UPFRONTS 2015: What CBS Should Do

And finally, we are on to CBS. Check back next week for my schedule predictions!

Past CBS suggestions: 2014   2013   2012   2011

For a list of CBS pilots, click here

MONDAYS
8:00 (Sep) The Big Bang Theory/(Nov) 2 Broke Girls
8:30 UNTITLED TOMMY JOHNAGIN PROJECT
9:00 Scorpion
10:00 CODE BLACK
The question CBS has to figure out is do they want to shuffle The Big Bang Theory back and forth again with football taking up Thursdays until November. On the one hand, I think it has weakened the show a bit, but that also might be age. I think they need to in order to launch new comedies but maybe not air as many new episodes before it heads to Thursdays. I don't love any of the CBS comedy pilot premises but the Tommy Johnagin Project sounds decent and they could easily bring back Mike & Molly again if it fails. Scorpion was a surprise success and I think it can be used to launch a new drama. My vote would be for the medical drama Code Black in an hour that might have new dramas on ABC and NBC.

TUESDAYS
8:00 NCIS
9:00 NCIS: New Orleans
10:00 Person of Interest
I would leave Tuesdays alone for this season. They finally moved NCIS: Los Angeles and had a mostly seamless transition to NCIS: New Orleans. Person of Interest has been slipping but there are some other underperformers (Elementary) that need to be addressed first.

WEDNESDAYS
8:00 Survivor
9:00 CRIMINAL MINDS: BEYOND BORDERS
10:00 Criminal Minds
I was so-so on the backdoor pilot to the Criminal Minds spinoff, but I like the idea of solving international crimes and Criminal Minds is getting pretty old. Survivor has been remarkably steady so this might be the time to launch the spinoff and move the mothership to 10pm. Doing it the other way around and launching the spinoff at 10pm seems like a bad idea.

THURSDAYS
(Sep) 8:00 Thursday Night Football

(Nov)
8:00 The Big Bang Theory
8:30 ANGEL FROM HELL
9:00 Mom
9:30 The Odd Couple
10:00 NCIS: Los Angeles
We know football will be on until the last week of October. I think the most promising CBS comedy pilot is Angel From Hell starring Jane Lynch. I think it could be a strong entry between The Big Bang Theory and Mom, which is more than ready to be the 9pm anchor. At 9:30pm, I would put The Odd Couple. It deserves a second season but not a second season with a Big Bang lead-in. Time to see if this show can make it on its own (I'm skeptical about that). I know NCIS: Los Angeles just moved nights but I think the 10pm Monday slot is a more attractive place to launch a new drama than 10pm Thursday so I would move Los Angeles again.

FRIDAYS
8:00 The Amazing Race
9:00 Hawaii Five-0
10:00 Blue Bloods
I would leave Friday nights alone. The Amazing Race did OK while the dramas continue to do well by Friday standards. I would once again have Undercover Boss take over in-between the two editions of Race.

SATURDAYS
8:00 Encores
10:00 48 Hours
As usual.

SUNDAYS
7:00 60 Minutes
8:00 Madam Secretary
9:00 FOR JUSTICE
10:00 The Good Wife
CBS Sundays were solid in the fall when they had football lead-ins, but it's fallen apart at midseason. There's probably little CBS can do to fix that but one thing that needs to happen is The Good Wife needs to go to 10pm. I would recommend a 13 episode final season and have it share a timeslot with a 13 episode final season for CSI. Madam Secretary can stay at 8pm while I would launch For Justice, which could also get an upscale audience, at 9pm.

MIDSEASON: DOUBT, RUSH HOUR, SUPERGIRL, CSI, Elementary, Mike & Molly, Undercover Boss
As usual, CBS doesn't need a ton on deck for midseason. I already mentioned CSI and Undercover Boss. Mike & Molly can be the first show off the bench on either Mondays or Thursdays for The Odd Couple or one of the newbies. Same goes for Elementary with dramas. They have already ordered Supergirl but I'm not sold on it, maybe it could be a summer option. Rush Hour could be an interesting midseason push (post-Super Bowl premiere maybe?) Doubt sounds promising for a midseason launch.

CANCELLED/ENDED: Battle Creek, CSI: Cyber, The McCarthys, The Mentalist, The Millers, Stalker, Two and a Half Men

CANCELLATION ALERT: Revenge

In an unsurprising move, ABC has cancelled Revenge after four seasons. The series finale will air on Sunday, May 10. This move has been coming for awhile now and the writers either saw the writing on the wall or got an idea from ABC that this would be it as the season finale reportedly has a series finale feel to it and it would have required a reboot of sorts if it had been renewed.

I usually use this space to talk about where the network stands with cancellations and renewals but that's all coming anyway in other posts related to Upfronts. I'd like to instead reflect on Revenge for a moment. I loved Revenge in its first season, it was one of my favorite new shows in a year that was full of them. But I stopped watching in early season two. The limited concept caught up with it quickly and it never recaptured the magic of the first season and especially those first 13 episodes set in the summer at the Hamptons. The show was perhaps ahead of its time because it really should have been a limited series. Networks are full of them now but they ween't as keen on them back in 2011 and Revenge was a show that rushed through stories too quickly and had nothing left to tell without repeating itself or getting overly convoluted.

I still regret the fact that they didn't kill of Daniel Grayson (Josh Bowman) in the middle of season one as they clearly seemed to be planning to with the first flash forward that opened the entire series. They may deny that was the plan but I think it's pretty clear that it was until Daniel became popular with fans and they copped out. That showed me that this show wasn't going to take chances. Too many characters died and revived themselves. Too many showdowns with Emily and Victoria (Emily VanCamp and Madeleine Stowe) that just went in circles. And that was only in the first season and a half. I'm not feeling sad about this news but I'll always remember how gleefully delightful and twisted this show was in its first season and what it could have been if it had been limited or more carefully thought out.

RATINGS RECAP: 4/28/15

Check below this post for my thoughts on what ABC should do next season!

ABC
8:00 Dancing with the Stars 10th Anniversary Special
Viewers: 10.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7
9:00 Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Viewers: 4.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
10:00 Captive: A Journey of Survival and Hope
Viewers: 5.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4

CBS
8:00 NCIS
Viewers: 14.9 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0
9:00 NCIS: New Orleans
Viewers: 14.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9
10:00 Person of Interest
Viewers: 8.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4

NBC
8:00 The Voice
Viewers: 9.5 million, 18-49 demo: 2.2
9:00 Undateable
Viewers: 4.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
9:30 One Big Happy
Viewers: 3.1 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8
10:00 Chicago Fire
Viewers: 6.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6

FOX
8:00 Hell's Kitchen
Viewers: 3.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
9:00 New Girl
Viewers: 2.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
9:30 Weird Loners
Viewers: 1.4 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6

On Tuesday night, NCIS just barely escaped going below the 2.0 demo threshold for the first time ever as it adjusted up in the finals for a second episode in a row. It was down nine tenths in viewers and even in the demo. The viewer total was the worst since May 13, 2008. Surprisingly, NCIS: New Orleans had a really good night as it was up two tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo for its best retention in quite awhile. This show has been looking weak lately, but this was a good showing. At 10pm, Person of Interest was down seven tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo. The viewer total was a series low. Will CBS think they can do better than Person of Interest in this slot next year?

On NBC, The Voice took a huge hit from Dancing with the Stars as it was down 1.8 million viewers and four tenths in the demo for a series low in a regular timeslot for a regular episode. It's not going to get any easier with more Dancing specials and episodes over the next couple weeks. At 9pm, Undateable was down four tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo for a season low. Yet at a 1.2, it is easily the most successful comedy on the entire network and will probably come back. At 9:30pm, the season finale of One Big Happy went out with a major whimper as it was down seven tenths in viewers and three tenths in the demo. With this, every new NBC show this season except A.D. has fallen below a 1.0 demo (and A.D. will probably do so as well before all is said and done). What a disaster. At 10pm, Chicago Fire was up two tenths in viewers and even in the demo. It didn't get any bounce from Crossover Week but it's usually the conclusions that benefit more.

Over on ABC, a special 10th anniversary event for Dancing with the Stars was a solid performer in the 8pm hour with its older skewing audience. At 9pm, Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. did not take advantage of the better lead-in as it was up a tenth in viewers but down a tenth in the demo. An ABC news special on the girls captured in Cleveland for over a decade was a nice improvement on the usual Forever numbers. Finally on FOX, Hell's Kitchen was down four tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo, tying a series low. New Girl returned after a couple weeks off and was still very low. It was even in viewers and up a tenth in the demo. Weird Loners benefited every so slightly as it was up two tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo.

WINNER OF THE NIGHT: NCIS: New Orleans (CBS)
LOSER OF THE NIGHT: One Big Happy (NBC)

UPFRONTS 2015: What ABC Should Do

Today is ABC's turn!

Past ABC Suggestions: 2014   2013   2012   2011

For the list of ABC pilots, click here

MONDAYS
8:00 Dancing with the Stars
10:00 LA CRIME
Dancing with the Stars is still a formidable show even after being on the air for a decade and Castle has been dropping the ball at 10pm this season. It's not the beast it once was but I still think Dancing can launch a new show. I've said this multiple times, especially when they had a compatible option in the pilot pack like Nashville a couple years ago. I don't think there's an obvious newbie that would fit so I went with what I think is their most promising, the anthology LA Crime. It should be a given a good slot and since TGIT is likely staying in tact, this is probably the best place to launch a drama.

TUESDAYS
8:00 The Middle
8:30 DR. KEN
9:00 Black-ish
9:30 UNCLE BUCK
10:00 Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Unlike other networks, ABC is really doing well with their sitcoms so I think the time is now to launch another sitcom block. I went a couple different directions on which shows to move over from Wednesday but settled on The Middle and Black-ish. The Middle is probably the most likely and most able to move because I think it could do just as well Tues at 8pm as it does Weds at 8pm. As for Black-ish, I'd like to see it get another year behind Modern Family but I think it could get killed against Empire again. With another black family sitcom, the Uncle Buck adaptation, I think the 9pm slot on Tuesday might be a better option. Dr. Ken has a great cast and could be a good 8:30pm option. I would slide Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. another hour later because it didn't really do that well at 9pm and the 10pm hour is still a problem.

WEDNESDAYS
8:00 The Goldbergs
8:30 Fresh Off the Boat
9:00 Modern Family
9:30 UNTITLED JUDAH MILLER PROJECT
10:00 Nashville
It's tempting to not change anything on Wednesday with the sitcom block because everything went so well this year. But ABC can't rely on The Middle and Modern Family as anchors forever. I think the time is right for The Goldbergs to move to 8pm after a hugely successful move to Wednesdays this year. I think it can do it. I would pair the 80s-themed Goldbergs with the 90s-themed Fresh Off the Boat. It could have a similarly successful move to Wednesdays like Goldbergs did this year. I think they'd be a good pair with each other. Modern Family should stay at 9pm and I think a new show could go at 9:30pm. Though it hasn't gotten a ton of buzz, the Judah Miller project about Broadway parents with a gifted athlete for a son sounds like an interesting twist on the culture clash premise and it could be a good match with Modern Family. I don't love the idea of keeping Nashville at 10pm but I think one more year wouldn't be bad with the changes on other nights and an unproven lead-in. If Black-ish stayed at 9:30pm, then they should consider a new drama at 10pm.

THURSDAYS
8:00 Grey's Anatomy
9:00 Scandal
10:00 How to Get Away with Murder
There is no reason to change TGIT in the fall. It was doing awesome numbers and things only went south when Murder ended its season and the incompatible American Crime joined the night. Since Murder is always going to be 15 episodes a year, they need to worry more about finding a spring replacement that can keep the TGIT brand. Something like Shondaland's The Catch might be an option.

FRIDAYS
8:00 Last Man Standing
8:30 DELORES & JERMAINE
9:00 Shark Tank
10:00 20/20
I would really like to see Cristela get another chance, but I think ABC needs to try a new sitcom here at 8:30pm in the fall. A good option might be the Whoopi Goldberg vehicle Delores & Jermaine. Tim Allen and Whoopi could make a good hour of comedy. I'd keep the rest of the night the same.

SATURDAYS
8:00 Sports

SUNDAYS
7:00 America's Funniest Home Videos
8:00 Once Upon a Time
9:00 THE KINGMAKERS
10:00 Castle
Sundays need a revamp from 9-11pm. Secrets and Lies hasn't done horrible but I wouldn't bring it back until midseason. In the fall, I would launch the promising new drama The Kingmakers at 9pm after Once Upon a Time. It seems like it could fill the void left by Revenge. I would bring over Castle from Mondays to close out the night. The show is clearly nearing the end of its run and would be better off in a lower pressure timeslot.

MIDSEASON: BOOM, THE CATCH, THE KING OF 7B, QUANTICO, UNTITLED MUPPETS PROJECT, UNTITLED NBA PROEJCT, Cristela, The Great Christmas Light Fight, Secrets and Lies
I already talked about The Catch and Secrets and Lies. Boom has a great premise and should get a chance. The King of 7B sounds a little niche but too interesting to pass up. The NBA project could premiere when basketball is more in the minds of viewers in winter/spring. Quantico and the Muppets project also sound interesting while Cristela can be a back-up choice as it didn't do horrible on Fridays this year.

CANCELLED: American Crime, Forever, Galavant, In an Instant, Marvel's Agent Carter, Repeat After Me, Resurrection, Revenge, The Taste

RATINGS RECAP: 4/27/15

ABC
8:00 Dancing with the Stars
Viewers: 13.2 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0
10:00 Castle
Viewers: 8.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3

CBS
8:00 2 Broke Girls
Viewers: 6.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6
8:30 Mike & Molly
Viewers: 7.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7
9:00 Stalker
Viewers: 5.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
10:00 NCIS: Los Angeles
Viewers: 7.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4

NBC
8:00 The Voice
Viewers: 10.5 million, 18-49 demo: 2.6
10:00 The Night Shift
Viewers: 4.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2

FOX
8:00 Gotham
Viewers: 4.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
9:00 The Following
Viewers: 3.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2

Monday night was pretty disastrous for CBS. Baltimore was preempted for its riot coverage but that's not the reason this went south for CBS. It was just a really weak night without their 9pm anchor. At 8pm, 2 Broke Girls crashed nine tenths in viewers and half a demo point, tying a series low from November. At 8:30pm, Mike & Molly was down nine tenths in viewers and three tenths in the demo tying a series low set both in December and last May. These comedies overachieved last night and definitely underachieved this week. At 9pm, Stalker came over for a short Monday run after being off the air from February. The result was a demo that was slightly up from its last Wednesday airing but well below what Scorpion was getting here. Any glimmer of hope this show might have had is gone now. At 10pm, NCIS: Los Angeles was down a million viewers and even in the demo, tying last week's series low.

Over on ABC, Dancing with the Stars was down two tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo while Castle was even in viewers but down a tenth in the demo to tie its series low from January. I don't see how ABC can justify keeping this show in the same slot next year. On NBC, The Voice was down a tenth in viewers and even in the demo. At 10pm, The Night Shift was down half a million viewers and a tenth in the demo. Finally on FOX, Gotham was up two tenths in viewers but down a tenth in the demo. Not exactly the momentum it could have used ahead of next week's season finale. At 9pm, The Following was up a tenth in viewers and even in the demo.

WINNER OF THE NIGHT: The Voice (NBC)
LOSER OF THE NIGHT: Stalker (CBS)

WEEKLY RECAP: April 20-26, 2015

Check below this post for my FOX suggestions for next season!

Here's my weekly recap for Week #31. Please note this only covers regularly scheduled shows (no sports, specials, repeats, or Saturday shows)

TOP 10 SHOWS (18-49 DEMO)
1. The Big Bang Theory (CBS, Thursday 8:00pm) - 3.6    21st week
2. Modern Family (ABC, Wednesday 9:00pm) - 3.0    20th week
3. Grey's Anatomy (ABC, Thursday 9:00pm) - 2.8    10th week
4. The Voice (NBC, Monday 8:00pm) - 2.6    22nd week
    The Voice (NBC, Tuesday 8:00pm) - 2.6    21st week
6. Survivor (CBS, Wednesday 8:00pm) - 2.4    13th week
7. Scandal (ABC, Thursday 9:00pm) - 2.3    20th week
8. Scorpion (CBS, Monday 9:00pm) - 2.2    8th week
9. Dancing with the Stars (ABC, Monday 8:00pm) - 2.1    6th week
    2 Broke Girls (CBS, Monday 8:00pm) - 2.1    4th week
    The Goldbergs (ABC, Wednesday 8:30pm) - 2.1    10th week
    Black-ish (ABC, Wednesday 9:30pm) - 2.1    12th week

TOP 10 SHOWS (TOTAL VIEWERS)
1. The Big Bang Theory (CBS, Thursday 8:00pm) - 14.6 million    20th week
2. Dancing with the Stars (ABC, Monday 8:00pm) - 13.4 million    16th week
3. The Voice (NBC, Tuesday 8:00pm) - 11.3 million    18th week
4. Scorpion (CBS, Monday 9:00pm) - 10.7 million    15th week
5. The Voice (NBC, Monday 8:00pm) - 10.6 million    22nd week
6. Madam Secretary (CBS, Sunday 8:00pm) - 10.5 million    19th week
7. 60 Minutes (CBS, Sunday 7:00pm) - 10.4 million    20th week
8. Survivor (CBS, Wednesday 8:00pm) - 10.2 million    7th week
9. Criminal Minds (CBS, Wednesday 9:00pm) - 10.1 million    14th week
10. Blue Bloods (CBS, Friday 10:00pm) - 10.0 million    17th week

BOTTOM 10 SHOWS (18-49 DEMO)
1. Weird Loners (FOX, Tuesday 9:30pm) - 0.5    4th week
    American Odyssey (NBC, Sunday 10:00pm) - 0.5    3rd week
3. Battle Creek (CBS, Sunday 10:00pm) - 0.7    8th week
4. Backstrom (FOX, Thursday 9:00pm) - 0.8    9th week
5. American Crime (ABC, Thursday 10:00pm) - 0.9    3rd week
    Dateline NBC (NBC, Thursday 10:00pm) - 0.9    3rd week
    Dateline NBC (NBC, Friday 9:00pm) - 0.9    3rd week
    Bob's Burgers (FOX, Sunday 7:30pm) - 0.9    7th week
9. Forever (ABC, Tuesday 10:00pm) - 1.0    8th week
    The Mysteries of Laura (NBC, Wednesday 8:00pm) - 1.0    4th week
    Bones (FOX, Thursday 8:00pm) - 1.0    2nd week
    Blue Bloods (CBS, Friday 10:00pm) - 1.0    5th week
    Grimm (NBC, Friday 8:00pm) - 1.0    8th week
    Revenge (ABC, Sunday 10:00pm) - 1.0    14th week
    Madam Secretary (CBS, Sunday 8:00pm) - 1.0   1st week
    The Good Wife (CBS, Sunday 9:00pm) - 1.0    8th week

BOTTOM 10 SHOWS (TOTAL VIEWERS)
1. Weird Loners (FOX, Tuesday 9:30pm) - 1.2 million    4th week
2. Bob's Burgers (FOX, Sunday 7:30pm) - 2.0 million    15th week
3. American Odyssey (NBC, Sunday 10:00pm) - 2.8 million    2nd week
    Brooklyn Nine-Nine (FOX, Sunday 8:30pm) - 2.8 million    12th week
5. Backstrom (FOX, Thursday 9:00pm) - 3.0 million    8th week
6. Family Guy (FOX, Sunday 9:00pm) - 3.2 million    8th week
7. The Simpsons (FOX, Sunday 8:00pm) - 3.3 million    9th week
    The Last Man on Earth (FOX, Sunday 9:30pm) - 3.3 million    5th week
9. The Following (FOX, Monday 9:00pm) - 3.4 million    7th week
10. Repeat After Me (ABC, Tuesday 8:30pm) - 3.6 million    6th week

WINNERS OF THE NIGHT
Monday - Scorpion (CBS)    4th week
Tuesday - The Voice (NBC)    5th week
Wednesday - Survivor (CBS)    5th week
Thursday - Grey's Anatomy (ABC)    6th week
Friday - Bruce Jenner - The Interview (ABC)    Special Airing
Sunday - Secrets and Lies (ABC)    3rd week

LOSERS OF THE NIGHT
Monday - NCIS: Los Angeles (CBS)    3rd week
Tuesday - Weird Loners (FOX)    3rd week
Wednesday - American Idol (FOX)    5th week
Thursday - The Blacklist (NBC)    2nd week
Friday - Blue Bloods (CBS)    1st week
Sunday - American Odyssey (NBC)    2nd week

TOP 5 EPISODES OF THE WEEK
1. The Middle #141 "Two of a Kind"    9th week
2. Chicago Fire #66 "You Know Where to Find Me"    9th week
3. Blue Bloods #110 "New Rules"    13th week
4. Scandal #67 "First Lady Sings the Blues"    13th week
5, Madam Secretary #21 "The Kill List"    5th week

UPFRONTS 2015: What FOX Should Do

Moving on with my suggestions on what each network should do - here is FOX!

FOX had a miserable fall - one of the worst runs a network has ever had. It was followed by the shocking smash hit that was Empire and it elevated the entire network for weeks on end. Then Empire ended and things went back to their normal low. Despite the many instant bombs, they got OK results from Gotham, The Last Man on Earth, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine's move to Sunday. They need to build from there with smart scheduling.

Past FOX suggestions: 2014   2013   2012   2011

For a list of FOX pilots, click here

MONDAYS
8:00 Gotham
9:00 FRANKENSTEIN
It seems that for each new Monday show FOX gives, one falls apart. That happened last season when Sleepy Hollow hit but The Following disappointed in season two. Then this season, Gotham did pretty well but Sleepy Hollow fell apart. Yet, Gotham is one of their decent performers and they need to use it to launch a new drama at 9pm. My suggestion would be Frankenstein to keep this a genre night. It seems like they should launch Frankenstein as early as possible to take advantage of the season.

TUESDAYS
8:00 FANTASY LIFE
8:30 THE GRINDER
9:00 The Last Man on Earth
9:30 New Girl
I went back and forth on Tuesdays. Part of me thought maybe leave the night alone because Masterchef Junior does alright and New Girl and The Mindy Project won't really help any other shows. But I think they should consider launching a new comedy block in the 8pm hour with the fantasy football sitcom, Fantasy Life, and Rob Lowe's The Grinder. Then I'd bring The Last Man on Earth over for 9pm and let New Girl do the least damage at 9:30pm. I don't know if it'll work but I think it's worth a shot because not all their sitcoms can go on Sundays.

WEDNESDAYS
8:00 SCREAM QUEENS
9:00 Empire
I'm sure it's tempting to put Empire at 8pm so it can be a lead-in, but it's not an 8pm show. FOX should not mess with a good thing and leave it alone. It seemed to have a halo effect on American Idol anyway so it could to a promising newbie as well. I think that promising newbie could be Ryan Murphy's anthology Scream Queens. It seems like this could be a buzzy, exciting night of TV. They have to be careful about how they schedule Empire. They don't want it to lose momentum when baseball comes around in October.

THURSDAYS
8:00 Masterchef Junior
9:00 Sleepy Hollow
Thursdays are a bit of the "odd day out" for me. I think Masterchef Junior can do decently anywhere so I'd put it here because I didn't really have any other places for it and it should be somewhere other than Friday. There's a couple options for 9pm but I went with Sleepy Hollow to give that show one more chance.

FRIDAYS
8:00 Bones
9:00 HOUDINI & DOYLE
Friday should not be dismissed or an afterthought when FOX only has so much space available. Bones did alright here a couple years ago and it's clearly on its last legs so it can have a final season Friday night. FOX already picked up Houdini & Doyle. I don't have a lot of hope for it so I put it in a slot where if it bombs, it wouldn't be disastrous for FOX.

SATURDAYS
8:00 Sports

SUNDAYS
7:00 NFL Overrun/The OT/Animated Encores
7:30 Bob's Burgers
8:00 The Simpsons
8:30 Brooklyn Nine-Nine
9:00 Family Guy
9:30 UNTITLED JOHN STAMOS COMEDY
Sundays were the only good part of the FOX schedule in the fall thanks to football lead-ins so I'd use that again and keep the lineup mostly in tact. They could keep The Last Man on Earth on Sundays, but I'd launch something new when the overall lineup is stronger in the fall. I went with the new John Stamos series. It seems like he has a pilot every year, one of them has got to work!

MIDSEASON: 48 HOURS 'TIL MONDAY, MINORITY REPORT, STUDIO CITY, THE X-FILES, American Idol, Hell's Kitchen, The Mindy Project, World's Funniest Fails
FOX needs to consider ending American Idol next season. It takes up too much valuable space and it's just going to keep getting sadder for the show that once dominated all. I think Studio City could be a nice spring match with Empire since Scream Queens will likely have a limited season. 48 Hours 'Til Monday and yes, The Mindy Project, can be on deck in case a comedy fails. Minority Report could be a drama replacement if something doesn't work and I have a feeling we won't see the X-Files reboot until next summer.

CANCELLED/ENDED: Backstrom, The Following, Glee, Gracepoint, Mulaney, Red Band Society, Utopia, Weird Loners
Not much to see here. It's time to say goodbye to The Following.

Tomorrow: ABC!

RATINGS RECAP: 4/26/15

Check below this post for my suggestion on what NBC should do next season!

ABC
7:00 America's Funniest Home Videos
Viewers: 6.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
8:00 Once Upon a Time
Viewers: 5.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7
9:00 Secrets and Lies
Viewers: 5.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7
10:00 Revenge
Viewers: 4.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0

CBS
7:00 60 Minutes
Viewers: 10.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
8:00 Madam Secretary
Viewers: 10.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
9:00 The Good Wife
Viewers: 8.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
10:00 Battle Creek
Viewers: 6.1 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7

NBC
7:00 Dateline NBC (Repeat)
Viewers: 6.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
9:00 A.D. The Bible Continues
Viewers: 5.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
10:00 American Odyssey
Viewers: 2.8 million, 18-49 demo: 0.5

FOX
7:00 The Simpsons (Repeat)
Viewers: 1.7 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6
7:30 Bob's Burgers
Viewers: 2.0 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
8:00 The Simpsons
Viewers: 3.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
8:30 Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Viewers: 2.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
9:00 Family Guy
Viewers: 3.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6
9:30 The Last Man on Earth
Viewers: 3.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4

Two bubble shows helped and hurt their cases on Sunday night with a strong night for Secrets and Lies and another bad week for A.D. On ABC, America's Funniest Home Videos started things off down four tenths in viewers and up a tenth in the demo. At a 1.5 demo, it was tied for the third highest of the night. At 8pm, Once Upon a Time was up a tenth in viewers and even in the demo. The best news for ABC came from Secrets and Lies, which was up seven tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo for a series high. The momentum is clearly with this show and I think this performance sealed its renewal. What a turn-around this show has had since its disappointing premiere in early March. At 10pm, Revenge was up six tenths in viewers and even in the demo.

Over on CBS, 60 Minutes was up four tenths in viewers and down a tenth in the demo from last week. After a week off, Madam Secretary didn't have an inflated lead-in and fell nine tenths in viewers and four tenths in the demo for a series low. The viewer total still wasn't bad and CBS can take solace in the fact that things will probably be much better for this show again in the fall when football is back. At 9pm, The Good Wife was down a tenth in viewers and the demo. Battle Creek ended the night down four tenths in viewers and even in the demo. Despite a better lead-in and less competition, NBC's bubble show A.D. The Bible Continues was down another six tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo. It's not looking good for this show. At 10pm, American Odyssey was down three tenths in viewers and even in the demo. Honestly, repeats of almost any current NBC drama (maybe even The Night Shift) would do better than this.

Finally on FOX, everything was new from 7:30-10pm for the first time since mid-March. Bob's Burgers was down two tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo. At 8pm, The Simpsons was up a tenth in viewers and the demo from last week's poor showing. Brooklyn Nine-Nine had been off for the longest and it came back down two tenths in viewers and up a tenth in the demo, fully retaining The Simpsons in the demo. At 9pm, Family Guy was down a tenth in viewers and the demo despite a better lead-in. The Last Man on Earth closed things out down a tenth in viewers and even in the demo. All in all, things could have been worse for FOX.

WINNER OF THE NIGHT: Secrets and Lies (ABC)
LOSER OF THE NIGHT: American Odyssey (NBC)

UPFRONTS 2015: What NBC Should Do

It's hard to believe it but we are already in upfront season! This week, I will be looking at what I think the networks SHOULD do. This is not a prediction (that will come next week). This is a suggestion. I have not seen any pilots so it's based on premise and the talent in front and behind the camera.

NBC had an absolutely disastrous season with its newbies this season and they have no comedies to build a block around. They still have some successful veteran dramas and some promising drama pilots so I'd focus on that. But they can't give up on comedy. They're going to have to keep trying until something sticks. I would just try it in small doses.

Past NBC suggestions: 2014   2013   2012   2011

For a list of NBC pilots, click here

MONDAYS
8:00 The Voice
10:00 ENDGAME
NBC had a rough time with the 10pm slot on Mondays after The Blacklist left the night as both State of Affairs and The Night Shift had trouble. What NBC can't do is wait until November to premiere a new drama because The Voice will be at its strongest in early fall. I suggest Endgame starring Wesley Snipes. It's a high octane thriller with a recognizable name and that worked for The Blacklist. Of course, it didn't work for State of Affairs but that November premiere date hurt it (and it was a terrible show!)

TUESDAYS
8:00 The Voice
9:00 CHICAGO MED
10:00 Chicago Fire
I think this is absolutely what NBC should do with Tuesdays. Chicago Fire has always been a good lead-out from The Voice so I think Chicago Med would be too. It would have a nice flow to the night as Chicago Med would finally give Fire a compatible lead-in. Fire always has to be a stand-alone show and I think this move would strengthen the night. It doesn't work to go from unscripted to comedies to a drama. Keep it more simple.

WEDNESDAYS
8:00 HEROES: REBORN
9:00 Law & Order: SVU
10:00 Chicago PD
I would leave 9-11pm alone. Yes, Law & Order: SVU could go Thursdays at 10pm as some have suggested but it can hold its own in a tough slot that will certainly include Modern Family and will probably include Criminal Minds and maybe Empire. I don't think NBC has anything that could do better than SVU here and Chicago PD works at 10pm though it always seems to be a bit of an underachiever. At 8pm, I would do the Heroes reboot. It already has a built in fan base and should be a self-starter.

THURSDAYS
8:00 UNTITLED NEIL PATRICK HARRIS VARIETY
9:00 TELENOVELA
9:30 STRANGE CALLS
10:00 The Blacklist
The move of The Blacklist to Thursdays was marginally successful. The Blacklist held up OK after an initial big drop but the 8pm and 10pm shows completely bombed. I would move Blacklist to 10pm because it'll be hard to launch a new drama against ABC's powerful TGIT lineup. I think the 8pm slot is an ideal place to try Neil Patrick Harris' new variety show. It could be good counter programming to football on CBS and dramas on ABC and likely FOX. 9pm comedies didn't work here last season but they were pretty bad and had a weak lead-in. Comedies could be more compatible with the NPH variety show. NBC could do some cross promotion on his show as well and a promising title is the latino-themed Telenovela. Strange Calls sounds interesting to me too. I think this block would have the potential to do much better than Bad Judge and A to Z did.

FRIDAYS
8:00 The Mysteries of Laura
9:00 Grimm
10:00 Dateline NBC
NBC has tried over and over again to pair something with Grimm and they've usually tried a new show at 10pm. I don't know if it'll work any better but I think it might be worth trying a drama at 8pm. The Mysteries of Laura hasn't done all that well on Wednesdays but I don't think it'd be a horrible option for Fridays at 8. I'd renew it for 13 episodes and give it a shot.

SATURDAYS
8:00 Encores

SUNDAYS
7:00 Football Night in America
8:30 Sunday Night Football
Of course football remains. The question is what to do with Sunday nights in the spring.

MIDSEASON: BLINDSPOT, COACH, CUCKOO, EMERALD CITY, GAME OF SILENCE, SHADES OF BLUE, SUPERSTORE, The Biggest Loser, Celebrity Apprentice, The Night Shift, The Sing Off, Undateable
NBC has some interesting pilots - I think Blindspot and Game of Silence both sound interesting but NBC has to be careful about dumping them on Sunday as they have with many a failed drama over the past couple years. Coach and Undateable might make a nice pairing somewhere. NBC could maybe try to launch Emerald City in conjunction with their live musical for the year, "The Wiz." Celebrity Apprentice worked pretty well as a bridge between the two editions of The Voice while The Biggest Loser can be a serviceable plug-in. Finally, I would renew The Night Shift but let it go back to summer where it worked better.

CANCELLED/ENDED: A.D. The Bible Continues, A to Z, About a Boy, Allegiance, American Odyssey, Bad Judge, Constantine, Marry Me, One Big Happy, Parenthood, Parks and Recreation, The Slap, State of Affairs
Look at how many of NBC's new shows from this past year are on this list and The Mysteries of Laura could certainly be here too.

RATINGS RECAP: 4/25/15

ABC
8:00 Movie: Toy Story 3
Viewers: 2.8 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7
10:00 Shark Tank (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.0 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8

CBS
8:00 Scorpion (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.6 million, 18-49 demo: 0.5
9:00 Criminal Minds (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.7 million, 18-49 demo: 0.5
10:00 48 Hours
Viewers: 5.0 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8

NBC
8:00 NHL Hockey
Viewers: 2.7 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8

FOX
8:00 NASCAR Racing
Viewers: 0.9 million, 18-49 demo: 0.2

RATINGS RECAP: 4/24/15

ABC
8:00 Shark Tank
Viewers: 7.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8
9:00 Bruce Jenner: The Interview
Viewers: 17.1 million, 18-49 demo: 5.2

CBS
8:00 The Amazing Race
Viewers: 5.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
9:00 Hawaii Five-0
Viewers: 8.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
10:00 Blue Bloods
Viewers: 10.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0

NBC
8:00 Grimm
Viewers: 4.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
9:00 Dateline NBC
Viewers: 4.4 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9

FOX
8:00 Movie: Night at the Museum 2
Viewers: 3.0 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9

I was skeptical heading into the night, but it looks like America really is interested in Bruce Jenner. His sit-down interview with Diane Sawyer on ABC delivered an unbelievable 17.1 million viewers and 5.2 demo. This is ABC's best Friday night showing since 2000 and a huge win for the network. It became a national trending topic and brought more people to TV on a Friday night than we've seen in quite awhile. Earlier in the night, Shark Tank was up 1.4 million viewers and three tenths in the demo as it may have benefited from some pre-tune in to the Jenner interview. Everything else was left in the dust. On CBS, The Amazing Race was up three tenths in viewers and even in the demo. Hawaii Five-0 was down three tenths in viewers and even in the demo. Blue Bloods was down three tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo. The viewer total was the worst since May 2013 while the demo was a series low. Finally on NBC, Grimm was up two tenths in viewers and even in the demo while a new Dateline NBC was even with last week's repeat.

WINNER OF THE NIGHT: Bruce Jenner - The Interview (ABC)
LOSER OF THE NIGHT: Blue Bloods (CBS)

RATINGS RECAP: 4/23/15

ABC
8:00 Grey's Anatomy
Viewers: 9.6 million, 18-49 demo: 2.8
9:00 Scandal
Viewers: 7.8 million, 18-49 demo: 2.3
10:00 American Crime
Viewers: 4.1 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9

CBS
8:00 The Big Bang Theory
Viewers: 14.6 million, 18-49 demo: 3.6
8:30 The Odd Couple
Viewers: 9.4 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0
9:00 Mom
Viewers: 9.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9
9:30 The Big Bang Theory (Repeat)
Viewers: 8.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7
10:00 Elementary
Viewers: 7.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3

NBC
8:00 The Blacklist (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.4 million, 18-49 demo: 0.5
9:00 The Blacklist
Viewers: 7.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
10:00 Dateline NBC
Viewers: 5.7 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9

FOX
8:00 Bones
Viewers: 4.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
9:00 Backstrom
Viewers: 3.0 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8

On Thursday night, ABC's heavily promoted episode of Grey's Anatomy featuring the exit of a main character since the beginning of the show's run helped it soar in the ratings. It was up a stunning two million viewers and seven tenths in the demo. ABC announced they will air a two hour episode next week with a special episode so Scandal will be preempted. Speaking of Scandal, it surprisingly received no help from the much bigger lead-in as it was down a tenth in viewers and the demo. I really would have thought it would have received a boost but it must have been some old time Grey's Anatomy fans coming back to the first hour. At 10pm, American Crime was down three tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo to tie a series low. On NBC, The Blacklist came back from a few weeks off and had a rough night. It was down two tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo. The viewer total ties a series low while the demo is an outright series low. At 10pm, Dateline NBC was up two tenths in viewers and down two tenths in the demo.

After a couple weeks of ascending ratings, The Big Bang Theory took a step back for CBS as did the whole lineup. Big Bang was down two tenths in viewers and three tenths in the demo. At 8:30pm, The Odd Couple was down two tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo. After several strong weeks, Mom had a pretty off night as it was down six tenths in viewers and three tenths in the demo. I'm not sure what happened here but I wouldn't take it as a sign that it can't handle the 9pm timeslot because it's had a couple good weeks. At 10pm, Elementary was up a tenth in viewers but down a tenth in the demo. Finally on FOX, Bones was down two tenths in viewers and even in the demo, tying series lows in both categories. At 9pm, Backstrom was down four tenths in viewers for a series low, and even in the demo for a fourth consecutive week.

WINNER OF THE NIGHT: Grey's Anatomy (ABC)
LOSER OF THE NIGHT: The Blacklist (NBC)

RATINGS RECAP: 4/22/15

ABC
8:00 The Middle
Viewers: 7.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8
8:30 The Goldbergs
Viewers: 7.2 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1
9:00 Modern Family
Viewers: 8.9 million, 18-49 demo: 3.0
9:30 Black-ish
Viewers: 6.6 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1
10:00 Nashville
Viewers: 5.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3

CBS
8:00 Survivor
Viewers: 10.2 million, 18-49 demo: 2.4
9:00 Criminal Minds
Viewers: 10.1 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0
10:00 CSI: Cyber
Viewers: 8.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5

NBC
8:00 The Mysteries of Laura
Viewers: 6.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
9:00 Law & Order: SVU (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.8 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8
10:00 Chicago PD (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.2 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9

FOX
8:00 American Idol
Viewers: 7.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5

On Wednesday night, ABC's comedy lineup was back in full force. At 8pm, The Middle was up three tenths in viewers but down two tenths in the demo. Looks like the guest appearance by the Van Dyke brothers led to an older skew. At 8:30pm, The Goldbergs was up three tenths in viewers and down a tenth in the demo. At 9pm, Modern Family was back after a couple weeks of repeats. It was down half a million viewers but even in the demo. Black-ish followed and was up half a million viewers and two tenths in the demo from its last episode, which followed a Family repeat. Nashville closed out the night up seven tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo. On NBC, only The Mysteries of Laura was new. It was up two tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo from its last new episode three weeks ago.

On CBS, Survivor was back on the upswing. It was up eight tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo. The viewer total is the best since December 2013. This has been a strong spring for Survivor. At 9pm, Criminal Minds was down three tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo despite facing a repeat Law & Order: SVU yet again. At 10pm, CSI: Cyber was up two tenths in viewers and even in the demo for a third straight week. Finally on FOX, American Idol was down a tenth in the demo but up a tenth in the demo. A 1.5 is still pretty horrible but at least it's a little better than the 1.4 demo it has gotten for the last two weeks.

WINNER OF THE NIGHT: Survivor (CBS)
LOSER OF THE NIGHT: American Idol (FOX)

RATINGS RECAP: 4/21/15

ABC
8:00 Fresh Off the Boat
Viewers: 5.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
8:30 Repeat After Me
Viewers: 3.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
9:00 Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Viewers: 4.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6
10:00 Forever
Viewers: 4.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0

CBS
8:00 NCIS (Repeat)
Viewers: 10.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
9:00 NCIS: New Orleans (Repeat)
Viewers: 10.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
10:00 CSI: Cyber
Viewers: 8.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2

NBC
8:00 The Voice
Viewers: 11.3 million, 18-49 demo: 2.6
9:00 Undateable
Viewers: 4.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4
9:30 One Big Happy
Viewers: 3.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
10:00 Chicago Fire
Viewers: 6.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6

FOX
8:00 Hell's Kitchen
Viewers: 3.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
9:00 New Girl (Repeat)
Viewers: 1.4 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6
9:30 Weird Loners
Viewers: 1.2 million, 18-49 demo: 0.5

On Tuesday night, NBC was on top with The Voice up six tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo. A rise, even one so slight, is good for this time of year for this show. At a 2.6, it was a full demo point higher than the next best performance of the night. At 9pm, Undateable was down two tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo despite a better lead-in. One Big Happy was up two tenths in viewers and even in the demo at 9:30pm. Chicago Fire closed out the night down 1.7 million viewers and four tenths in the demo. That sounds like a huge drop but the last episode had The Voice as a lead-in. This was actually a pretty decent performance considering the lead-in. CBS aired a special episode of CSI: Cyber at 10pm. The viewer total was slightly higher than recent Wednesday episodes, but the demo was a series low. It had to follow repeats though so I don't think this was a horrible showing. It probably didn't help or hurt its chances with this.

Over on ABC, the season finale of Fresh Off the Boat was up three tenths in viewers and even in the demo. It ended the season on a good note and I would be shocked if ABC doesn't bring it back next season. At 8:30pm, the season finale of Repeat After Me was up half a million viewers and a tenth in the demo. I could see this being a filler again next year. At 9pm, Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. was up half a million viewers and even in the demo. Forever closed out the night down a tenth in viewers and up a tenth in the demo. Finally on FOX, Hell's Kitchen was up a tenth in viewers and down a tenth in the demo while Weird Loners was down two tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo. It is the second show in three days to hit a dismal 0.5 demo after American Odyssey did on Sunday.

WINNER OF THE NIGHT: The Voice (NBC)
LOSER OF THE NIGHT: Weird Loners (FOX)

RATINGS RECAP: 4/20/15

ABC
8:00 Dancing with the Stars
Viewers: 13.4 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1
10:00 Castle
Viewers: 8.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4

CBS
8:00 2 Broke Girls
Viewers: 7.5 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1
8:30 Mike & Molly
Viewers: 8.1 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0
9:00 Scorpion
Viewers: 10.7 million, 18-49 demo: 2.2
10:00 NCIS: Los Angeles
Viewers: 8.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4

NBC
8:00 The Voice
Viewers: 10.6 million, 18-49 demo: 2.6
10:00 The Night Shift
Viewers: 5.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3

FOX
8:00 Gotham
Viewers: 4.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6
9:00 The Following
Viewers: 3.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2

On Monday night, CBS had a terrific showing from 8-10pm. 2 Broke Girls started things off up four tenths in viewers and three tenths in the demo for its best performance in over a month. At 8:30pm, Mike & Molly was up six tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo. The season finale of Scorpion followed and was up 1.2 million viewers and three tenths in the demo for its best performance since February 9. It has certainly been a successful freshman season for this show and it went out on a good note. The good news for CBS did not extend to 10pm where NCIS: Los Angeles fell six tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo for a series low. It must have been the return of Castle to the hour considering how well the first two hours did. There is clearly some crossover audience here.

Over on ABC, Dancing with the Stars continued its extremely steady season but was down half a million viewers and a tenth in the demo. At 10pm, Castle was up a tenth in viewers and down a tenth in the demo. The 10pm shows seemed to pummel each other with nothing above a 1.4 demo. The Voice continued its annual spring swoon. It was down four tenths in viewers and three tenths in the demo. Of course, despite the recent drop it remains Monday's top demo show. At 10pm, The Night Shift was down a tenth in viewers and even in the demo. The good news is it has stayed relatively steady as its lead-in has dropped. A month ago, it got a 1.3 out of a 3.8 for The Voice. Finally on FOX, Gotham got a slight rally in the demo. It was down a tenth in viewers but up a tenth in the demo. The Following followed suit and did the same thing.

WINNER OF THE NIGHT: Scorpion (CBS)
LOSER OF THE NIGHT: NCIS: Los Angeles (CBS)

WEEKLY RECAP: April 13-19, 2015

Here's my weekly recap for Week #30. Please note this only covers regularly scheduled shows (no sports, specials, repeats, or Saturday shows)

TOP 10 SHOWS (18-49 DEMO)
1. The Big Bang Theory (CBS, Thursday 8:00pm) - 3.9    20th week
2. The Voice (NBC, Monday 8:00pm) - 2.9    21st week
3. The Voice (NBC, Tuesday 8:00pm) - 2.5    20th week
4. Scandal (ABC, Thursday 9:00pm) - 2.4    19th week
5. Dancing with the Stars (ABC, Monday 8:00pm) - 2.2    5th week
    The Goldbergs (ABC, Wednesday 8:30pm) - 2.2    9th week
    Survivor (CBS, Wednesday 8:00pm) - 2.2    12th week
    Mom (CBS, Thursday 9:00pm) - 2.2    15th week
9. Criminal Minds (CBS, Wednesday 9:00pm) - 2.1    6th week
    Grey's Anatomy (ABC, Thursday 8:00pm) - 2.1    9th week
    The Odd Couple (CBS, Thursday 8:30pm) - 2.1    6th week

TOP 10 SHOWS (TOTAL VIEWERS)
1. NCIS (CBS, Tuesday 8:00pm) - 15.8 million    21st week
2. The Big Bang Theory (CBS, Thursday 8:00pm) - 14.8 million    19th week
3. NCIS: New Orleans (CBS, Tuesday 9:00pm) - 14.4 million    20th week
4. Dancing with the Stars (ABC, Monday 8:00pm) - 13.9 million    15th week
5. The Voice (NBC, Monday 8:00pm) - 11.0 million    21st week
6. The Voice (NBC, Tuesday 8:00pm) - 10.7 million    17th week
7. Criminal Minds (CBS, Wednesday 9:00pm) - 10.4 million    13th week
8. 60 Minutes (CBS, Sunday 7:00pm) - 10.0 million    19th week
9. The Odd Couple (CBS, Thursday 8:30pm) - 9.6 million    4th week
    Mom (CBS, Thursday 9:00pm) - 9.6 million    5th week

BOTTOM 10 SHOWS (18-49 DEMO)
1. American Odyssey (NBC, Sunday 10:00pm) - 0.5    2nd week
2. Weird Loners (FOX, Tuesday 9:30pm) - 0.6    3rd week
3. Backstrom (FOX, Thursday 9:00pm) - 0.8    8th week
    Dateline NBC (NBC, Sunday 7:00pm) - 0.8    4th week
5. Cristela (ABC, Friday 8:30pm) - 0.9    16th week
6. Repeat After Me (ABC, Tuesday 8:30pm) - 1.0    4th week
    Bones (FOX, Thursday 8:00pm) - 1.0    1st week
    Grimm (NBC, Friday 9:00pm) - 1.0    7th week
    Revenge (ABC, Sunday 10:00pm) - 1.0    13th week
10. The Following (FOX, Monday 9:00pm) - 1.1    4th week
     One Big Happy (NBC, Tuesday 9:30pm) - 1.1    1st week
     American Crime (ABC, Thursday 10:00pm) - 1.1    2nd week
     Dateline NBC (NBC, Thursday 10:00pm) - 1.1    2nd week
     Last Man Standing (ABC, Friday 8:00pm) - 1.1    6th week
     The Amazing Race (CBS, Friday 8:00pm) - 1.1    10th week

BOTTOM 10 SHOWS (TOTAL VIEWERS)
1. Weird Loners (FOX, Tuesday 9:30pm) - 1.4 million    3rd week
2. Repeat After Me (ABC, Tuesday 8:30pm) - 3.1 million    5th week
    American Odyssey (NBC, Sunday 10:00pm) - 3.1 million    1st week
4. The Simpsons (FOX, Sunday 8:00pm) - 3.2 million    8th week
5. Family Guy (FOX, Sunday 9:00pm) - 3.3 million    7th week
6. Backstrom (FOX, Thursday 9:00pm) - 3.4 million    7th week
    The Last Man on Earth (FOX, Sunday 9:30pm) - 3.4 million    4th week
7. The Following (FOX, Monday 9:00pm) - 3.5 million    6th week
8. One Big Happy (NBC, Tuesday 9:30pm) - 3.6 million    4th week
    Hell's Kitchen (FOX, Tuesday 8:00pm) - 3.6 million    15th week
10. Revenge (ABC, Sunday 10:00pm) - 3.9 million    5th week

WINNERS OF THE NIGHT
Monday - Dancing with the Stars (ABC)    6th week
Tuesday - Fresh Off the Boat (ABC)    2nd week
Wednesday - The Goldbergs (ABC)    3rd week
Thursday - The Big Bang Theory (CBS)    5th week
Friday - NONE
Sunday - Secrets and Lies (ABC)    2nd week

LOSERS OF THE NIGHT
Monday - Gotham (FOX)    1st week
Tuesday - Weird Loners (FOX)    2nd week
Wednesday - American Idol (FOX)    4th week
Thursday - Bones (FOX)    2nd week
Friday - Grimm (NBC)    3rd week
Sunday - A.D. The Bible Continues (NBC)    1st week

TOP 5 EPISODES OF THE WEEK
1. The Goldbergs #42 "La Biblioteca Es Libros"    11th week
2. Gotham #19 "Beasts of Pray"    7th week
3. Cristela #22 "Movin' On Up"    2nd week
4. Criminal Minds #230 "A Place at the Table"    5th week
5. Fresh Off the Boat #12 "Dribbling Tiger, Bounce Pass Dragon"    5th week

RATINGS RECAP: 4/19/15

ABC
7:00 America's Funniest Home Videos
Viewers: 6.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4
8:00 Once Upon a Time
Viewers: 5.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7
9:00 Secrets and Lies
Viewers: 5.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
10:00 Revenge
Viewers: 3.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0

CBS
7:00 60 Minutes
Viewers: 10.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
8:00 Academy of Country Music Awards
Viewers: 16.0 million, 18-49 demo: 3.6

NBC
7:00 Dateline NBC
Viewers: 4.3 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8
8:00 A.D. The Bible Continues (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.0 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6
9:00 A.D. The Bible Continues
Viewers: 6.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
10:00 American Odyssey
Viewers: 3.1 million, 18-49 demo: 0.5

FOX
7:00 The Simpsons (Repeat)
Viewers: 1.9 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7
7:30 Bob's Burgers (Repeat)
Viewers: 1.9 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8
8:00 The Simpsons
Viewers: 3.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4
8:30 Brooklyn Nine-Nine (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.0 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
9:00 Family Guy
Viewers: 3.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7
9:30 The Last Man on Earth
Viewers: 3.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4

On Sunday night, CBS had a strong showing with the Academy of Country Music Awards. The show was up nicely from last year's performance, especially in the total viewer count. Country music continues to be a huge draw despite multiple award shows a year. Earlier in the night on CBS, 60 Minutes was down big from last year's Masters-overrun edition but it didn't do badly considering it didn't have a lead-in of note. On ABC, America's Funniest Home Videos started things off up nine tenths in viewers and three tenths in the demo. The veteran show was stronger than a lot of other Sunday entries and won its time period. At 8pm, Once Upon a Time was down a tenth in viewers and up a tenth in the demo. At 9pm, Secrets and Lies was up two tenths in viewers and the demo. This is the best retention yet and I think this show's chances of coming back are really strong at this point. At 10pm, Revenge was up a tenth in viewers and the demo.

It was a complete disaster for NBC as week three of A.D. The Bible Continues took a nasty third week plunge. It fell another 1.4 million viewers and half a demo point. It has fallen 1.1 demo points in just two weeks. This is certainly not the next Bible for TV. There may have been some crossover audience with the Country Music Awards, but this is still terrible. With this news, NBC has officially struck out on every new show this season. At 10pm, American Odyssey was down another million viewers and three tenths in the demo to a positively horrible 0.5. Finally on FOX, The Simpsons was down four tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo from its last new airing a month ago. Family Guy got its 9pm slot back and was up two tenths in viewers and the demo. The Last Man on Earth benefited from the better lead-in as it was up a tenth in viewers and the demo.

WINNER OF THE NIGHT: Secrets and Lies (ABC)
LOSER OF THE NIGHT: A.D. The Bible Continues (NBC)

RATINGS RECAP: 4/18/15

ABC
8:00 20/20 Saturday
Viewers: 5.1 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
10:00 Castle (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.6 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6

CBS
8:00 CSI (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.6 million, 18-49 demo: 0.4
9:00 NCIS: Los Angeles (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.4 million, 18-49 demo: 0.5
10:00 48 Hours
Viewers: 6.3 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9

NBC
8:00 NHL Hockey
Viewers: 2.4 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9

FOX
8:00 UFC Fight Night
Viewers: 2.4 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9

RATINGS RECAP: 4/17/15

ABC
8:00 Last Man Standing
Viewers: 6.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
8:30 Cristela
Viewers: 4.8 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
9:00 Shark Tank
Viewers: 6.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
10:00 20/20
Viewers: 5.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2

CBS
8:00 The Amazing Race
Viewers: 5.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
10:00 Blue Bloods (Repeat)
Viewers: 5.8 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6

NBC
8:00 Grimm
Viewers: 4.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
9:00 Dateline NBC (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.3 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9

FOX
8:00 Movie: Bad Teacher
Viewers: 2.1 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6

On Friday night, ABC started with the season finales of its comedies. Last Man Standing was down two tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo while Cristela was down three tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo. Last Man will definitely be back but I don't think ABC has room for Cristela to return, though it didn't completely tank on Fridays. At 9pm, Shark Tank was down two tenths in viewers and even in the demo at another surprisingly low 1.5. At 10pm, 20/20 was down three tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo. On CBS, a two hour edition of The Amazing Race was down three tenths in viewers and even in the demo from last week's one hour episode. Finally on NBC, Grimm was down three tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo, tying its series low.

WINNER OF THE NIGHT: NONE
LOSER OF THE NIGHT: Grimm (NBC)

RATINGS RECAP: 4/16/15

ABC
8:00 Grey's Anatomy
Viewers: 7.6 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1
9:00 Scandal
Viewers: 7.9 million, 18-49 demo: 2.4
10:00 American Crime
Viewers: 4.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1

CBS
8:00 The Big Bang Theory
Viewers: 14.8 million, 18-49 demo: 3.9
8:30 The Odd Couple
Viewers: 9.6 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1
9:00 Mom
Viewers: 9.6 million, 18-49 demo: 2.2
9:30 The Big Bang Theory (Repeat)
Viewers: 8.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9
10:00 Elementary
Viewers: 7.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4

NBC
8:00 Law & Order: SVU (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.8 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7
9:00 The Blacklist (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.3 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7
10:00 Dateline NBC
Viewers: 5.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1

FOX
8:00 Bones
Viewers: 4.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
9:00 Backstrom
Viewers: 3.4 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8

ABC must have breathed a sigh of relief as its Thursday lineup showed some positive signs. At 8pm, Grey's Anatomy was up two tenths in viewers and even in the demo from last week's 9pm episode. It was up from its last 8pm airing. The best news came at 9pm where Scandal rebounded some from weeks of decline. It was up six tenths in viewers and three tenths in the demo from its last airing two weeks ago. This is still on the low end for this show but it was definitely a positive sign. At 10pm, American Crime rebounded a bit as well as it was even in viewers but up two tenths in the demo. It was a rough night for FOX as Bones was down a tenth in viewers and the demo for a new series low. It has been a rough spring for this show. At 9pm, Backstrom was up a tenth in viewers and even in the demo for a third straight week.

On CBS, The Big Bang Theory is continuing its ascent from its weird drop two weeks ago. It was even in viewers but up a strong four tenths in the demo, skewing much younger this week. At 8:30pm, The Odd Couple was down a tenth in viewers and even in the demo. Retention was far worse this week. I still think this show will get renewed but it seems to me like it's this year's version of The Millers and it would crash and burn if it was in any other timeslot. At 9pm, Mom was up six tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo. This show is definitely proving it is ready to be an anchor next season and I think it will happen. At 10pm, Elementary was up six tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo. Finally on NBC, only Dateline was new and it was up four tenths in viewers and even in the demo.

WINNER OF THE NIGHT: The Big Bang Theory (CBS)
LOSER OF THE NIGHT: Bones (FOX)

RATINGS RECAP: 4/15/15

ABC
8:00 The Middle
Viewers: 7.5 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0
8:30 The Goldbergs
Viewers: 6.9 million, 18-49 demo: 2.2
9:00 Modern Family (Repeat)
Viewers: 5.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8
9:30 The Goldbergs
Viewers: 5.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9
10:00 Nashville
Viewers: 4.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2

CBS
8:00 Survivor
Viewers: 9.4 million, 18-49 demo: 2.2
9:00 Criminal Minds
Viewers: 10.4 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1
10:00 CSI: Cyber
Viewers: 8.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5

NBC
8:00 The Mysteries of Laura (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.6 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8
9:00 Law & Order: SVU (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.0 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8
10:00 Chicago PD (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.1 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8

FOX
8:00 American Idol
Viewers: 7.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4

On Wednesday night, ABC tried two episodes of The Goldbergs, but first The Middle was up two tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo. In its regular slot, The Goldbergs was up four tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo, tying the night's highest demo. The 9:30pm episode, which followed a repeat of Modern Family, didn't fare as well but it built on its lead-in, just as the 8:30 episode did. At 10pm, Nashville was even in viewers and up a tenth in the demo. On CBS, Survivor came back from last week's odd bounce. It was down four tenths in viewers and three tenths in the demo. Criminal Minds was dead even with last week while CSI: Cyber was down two tenths in viewers and even in the demo. The crime dramas couldn't take advantage of NBC being in repeats. The worst news came at FOX where American Idol was up a million viewers but even with a weak 1.4 demo even with no competition from The Voice. Just for comparison, American Idol was lower than shows like Undateable, Fresh Off the Boat, and CSI: Cyber this week.

WINNER OF THE NIGHT: The Goldbergs (ABC)
LOSER OF THE NIGHT: American Idol (FOX)

RATINGS RECAP: 4/14/15

ABC
8:00 Fresh Off the Boat
Viewers: 4.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
8:30 Repeat After Me
Viewers: 3.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
9:00 Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Viewers: 4.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6
10:00 Jimmy Kimmel Live (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.5 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9

CBS
8:00 NCIS
Viewers: 15.8 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0
9:00 NCIS: New Orleans
Viewers: 14.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8
10:00 Person of Interest
Viewers: 9.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5

NBC
8:00 The Voice
Viewers: 10.7 million, 18-49 demo: 2.5
9:00 Undateable
Viewers: 5.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
9:30 One Big Happy
Viewers: 3.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
10:00 Chicago Fire (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.2 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9

FOX
8:00 Hell's Kitchen
Viewers: 3.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
9:00 New Girl (Repeat)
Viewers: 1.3 million, 18-49 demo: 0.5
9:30 Weird Loners
Viewers: 1.4 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6

On Tuesday night, CBS saw NCIS hit a series low in its 12th season. It was down 1.1 million viewers and a tenth in the demo. It came awfully close to going below a 2.0 demo for the first time ever but it adjusted up in the finals. I wouldn't be surprised to see it slip below that before the season is over. Prior to last week, its series low in the demo was way back in 2004, during its first season. It's still strong but its best days are behind it. NCIS: New Orleans benefited from The Voice not being in the hour despite its lead-in being down. It was up a tenth in viewers and the demo. At 10pm, Person of Interest featuring the return of Taraji P. Henson was up half a million viewers and two tenths in the demo. It should probably have been up more considering the lack of competition. Over on FOX, Hell's Kitchen was up a tenth in viewers and the demo while the bomb that is Weird Loners had to follow a New Girl repeat and was down three tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo.

On ABC, Fresh Off the Boat started things off down a tenth in viewers but up a tenth in the demo for its best performance since March 10. This was a very good thing to happen for its renewal chances. At 8:30pm, Repeat After Me was down two tenths in viewers but up a tenth in the demo. At 9pm, Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. followed the upward trend as it was down two tenths in viewers and up a tenth in the demo for its best performance in a month. Finally on NBC, The Voice continued its spring swoon by dropping four tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo. Better news came at 9pm where Undateable was up a tenth in viewers and the demo. At 9:30pm, One Big Happy was down two tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo. Undateable has a real chance to return but I'd put a fork in it for One Big Happy.

WINNER OF THE NIGHT: Fresh Off the Boat (ABC)
LOSER OF THE NIGHT: Weird Loners (FOX)