season for Will & Grace and The Good Place, I would slide A.P. Bio up an hour (unless it's an instant bomb, then they have Champions) and try the new Good Girls at 9pm. Superstore and Chicago Fire should stay where they are.

FRIDAYS
8:00 (Jan) Timeless/(Apr) Taken
9:00 Blindspot
10:00 Dateline NBC
I'm sure NBC is saving Timeless for summer, but I think it's worth a shot on Fridays so I would air it at 8pm and eventually air Taken there. I would slide Blindspot to 9pm and relegate Dateline NBC to 10pm.

SUNDAYS
(Jan) Various Programming

(Mar)
7:00 Dateline NBC
8:00 Little Big Shots
9:00 Ellen's Game of Games
10:00 Shades of Blue
This is NBC's March plan for Sundays and I'm good with it. I think it's a solid lineup.

ENDING: Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders

HIATUS: Great News

SAVE FOR SUMMER: The Awesome Show, Champions, Trial & Error

Sunday, October 22, 2017

THE WEEK AHEAD: October 23-29, 2017

Here is a look at Week #5!

ABC
ABC has a lot of Halloween episodes this week with their comedy blocks. Sometimes that can lead to an uptick in ratings but I'm not convinced that's going to happen this year. Will The Good Doctor be able to get a 2.0 demo or higher for a fifth consecutive week?

MONDAY
8:00 Dancing with the Stars
10:00 The Good Doctor

TUESDAY
8:00 The Middle (Halloween episode)
8:30 Fresh Off the Boat (Halloween episode)
9:00 Black-ish
9:30 The Mayor (Halloween episode)
10:00 Kevin (Probably) Saves the World

WEDNESDAY
8:00 The Goldbergs (Halloween episode)
8:30 Speechless (Halloween episode)
9:00 Modern Family (Halloween episode)
9:30 American Housewife (Halloween episode)
10:00 Designated Survivor

THURSDAY
8:00 Grey's Anatomy
9:00 Scandal
10:00 How to Get Away with Murder

FRIDAY
8:00 Once Upon a Time
9:00 Marvel's Inhumans
10:00 20/20

SATURDAY
8:00 College Football

SUNDAY
7:00 The Toy Box
8:00 It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
9:00 Shark Tank
10:00 Ten Days in the Valley

CBS
CBS has a mostly normal week except for Friday night, where a Halloween special airs at 8pm and MacGyver slides to 9pm for one week, preempting Hawaii Five-0. This is also the last Monday with The Big Bang Theory and things could get really ugly for the night after Big Bang heads back to Thursday.

MONDAY
8:00 The Big Bang Theory
8:30 9JKL
9:00 Kevin Can Wait
9:30 Me, Myself, & I
10:00 Scorpion

TUESDAY
8:00 NCIS
9:00 Bull
10:00 NCIS: New Orleans

WEDNESDAY
8:00 Survivor
9:00 SEAL Team
10:00 Criminal Minds

THURSDAY
8:00 Thursday Night Kickoff
8:30 Thursday Night Football: Miami at Baltimore

FRIDAY
8:00 Michael Jackson's Halloween
9:00 MacGyver (Halloween episode)
10:00 Blue Bloods

SATURDAY
8:00 NCIS: Los Angeles (Repeat)
9:00 NCIS: New Orleans (Repeat)
10:00 48 Hours

SUNDAY
7:00 60 Minutes
8:00 Wisdom of the Crowd
9:00 NCIS: Los Angeles
10:00 Madam Secretary

NBC
NBC has the arrival of Blindspot to Fridays this week. I wouldn't expect much but it did surprise on Wednesdays this past season. Anything close to a 1.0 would be a success.

MONDAY
8:00 The Voice
10:00 The Brave

TUESDAY
8:00 The Voice
9:00 This is Us
10:00 Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders

WEDNESDAY
8:00 The Blacklist
9:00 Law & Order: SVU
10:00 Chicago PD

THURSDAY
8:00 Superstore (Halloween episode)
8:30 The Good Place
9:00 Will & Grace
9:30 Great News (Halloween episode)
10:00 Chicago Fire

FRIDAY
8:00 Blindspot (Season Premiere)
9:00 Dateline NBC

SATURDAY
8:00 Dateline NBC
10:00 Saturday Night Live (Repeat)

SUNDAY
7:00 Football Night in America
8:30 Sunday Night Football: Pittsburgh at Detroit

FOX
FOX's lineup is majorly altered this week due to the World Series on five of the seven nights (unless one team sweeps it in four). This will obviously mean FOX will be far more competitive than usual. The only two nights with regular programming are Monday and Thursday.

MONDAY
8:00 Lucifer
9:00 The Gifted

TUESDAY
8:00 2017 World Series Game 1

WEDNESDAY
8:00 2017 World Series Game 2

THURSDAY
8:00 Gotham
9:00 The Orville

FRIDAY
8:00 2017 World Series Game 3

SATURDAY
8:00 2017 World Series Game 4

SUNDAY
7:00 NFL Overrun
7:30 The OT
8:00 2017 World Series Game 5

CW
Nothing too exciting on the CW this week with their regular lineup. But I do wonder which show will be the first to fall to a 0.1 demo. It's going to happen to one of these 10, I think, in the near future. Most likely one of the new shows or one of the Friday shows.

MONDAY
8:00 Supergirl
9:00 Valor

TUESDAY
8:00 The Flash
9:00 DC's Legends of Tomorrow

WEDNESDAY
8:00 Riverdale
9:00 Dynasty

THURSDAY
8:00 Supernatural
9:00 Arrow

FRIDAY
8:00 Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
9:00 Jane the Virgin

TV NEWS & THOUGHTS
- Alicia Keys will return as a coach for the spring edition of The Voice alongside Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, and newcomer Kelly Clarkson

- In a surprising development, CBS has renewed low rated summer drama series Salvation for a second season. It will surely not come back until Summer 2018, but even that seems not necessary.

Wednesday, October 18, 2017

QUICK HITS: FOX Midseason Schedule Suggestion

Over the next couple weeks, I will be giving midseason schedule suggestions for all the networks, starting with FOX! Considering the state of most of their nights, FOX has shockingly little on the bench and I think that will make for a rough spring.

MONDAYS
(Jan)
8:00 The X-Files
9:00 9-1-1

(Apr)
8:00 New Girl
8:30 Brooklyn Nine-Nine
9:00 9-1-1
I think the general consensus is that The X-Files will pair with The Resident at midseason, but I think that's a bad idea because The Resident looks terrible in my opinion. I would combine it with Ryan Murphy's 9-1-1 and start the lineup in mid January (while taking two weeks off when NBC is airing the Olympics). In late spring, I would burn off the final season of New Girl and what will probably be the final season of the very low rated Brooklyn Nine-Nine too.

TUESDAYS
(Jan)
8:00 Lethal Weapon
9:00 The Mick
9:30 LA to Vegas

(Mar)
8:00 The Four
9:00 Lethal Weapon
I would give LA to Vegas a football preview during the playoffs but I'm not too excited about its prospects so I would slot it in the current Brooklyn Nine-Nine slot. In March, I would try the new singing competition The Four and let Lethal Weapon slide back an hour temporarily.

WEDNESDAYS
(Jan)
8:00 Masterchef Junior
9:00 The Resident

(late March)
8:00 Empire
9:00 Star
Empire and Star are a good pair and will stay together so when they're off in the winter, I would air the always reliable Masterchef Junior into the new The Resident. It still gives Resident a decent slot, but not airing after their biggest midseason prospect (The X-Files).

THURSDAYS
8:00 Gotham
9:00 Lucifer
I would slide Lucifer over to Thursdays once The Orville ends. It was a good pair with Gotham on Mondays and I think it will help keep Thursdays afloat.

FRIDAYS
8:00 Showtime at the Apollo
9:00 Gordon Ramsay's 24 Hours to Hell and Back
I would let Fridays go unscripted and try Showtime at the Apollo with the latest Gordon Ramsay series. This won't do much but it won't be an epic bomb like The Exorcist.

SUNDAYS
7:00 Encores
7:30 Bob's Burgers
8:00 The Simpsons
8:30 Ghosted
9:00 Family Guy
9:30 The Last Man on Earth
I would actually leave Sundays alone. I'd imagine LA to Vegas will go here but I think they're better leaving well enough alone.

ENDING: The Gifted, Hell's Kitchen, The Orville
These three shows have limited episode orders so they won't air all year.

CANCEL: The Exorcist

WEEKLY RECAP: October 9-15, 2017

Here is the weekly ratings recap looking back at the week in ratings for Week #3. Please note no repeats, sports, specials, or Saturday airings are counted.

TOP 20 SHOWS (18-49 DEMO)
1. The Big Bang Theory (CBS, Monday 8:00pm) - 2.9    3rd week
2. This is Us (NBC, Tuesday 9:00pm) - 2.8    3rd week
3. The Voice (NBC, Monday 8:00pm) - 2.4    3rd week
    The Voice (NBC, Tuesday 8:00pm) - 2.4    3rd week
5. 60 Minutes (CBS, Sunday 7:30pm) - 2.3    2nd week
6. Grey's Anatomy (ABC, Thursday 8:00pm) - 2.1    3rd week
7. The Good Doctor (ABC, Monday 10:00pm) - 2.0    3rd week
    Empire (FOX, Wednesday 8:00pm) - 2.0    3rd week
9. Modern Family (ABC, Wednesday 9:00pm) - 1.8    3rd week
    Will & Grace (NBC, Thursday 9:00pm) - 1.8    3rd week
11. Survivor (CBS, Wednesday 8:00pm) - 1.7    3rd week
12. The Goldbergs (ABC, Wednesday 8:00pm) - 1.5    3rd week
     Star (FOX, Wednesday 9:00pm) - 1.5    3rd week
14. 9JKL (CBS, Monday 8:30pm) - 1.4    2nd week
    The Middle (ABC, Tuesday 8:00pm) - 1.4    2nd week
    NCIS (CBS, Tuesday 8:00pm) - 1.4    3rd week
    American Housewife (ABC, Wednesday 9:30pm) - 1.4    3rd week
18. Dancing with the Stars (ABC, Monday 8:00pm) - 1.3    2nd week
    Black-ish (ABC, Tuesday 9:00pm) - 1.3    2nd week
    Bull (CBS, Tuesday 9:00pm) - 1.3    1st week

BOTTOM 20 SHOWS (18-49 DEMO)
1. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (CW, Friday 8:00pm) - 0.2    1st week (New Season)
2. Valor (CW, Monday 9:00pm) - 0.3    1st week (NEW SHOW)
    Dynasty (CW, Wednesday 9:00pm) - 0.3    1st week (NEW SHOW)
    Jane the Virgin (CW, Friday 9:00pm) - 0.3    1st week (New Season)
5. The Exorcist (FOX, Friday 9:00pm) - 0.4    3rd week
    The Toy Box (ABC, Sunday 7:00pm) - 0.4    3rd week
    Ten Days in the Valley (ABC, Sunday 10:00pm) - 0.4    3rd week
8. Supergirl (CW, Monday 8:00pm) - 0.5    1st week (New Season)
9. DC's Legends of Tomorrow (CW, Tuesday 9:00pm) - 0.6    1st week (New Season)
    Arrow (CW, Thursday 9:00pm) - 0.6    1st week (New Season)
    Marvel's Inhumans (ABC, Friday 9:00pm) - 0.6    3rd week
    20/20 (ABC, Friday 10:00pm) - 0.6    3rd week
13. Brooklyn Nine-Nine (FOX, Tuesday 9:30pm) - 0.7    3rd week
    Supernatural (CW, Thursday 8:00pm) - 0.7    1st week (New Season)
    Once Upon a Time (ABC, Friday 8:00pm) - 0.7    2nd week
    Madam Secretary (CBS, Sunday 10:30pm) - 0.7    2nd week
17. Scorpion (CBS, Monday 10:00pm) - 0.8    3rd week
    Kevin (Probably) Saves the World (ABC, Tuesday 10:00pm) - 0.8    2nd week
    The Mick (FOX, Tuesday 9:00pm) - 0.8    3rd week
    Riverdale (CW, Wednesday 8:00pm) - 0.8    1st week (New Season)
    MacGyver (CBS, Friday 8:00pm) - 0.8    3rd week
    Hell's Kitchen (FOX, Friday 8:00pm) - 0.8    3rd week
    The Last Man on Earth (FOX, Sunday 9:30pm) - 0.8    3rd week

TOP 20 SHOWS (TOTAL VIEWERS)
1. NCIS (CBS, Tuesday 8:00pm) - 13.6 million    3rd week
2. 60 Minutes (CBS, Sunday 7:30pm) - 13.4 million    3rd week
3. The Big Bang Theory (CBS, Monday 8:00pm) - 13.1 million    3rd week
4. Bull (CBS, Tuesday 9:00pm) - 11.3 million    3rd week
5. The Voice (NBC, Tuesday 8:00pm) - 11.1 million    3rd week
6. This is Us (NBC, Tuesday 9:00pm) - 11.0 million    3rd week
7. The Voice (NBC, Monday 8:00pm) - 10.9 million    3rd week
8. The Good Doctor (ABC, Monday 10:00pm) - 10.7 million    3rd week
9. NCIS: New Orleans (CBS, Tuesday 10:00pm) - 9.5 million    3rd week
10. Dancing with the Stars (ABC, Monday 8:00pm) - 9.3 million    3rd week
11. Blue Bloods (CBS, Friday 10:00pm) - 9.0 million    3rd week
12. NCIS: Los Angeles (CBS, Sunday 9:00pm) - 8.7 million    3rd week
13. Hawaii Five-0 (CBS, Friday 9:00pm) - 8.5 million    3rd week
14. Grey's Anatomy (ABC, Thursday 8:00pm) - 8.1 million    3rd week
15. Survivor (CBS, Wednesday 8:00pm) - 8.0 million    3rd week
      SEAL Team (CBS, Wednesday 9:00pm) - 8.0 million    3rd week
      Wisdom of the Crowd (CBS, Sunday 8:30pm) - 8.0 million    3rd week
18. 9JKL (CBS, Monday 8:30pm) - 7.0 million    2nd week
19. Will & Grace (NBC, Thursday 9:00pm) - 6.7 million    3rd week
      MacGyver (CBS, Friday 8:00pm) - 6.7 million    1st week

BOTTOM 20 SHOWS (TOTAL VIEWERS)
1. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (CW, Friday 8:00pm) - 0.6 million    1st week (New Season)
2. Jane the Virgin (CW, Friday 9:00pm) - 0.7 million    1st week (New Season)
3. Valor (CW, Monday 9:00pm) - 1.2 million    1st week (NEW SHOW)
4. Dynasty (CW, Wednesday 9:00pm) - 1.3 million    1st week (NEW SHOW)
5. The Exorcist (FOX, Friday 9:00pm) - 1.4 million    3rd week
6. Arrow (CW, Thursday 9:00pm) - 1.5 million    1st week (New Season)
7. Brooklyn Nine-Nine (FOX, Tuesday 9:30pm) - 1.7 million    3rd week
    DC's Legends of Tomorrow (CW, Tuesday 9:00pm) - 1.7 million    1st week (New Season)
9. Supergirl (CW, Monday 8:00pm) - 1.9 million    1st week (New Season)
10. The Last Man on Earth (FOX, Sunday 9:30pm) - 2.0 million    3rd week
11. Supernatural (CW, Thursday 8:00pm) - 2.1 million    1st week (New Season)
12. The Mick (FOX, Tuesday 9:00pm) - 2.2 million    3rd week
13. Riverdale (CW, Wednesday 8:00pm) - 2.3 million    1st week (New Season)
    Marvel's Inhumans (ABC, Friday 9:00pm) - 2.3 million    3rd week
    The Toy Box (ABC, Sunday 7:00pm) - 2.3 million    3rd week
16. Bob's Burgers (FOX, Sunday 7:30pm) - 2.4 million    2nd week
      Ghosted (FOX, Sunday 8:30pm) - 2.4 million    3rd week
18. Family Guy (FOX, Sunday 9:00pm) - 2.5 million    3rd week
19. Ten Days in the Valley (ABC, Sunday 10:00pm) - 2.6 million    3rd week
20. Once Upon a Time (ABC, Friday 8:00pm) - 2.7 million    2nd week
      20/20 (ABC, Friday 10:00pm) - 2.7 million    3rd week

WINNERS OF THE NIGHT
Monday - The Good Doctor (ABC)    2nd week
Tuesday - DC's Legends of Tomorrow (CW)    1st week (New Season)
Wednesday - Riverdale (CW)    1st week (New Season)
Thursday - The Good Place (NBC)    1st week
Friday - Dateline NBC (NBC)    1st week
Sunday - Shark Tank (ABC)    1st week

LOSERS OF THE NIGHT
Monday - Supergirl (CW)    1st week (New Season)
Tuesday - Fresh Off the Boat (ABC)    1st week
Wednesday - Dynasty (CW)    1st week (NEW SHOW)
Thursday - Scandal (ABC)    1st week
Friday - Marvel's Inhumans (CW)    1st week
Sunday - Madam Secretary (CBS)    1st week

Sunday, October 15, 2017

THE WEEK AHEAD: October 16-22, 2017

Here's a look at Week #4!

ABC
Week #4 has another week of the regular lineup for ABC except Grey's Anatomy will be preempted for Halloween specials including the seminal "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown." While that always does well, the lack of Grey's could bring Scandal to an outright series low after it tied it this past week. It will be interesting once again to see how The Good Doctor performs in its fourth week after narrowly hanging on to an impressive 2.0 demo in week three.

MONDAY
8:00 Dancing with the Stars
10:00 The Good Doctor

TUESDAY
8:00 The Middle
8:30 Fresh Off the Boat
9:00 Black-ish
9:30 The Mayor
10:00 Kevin (Probably) Saves the World

WEDNESDAY
8:00 The Goldbergs
8:30 Speechless
9:00 Modern Family
9:30 American Housewife
10:00 Designated Survivor

THURSDAY
8:00 It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
8:30 Toy Story of Terror
9:00 Scandal
10:00 How to Get Away with Murder

FRIDAY
8:00 Once Upon a Time
9:00 Marvel's Inhumans
10:00 20/20

SATURDAY
8:00 College Football

SUNDAY
7:00 The Toy Box
8:00 America's Funniest Home Videos
9:00 Shark Tank
10:00 20/20

CBS
CBS has its regular lineup all week. The network stabilized as a whole this week, especially on Tuesday and Wednesday and they tend to be steady in general so I would expect a pretty solid week from the Eye network. They have the late NFL game next Sunday, which will boost their Sunday lineup.

MONDAY
8:00 The Big Bang Theory
8:30 9JKL
9:00 Kevin Can Wait
9:30 Me, Myself, & I
10:00 Scorpion

TUESDAY
8:00 NCIS
9:00 Bull
10:00 NCIS: New Orleans

WEDNESDAY
8:00 Survivor
9:00 SEAL Team
10:00 Criminal Minds

THURSDAY
8:00 Thursday Night Kickoff
8:30 Thursday Night Football: Kansas City at Oakland

FRIDAY
8:00 MacGyver
9:00 Hawaii Five-0
10:00 Blue Bloods

SATURDAY
8:00 NCIS (Repeat)
9:00 48 Hours (Repeat)
10:00 48 Hours

SUNDAY
7:00 NFL Overrun
7:30 60 Minutes
8:30 Wisdom of the Crowd
9:30 NCIS: Los Angeles
10:30 Madam Secretary

NBC
NBC has quietly still not had a series outside of Friday go below a 1.0 demo though The Blacklist and Great News have been coming close. NBC is surely hoping that This is Us and Will & Grace stabilize this week even though they remain well ahead of most of other shows. A rematch of the Super Bowl on Sunday Night Football next week should bring nice ratings.

MONDAY
8:00 The Voice
10:00 The Brave

TUESDAY
8:00 The Voice
9:00 This is Us
10:00 Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders

WEDNESDAY
8:00 The Blacklist
9:00 Law & Order: SVU
10:00 Chicago PD

THURSDAY
8:00 Superstore
8:30 The Good Place
9:00 Will & Grace
9:30 Great News
10:00 Chicago Fire

FRIDAY
8:00 Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders (Repeat)
9:00 Dateline NBC

SATURDAY
8:00 College Football

SUNDAY
7:00 Football Night in America
8:30 Sunday Night Football: Atlanta at New England

FOX
FOX has its last normal week before baseball starts to interrupt the schedule, which is why we're seeing early Halloween episodes of some Tuesday and Sunday comedies. With its early start, The Orville is a repeat, which may not be great for it after its shown some signs of stabilizing.

MONDAY
8:00 Lucifer
9:00 The Gifted

TUESDAY
8:00 Lethal Weapon
9:00 The Mick (Halloween Episode)
9:30 Brooklyn Nine-Nine (Halloween Episode)

WEDNESDAY
8:00 Empire
9:00 Star

THURSDAY
8:00 Gotham
9:00 The Orville (Repeat)

FRIDAY
8:00 Hell's Kitchen
9:00 The Exorcist

SATURDAY
8:00 College Football

SUNDAY
7:00 The Mick (Repeat)
7:30 Bob's Burgers (Halloween Episode)
8:00 The Simpsons (Halloween Episode)
8:30 Ghosted
9:00 Family Guy
9:30 The Last Man on Earth

CW
The biggest ratings story of this past week belonged to Riverdale, which soared to new series highs with its premiere on Wednesday. It will be really interesting to see if that was a pop or if it's the new normal for the sophomore drama. Newbies Valor and Dynasty disappointed with the lowest ratings for the CW outside of Friday (and well below the premiere numbers for last year's flops No Tomorrow and Frequency). A drop this week from either one could make things quite ugly.

MONDAY
8:00 Supergirl
9:00 Valor

TUESDAY
8:00 The Flash
9:00 DC's Legends of Tomorrow

WEDNESDAY
8:00 Riverdale
9:00 Dynasty

THURSDAY
8:00 Supernatural
9:00 Arrow

FRIDAY
8:00 Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
9:00 Jane the Virgin

TV NEWS & THOUGHTS
- FOX has ordered five more episodes of Star for this season, bringing its total to 18. This is definitely a vote of confidence for the sophomore drama, which has done decently paired with Empire so far this fall.

- Chicago Med will have its season premiere on Tuesday, November 21 at 10pm and will continue to get the coveted post-This is Us slot after that (replacing Law & Order: True Crime, which will have ended its limited run by then). While it may not be the best fit, Chicago shows are reliable and it will certainly be a lead-in upgrade for the medical drama.

- In a surprise move, CBS has renewed Ransom for a second season. It's a cheap co-production but still, CBS aired it on Saturdays to minuscule ratings. Expect it to return to Saturdays or perhaps be held until summer.

- CBS has given a full season to SEAL Team. The David Boreanez military drama has been steady in its Wednesday night slot and is on brand for CBS so this move is no surprise.

- NBC has cancelled The Night Shift after four seasons. The medical drama had an interesting run as it was a summer burnoff that did surprisingly well in Summer 2014. It got a timeslot upgrade, airing after The Voice, in Spring 2015 but disappointed there and was relegated back to being a summer show for its final two seasons.

Wednesday, October 11, 2017

PILOT REVIEW: Dynasty

DYNASTY













Starring: Elizabeth Gillies, Nathalie Kelley, James Mackay, Robert Christopher Riley, Sam Adegoke, Rafael de la Fuente, with Alan Dale, and Grant Show

Based on the Television Series Created by Richard & Esther Shapiro
Developed by Sallie Patrick, Josh Schwartz, and Stephanie Savage
Written by Sallie Patrick, Josh Schwartz, & Stephanie Savage, Directed by Brad Silberling

THE PREMISE
Dynasty is a reboot of the hit 1980s primetime soap of the same name. While the original was the poster child for the opulence and greed of the 1980s, the remake comes at a time where dynasties seem about as relevant as ever (Trump, Clinton, Kardashian, you name it...). The plot setup is similar but there are definitely 2017 adjustments to it. Blake Carrington (Grant Show) is the CEO of Carrington Atlantic and newly engaged to Cristal (Nathalie Kelley), which upsets his heiress daughter, Fallon (Elizabeth Gillies) and his distant son, Steven (James Mackay).


THE REVIEW
I have never watched a full episode of the original Dynasty. Although it was a huge hit at the time, it has not aged all that well or become a show in the canon of drama classics. But I think most who watched it at the time would agree that is was fun in a trashy sort of way. This reboot is so obviously trying to be that same type of show, but it all feels a little forced. Even if I hadn't seen it in the trailer, it was so obvious that a cat fight between Cristal and Fallon was coming pretty much from the second they met and sure enough, it happened at barely half an hour in.

The show is also constrained by the network it's airing on and being on network TV in general. If this was on Netflix, I don't think it would look so cheap. For a show that's all about opulence, it's very clear that it's operating on a CW budget and that just doesn't work because if there's one thing a show called Dynasty needs, it's an excessive amount of glitz and glamour. Secondly, being on network TV meant for laughable lines like "you're Blake effing Carrington." Again, on a service like Netflix, that line (uncensored) would pack a lot more of a punch.


There were definitely homages to the original (a flashback where a younger Steven was playing the original theme song on piano in the background was a nice touch). And there were valiant attempts to update it for 2017 (more diverse for sure). But ultimately, this would file under the ever growing list of "remakes we don't need." I would rather just see a new show about a new family. Even if it invited comparisons to Dynasty, it would still be more of an original story than this one. If you were a fan of the 1980s version, this is not going to compare. If you weren't, this title means nothing.

WILL I WATCH IT AGAIN?
Most likely not.

Tuesday, October 10, 2017

WEEKLY RECAP: October 2-8, 2017

Here is the weekly ratings recap looking back at the week in ratings for Week #2. Please note no repeats, sports, specials, or Saturday airings are counted.

TOP 20 SHOWS (18-49 DEMO)
1. The Big Bang Theory (CBS, Monday 8:00pm) - 3.2    2nd week
2. This is Us (NBC, Tuesday 9:00pm) - 3.1    2nd week
3. The Voice (NBC, Monday 8:00pm) - 2.6    2nd week
4. The Voice (NBC, Tuesday 8:00pm) - 2.3    2nd week
5. The Good Doctor (ABC, Monday 10:00pm) - 2.2    2nd week
    The Simpsons (FOX, Sunday 8:00pm) - 2.2    1st week
7. Grey's Anatomy (ABC, Thursday 8:00pm) - 2.1    2nd week
8. Will & Grace (NBC, Thursday 9:00pm) - 2.0    2nd week
9. Modern Family (ABC, Wednesday 9:00pm) - 1.9    2nd week
    Empire (FOX, Wednesday 8:00pm) - 1.9    2nd week
11. 9JKL (CBS, Monday 8:30pm) - 1.6    1st week (NEW SHOW)
     The Middle (ABC, Tuesday 8:00pm) - 1.6    1st week (New Season)
     The Goldbergs (ABC, Wednesday 8:00pm) - 1.6    2nd week
     Survivor (CBS, Wednesday 8:00pm) - 1.6    2nd week
15. The Gifted (FOX, Monday 9:00pm) - 1.5    1st week (NEW SHOW)
     Black-ish (ABC, Tuesday 9:00pm) - 1.5    1st week (New Season)
17. Dancing with the Stars (ABC, Monday 8:00pm) - 1.4    1st week
     Fresh Off the Boat (ABC, Tuesday 9:00pm) - 1.4    1st week (New Season)
     NCIS (CBS, Tuesday 8:00pm) - 1.4    2nd week
     American Housewife (ABC, Wednesday 9:30pm) - 1.4    2nd week
     Star (FOX, Wednesday 9:00pm) - 1.4    2nd week
     Scandal (ABC, Thursday 9:00pm) - 1.4    1st week (New Season)
     Ghosted (FOX, Sunday 8:30pm) - 1.4    1st week
     Family Guy (FOX, Sunday 9:00pm) - 1.4    1st week

BOTTOM 20 SHOWS (18-49 DEMO)
1. The Exorcist (FOX, Friday 9:00pm) - 0.4    2nd week
    The Toy Box (ABC, Sunday 7:00pm) - 0.4    2nd week
    Ten Days in the Valley (ABC, Sunday 10:00pm) - 0.4    2nd week
4. Brooklyn Nine-Nine (FOX, Tuesday 9:30pm) - 0.7    2nd week
    Once Upon a Time (ABC, Friday 8:00pm) - 0.7    1st week (New Season)
    Marvel's Inhumans (ABC, Friday 9:00pm) - 0.7    2nd week
    20/20 (ABC, Friday 10:00pm) - 0.7    2nd week
8. Scorpion (CBS, Monday 10:00pm) - 0.8    2nd week
    MacGyver (CBS, Friday 8:00pm) - 0.8    2nd week
    Madam Secretary (CBS, Sunday 10:00pm) - 0.8    1st week (New Season)
11. The Mick (FOX, Tuesday 9:00pm) - 0.9    2nd week
    Designated Survivor (ABC, Wednesday 10:00pm) - 0.9    1st week
    How to Get Away with Murder (ABC, Thursday 10:00pm) - 0.9    2nd week
    Gotham (FOX, Thursday 8:00pm) - 0.9    2nd week
    The Orville (FOX, Thursday 9:00pm) - 0.9    1st week
    Hell's Kitchen (FOX, Friday 8:00pm) - 0.9    2nd week
    America's Funniest Home Videos (ABC, Sunday 8:00pm) - 0.9    1st week (New Season)
18. Me, Myself, & I (CBS, Monday 9:30pm) - 1.0    1st week
      Kevin (Probably) Saves the World (ABC, Tuesday 10:00pm) - 1.0    1st week (NEW SHOW)
      NCIS: New Orleans (CBS, Tuesday 10:00pm) - 1.0    2nd week
     The Blacklist (NBC, Wednesday 8:00pm) - 1.0    1st week
     Great News (NBC, Thursday 9:30pm) - 1.0    1st week
     Blue Bloods (CBS, Friday 10:00pm) - 1.0    1st week
     Dateline NBC (NBC, Friday 9:00pm) - 1.0    2nd week
     Wisdom of the Crowd (CBS, Sunday 8:00pm) - 1.0    1st week
     NCIS: Los Angeles (CBS, Sunday 9:00pm) - 1.0    1st week
     The Last Man on Earth (FOX, Sunday 9:30pm) - 1.0    2nd week

TOP 20 SHOWS (TOTAL VIEWERS)
1. The Big Bang Theory (CBS, Monday 8:00pm) - 14.1 million    2nd week
2. NCIS (CBS, Tuesday 8:00pm) - 13.5 million    2nd week
3. This is Us (NBC, Tuesday 9:00pm) - 11.1 million    2nd week
4. The Voice (NBC, Monday 8:00pm) - 11.0 million    2nd week
5. The Good Doctor (ABC, Monday 10:00pm) - 10.9 million    2nd week
6. Bull (CBS, Tuesday 9:00pm) - 10.8 million    2nd week
7. The Voice (NBC, Tuesday 8:00pm) - 10.4 million    2nd week
8. 60 Minutes (CBS, Sunday 7:00pm) - 10.2 million    2nd week
9. Blue Bloods (CBS, Friday 10:00pm) - 9.5 million    2nd week
10. NCIS: New Orleans (CBS, Tuesday 10:00pm) - 9.2 million    2nd week
11. Dancing with the Stars (ABC, Monday 8:00pm) - 9.1 million    2nd week
12. Hawaii Five-0 (CBS, Friday 9:00pm) - 8.5 million    2nd week
      NCIS: Los Angeles (CBS, Sunday 9:00pm) - 8.5 million    2nd week
14. SEAL Team (CBS, Wednesday 9:00pm) - 8.4 million    2nd week
15. 9JKL (CBS, Monday 8:30pm) - 8.2 million    1st week (NEW SHOW)
     Survivor (CBS, Wednesday 8:00pm) - 8.2 million    2nd week
17. Grey's Anatomy (ABC, Thursday 8:00pm) - 8.1 million    2nd week
18. Wisdom of the Crowd (CBS, Sunday 8:00pm) - 7.8 million    2nd week
19. Madam Secretary (CBS, Sunday 10:00pm) - 7.2 million    1st week (New Season)
20. Will & Grace (NBC, Thursday 9:00pm) - 7.1 million    2nd week

BOTTOM 20 SHOWS (TOTAL VIEWERS)
1. The Exorcist (FOX, Friday 9:00pm) - 1.4 million    2nd week
2. Brooklyn Nine-Nine (FOX, Tuesday 9:30pm) - 1.7 million    2nd week
3. The Toy Box (ABC, Sunday 7:00pm) - 1.9 million    2nd week
4. The Last Man on Earth (FOX, Sunday 9:30pm) - 2.2 million    2nd week
5. The Mick (FOX, Tuesday 9:00pm) - 2.4 million    2nd week
6. Ten Days in the Valley (ABC, Sunday 10:00pm) - 2.6 million    2nd week
7. Marvel's Inhumans (ABC, Friday 9:00pm) - 2.8 million    2nd week
    Hell's Kitchen (FOX, Friday 8:00pm) - 2.8 million    2nd week
9. Gotham (FOX, Thursday 8:00pm) - 2.9 million    2nd week
10. 20/20 (ABC, Friday 10:00pm) - 3.1 million    2nd week
      Family Guy (FOX, Sunday 9:00pm) - 3.1 million    2nd week
12. Once Upon a Time (ABC, Friday 8:00pm) - 3.3 million    1st week (New Season)
13. Ghosted (FOX, Sunday 8:30pm) - 3.6 million    2nd week
14. The Orville (FOX, Thursday 9:00pm) - 3.7 million    2nd week
15. Lucifer (FOX, Monday 8:00pm) - 3.9 million    1st week (New Season)
     How to Get Away with Murder (ABC, Thursday 10:00pm) - 3.9 million    2nd week
     Great News (NBC, Thursday 9:30pm) - 3.9 million    1st week
18. The Mayor (ABC, Tuesday 9:30pm) - 4.1 million    1st week (NEW SHOW)
     Lethal Weapon (FOX, Tuesday 8:00pm) - 4.1 million    2nd week
20. Kevin (Probably) Saves the World (ABC, Tuesday 10:00pm) - 4.2 million    1st week (NEW SHOW)
      The Good Place (NBC, Thursday 8:30pm) - 4.2 million    1st week

WINNERS OF THE NIGHT
Monday - The Good Doctor (ABC)    1st week
Tuesday - Bull (CBS)    1st week
Wednesday - Law & Order: SVU (NBC)    1st week
Thursday - Grey's Anatomy (ABC)     1st week
Friday - Hawaii Five-0 (CBS)    1st week
Sunday - America's Funniest Home Videos (ABC)    1st week (New Season)

LOSERS OF THE NIGHT
Monday - Me, Myself, & I (CBS)    1st week
Tuesday - Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders (NBC)    1st week
Wednesday - Designated Survivor (ABC)    1st week
Thursday - Great News (NBC)    1st week
Friday - The Exorcist (FOX)    2nd week
Sunday - The Toy Box (ABC)    1st week

Monday, October 9, 2017

PILOT REVIEW: Valor

VALOR













Starring: Christina Ochoa, Matt Barr, Charlie Barnett, Nigel Thatch, Corbin Reid, W. Tre Davis, Melissa Roxburgh

Created by Kyle Jarrow
Written by Kyle Jarrow, Directed by Michael M. Robin

THE PREMISE
Valor is the third and final military drama premiering this fall and this one is on a network that is not known for dramas like this, the CW. While there are some steamy and angsty scenes that may remind you this is a CW drama, it still seems more fit for CBS or NBC with its military premise. Captain Leland Gallo (Matt Barr) and Chief Warrant Officer Nora Madani (Christina Ochoa) are the only soldiers who made it home from a rescue mission and they receive the Flying Cross for Valor, but they haven't been completely forthcoming with all the details. Meanwhile, a captive from that mission, Jimmy Kam (W. Tre Davis) is in Somali custody while his anxious wife, Jess (Corbin Reid) waits for news.

THE REVIEW
I'm just so over these military dramas so this was a slog to get through. However, I think this may have been my favorite of the three (a very low bar to clear) because it seemed to be a little more sure of where it was headed and it had a conspiracy angle that made it slightly more compelling. That's not to say it was anything special, it's just that it wasn't as boring as The Brave and SEAL Team in my eyes.

There were some eye rolling moments though. Particularly, I thought the sequence with Nora being in such a rage that she just had to go to her drumset was a little laughable. And the show seems to be content with making the characters' back stories pretty standard (drug user! womanizer!) I do think the show at times aims to be a little bit more forward thinking with Christina Ochoa's character and they even hit on that a little bit in the pilot.

I remember when this show was in pilot season, we just kept hearing about how this was off brand for the CW but they absolutely loved it. And while it's not terrible, it's hard to see what was so special about this show that it made the CW really want to go off brand by picking it up. It seems like just a so-so show, not a genre busting or brilliant military drama. And I don't think the CW audience is going to be too excited about this when they would rather watch superheroes or sudsy soaps. We'll see.

WILL I WATCH IT AGAIN?
No. I am done with the military dramas at least until the next one gets picked up.

Sunday, October 8, 2017

THE WEEK AHEAD: October 9-15, 2017

Here is a look at Week #3!

ABC
Definitely the biggest success story of Week 2 on any network was the performance of The Good Doctor on Monday night, completely holding its premiere audience. The second episode seemed to be pretty well received by fans so it'll be interesting to see how it does in Week 3. I thought the Tuesday lineup slightly underwhelmed and I think Kevin (Probably) Saves the World could have a sizable drop. Scandal also got off to a slow start and TGIT is looking pretty tired except for the show that won't quit, Grey's Anatomy.

MONDAY
8:00 Dancing with the Stars
10:00 The Good Doctor

TUESDAY
8:00 The Middle
8:30 Fresh Off the Boat
9:00 Black-ish
9:30 The Mayor
10:00 Kevin (Probably) Saves the World

WEDNESDAY
8:00 The Goldbergs
8:30 Speechless
9:00 Modern Family
9:30 American Housewife
10:00 Designated Survivor

THURSDAY
8:00 Grey's Anatomy
9:00 Scandal
10:00 How to Get Away with Murder

FRIDAY
8:00 Once Upon a Time
9:00 Marvel's Inhumans
10:00 20/20

SATURDAY
8:00 College Football

SUNDAY
7:00 The Toy Box
8:00 America's Funniest Home Videos
9:00 Shark Tank
10:00 Ten Days in the Valley

CBS
CBS saw drops on every night except Thursday football in Week #2. Most pronounced was Monday night where 9JKL is no Young Sheldon and the 9pm hour collapsed. I don't feel great about its chances in Week 3 but I think the other nights could mostly stabilize.

MONDAY
8:00 The Big Bang Theory
8:30 9JKL
9:00 Kevin Can Wait
9:30 Me, Myself, & I
10:00 Scorpion

TUESDAY
8:00 NCIS
9:00 Bull
10:00 NCIS: New Orleans

WEDNESDAY
8:00 Survivor
9:00 SEAL Team
10:00 Criminal Minds

THURSDAY
8:00 Thursday Night Football: Philadelphia at Carolina

FRIDAY
8:00 MacGyver
9:00 Hawaii Five-0
10:00 Blue Bloods

SATURDAY
8:00 Wisdom of the Crowd (Repeat)
9:00 NCIS: Los Angeles (Repeat)
10:00 48 Hours

SUNDAY
7:00 NFL Overrun
7:30 60 Minutes
8:30 Wisdom of the Crowd
9:30 NCIS: Los Angeles
10:30 Madam Secretary

NBC
NBC is having some problems with its new dramas as The Brave and Law & Order True Crime have been underwhelming. Another drop in Week 3 could put them in fractional numbers despite their big lead-ins and that's no good. Will & Grace also had a big week two drop so it'll be interesting to see if the drops are going to keep coming of if it will start to level off.

MONDAY
8:00 The Voice
10:00 The Brave

TUESDAY
8:00 The Voice
9:00 This is Us
10:00 Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders

WEDNESDAY
8:00 The Blacklist
9:00 Law & Order: SVU
10:00 Chicago PD

THURSDAY
8:00 Superstore
8:30 The Good Place
9:00 Will & Grace
9:30 Great News
10:00 Chicago Fire

FRIDAY
8:00 The Brave (Repeat)
9:00 Dateline NBC

SATURDAY
8:00 Will & Grace (Repeat)
8:30 Superstore (Repeat)
9:00 Dateline NBC
10:00 Saturday Night Live (Repeat)

SUNDAY
7:00 Football Night in America
8:30 Sunday Night Football: NY Giants at Denver

FOX
FOX had a solid start this week from The Gifted, but those types of shows can often have big week two drops so we'll have to see how its second week goes. Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays are awfully low for FOX but that's nothing new.

MONDAY
8:00 Lucifer
9:00 The Gifted

TUESDAY
8:00 Lethal Weapon
9:00 The Mick
9:30 Brooklyn Nine-Nine

WEDNESDAY
8:00 Empire
9:00 Star

THURSDAY
8:00 Gotham
9:00 The Orville

FRIDAY
8:00 Hell's Kitchen
9:00 The Exorcist

SATURDAY
8:00 Premier Boxing Championship

SUNDAY
7:00 Ghosted (Repeat)
7:30 Bob's Burgers
8:00 The Simpsons
8:30 Ghosted
9:00 Family Guy
9:30 The Last Man on Earth

CW
After a couple weeks of still being in summer mode, the CW is back in full force this week with season or series premieres across the board. I'm not feeling too confident about the numbers for the two new dramas especially Valor. Tuesday should easily be the best night for the CW.

MONDAY
8:00 Supergirl (Season Premiere)
9:00 Valor (SERIES PREMIERE)

TUESDAY
8:00 The Flash (Season Premiere)
9:00 DC's Legends of Tomorrow (Season Premiere)

WEDNESDAY
8:00 Riverdale (Season Premiere)
9:00 Dynasty (SERIES PREMIERE)

THURSDAY
8:00 Supernatural (Season Premiere)
9:00 Arrow (Season Premiere)

FRIDAY
8:00 Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (Season Premiere)
9:00 Jane the Virgin (Season Premiere)

TV NEWS & THOUGHTS
- After two big results in the ratings, ABC has quickly given The Good Doctor a full season order. The show seems to, for now, have been a fix for ABC's Monday 10pm problem.

- Pauley Perrette will be leaving NCIS this spring after 15 seasons. Her departure will leave just Mark Harmon and David McCallum as series regulars since the very beginning in 2003.