QUICK HITS: Midseason Schedule Suggestion for ABC

Here are my thoughts on ABC's midseason schedule!

MONDAYS
8:00 (Jan) The Bachelor/(Mar) Dancing with the Stars
10:00 (Jan) Still Star-Crossed/(Mar) Time After Time
Obviously The Bachelor and Dancing with the Stars should and will continue to occupy 8-10pm. Conviction has been a big bomb and ABC is completely wasting the slot if it stays there when The Bachelor launches in early January. I don't love ABC's midseason offerings but I would give Still Star-Crossed a chance because it could get sampled after The Bachelor. When Dancing with the Stars comes back, I would try Time After Time which is a tough sell but needs to be given a chance.

TUESDAYS
8:00 The Middle
8:30 American Housewife
9:00 Fresh Off the Boat
9:30 Downward Dog/Imaginary Mary
10:00 (Jan) The Toy Box /(Mar) Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
The Tuesday comedy lineup is working for the most part but I am just not sold on The Real O'Neals at all and I think ABC needs to give new shows a chance somewhere even though Downward Dog is high concept and Imaginary Mary looks like a dud. I'd let them share the 9:30pm slot in some way during the spring (and I would give one or both Weds preview premieres). At 10pm, I would let Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. have a break like they did last year and try reality show The Toy Box at 10pm. It will be a tough place to succeed but ABC should not be launching any new dramas in this slot so I think this is an option.

WEDNESDAYS
8:00 The Goldbergs
8:30 Speechless
9:00 Modern Family
9:30 Black-ish
10:00 Designated Survivor
Wednesdays are working well and I would leave them alone. Designated Survivor is a little bit tricky  because I'm sure it wouldn't repeat well but I don't think an extended break would do this show any favors so I would rather seem them air a run of episodes then maybe two weeks of specials followed by another run, etc. This is a show that needs to have several weeks in a row airing together.

THURSDAYS
8:00 Grey's Anatomy
9:00 Scandal
10:00 (Jan) How to Get Away with Murder/(Mar) The Catch
We all know Scandal is coming back in January and it can't come soon enough for ABC following the failed run of Notorious in this slot. It's time to turn this into a Shonda night again and get the gang back together again. When How to Get Away with Murder ends its season, Still Star-Crossed is an option but I would go with The Catch's second season run instead because I think after The Bachelor is a better place to launch Still Star-Crossed but this should stay a Shonda night.

FRIDAYS
8:00 Last Man Standing
8:30 Dr. Ken
9:00 Shark Tank
10:00 20/20
Fridays have been fairly soft for ABC but I would leave it alone because they have made or need to make big changes on many other nights. They can address this night (particularly Dr. Ken) next season.

SUNDAYS
7:00 America's Funniest Home Videos
8:00 Once Upon a Time
9:00 (Jan) Various Programming/(Mar) When We Rise
10:00 (Jan) Quantico/(Mar) American Crime
Sundays have been an epic disaster for ABC. I would burn through the Quantico episodes in January and February because that ship has sailed with the 0.6 demo last night. I guess I'd leave Once Upon a Time alone but the 2017-18 season should be an announced final one for the fantasy drama. I would launch the sweeping new When We Rise and the third season of American Crime on Sundays starting the week after the Oscars to see if ABC can come up with a "prestige" night.

CANCEL: Conviction, The Real O'Neals, Notorious

RATINGS RECAP: 10/28/16

ABC
8:00 It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
Viewers: 4.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
9:00 Shark Tank
Viewers: 4.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
10:00 20/20
Viewers: 3.5 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7

CBS
8:00 MacGyver
Viewers: 7.3 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
9:00 Hawaii Five-0
Viewers: 8.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
10:00 Blue Bloods
Viewers: 8.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1

NBC
8:00 Caught on Camera with Nick Cannon
Viewers: 2.7 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6
9:00 Dateline NBC
Viewers: 4.4 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9

FOX
8:00 MLB World Series Game 3
Viewers: 19.4 million, 18-49 demo: 5.2

CW
8:00 The Vampire Diaries
Viewers: 0.9 million, 18-49 demo: 0.3
9:00 Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Viewers: 0.5 million, 18-49 demo: 0.2

PILOT REVIEW: Pure Genius

PURE GENIUS

Starring: Dermot Mulroney, Augustus Prew, Odette Annable, Reshma Shetty, Aaron Jennings, Ward Horton, Brenda Song

Created by Jason Katims and Sarah Watson
Written by Jason Katims & Sarah Watson, Directed by David Semel

Pure Genius is a new medical from the person who brought tear-jerking character dramas Friday Night Lights and Parenthood. Those two dramas are two of my all-time favorites but I'm also very lukewarm towards medical dramas so I was curious to see how I would feel about this drama. And I ended up feeling very in the middle due to those exact reasons. On the one hand, it was a medical drama and a very techy one at that. But it was layered with strong characters and compelling drama that tugged at the heart strings. So it's exactly as billed: a Jason Katims medical drama.

James Bell (Augustus Prew) is a billionaire who has set up a state-of-the-art hospital called Bunker Hill. With cutting-edge technology, they take cases that other hospitals deem incurable. In the pilot, he convinces a rogue veteran surgeon, Dr. Walter Wallace (Dermot Mulroney) to join his team so he can pair the Silicon Valley approach with traditional medical expertise.

What I liked about this was the character development of Bell and Wallace. They already are more dimensional than most medical drama characters, especially after just one episode. Katims has managed to make two polar opposites who have an interesting working relationship. It is well acted by both Augustus Prew and Dermot Mulroney. Prew plays the eccentric billionaire well and seems like a Mark Zuckerberg type while Mulroney brings gravitas to the role and plays the grizzled veteran doctor role well. The rest of the characters weren't as well developed in the pilot though I trust Katims to bring them along.

What I didn't love was all the tech stuff, which I know is important to the show. But still it made it feel a little too "CBS" in a Katims drama. There was some unnecessary medical jargon for a show that should aim to be more than a traditional medical procedural. Also, this show is not going to work if Prew is always proven right with every wild idea and different patient he brings in. The show already stretches the imagination a bit and if they never ever have a patient die or make a bad decision, then it's not going to work. It's too bad this is a show stuck on CBS and a bad timeslot at that because I think it aims to go higher but unfortunately I don't think it will have the time to be able to do that and even if it did, it's on a network that usually rejects that type of drama.

WILL I WATCH IT AGAIN?
Yes, but I will not get attached after seeing last night's ratings.

PILOT REVIEW: The Great Indoors

THE GREAT INDOORS

Starring: Joel McHale, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Chris Williams, Susannah Fielding, Christine Ko, Shaun Brown, and Stephen Fry

Created by Mike Gibbons
Written by Mike Gibbons, Directed by Andy Ackerman

The Great Indoors is a tired new sitcom that pits Joel McHale against millennials. McHale plays Jack Gordon, who has been all around the world for the Outdoor Limits magazine. When he returns home, he finds out the magazine is moving to an online-only publication and he is put in charge by founder Roland (Stephen Fry) alongside his daughter, Brooke (Susannah Fielding), who has a romantic history with Jack. Jack and Brooke are put in charge of a group of millennials who - surprise! - Jack has nothing in common with.

Everything about this pilot felt tired and it started with the fact that they made over half their cast a single stereotype. Now I'm a millennial myself and I know that there are very few millennials who act the way they do in this show. But that's not the point. There is some truth to every stereotype and there are certainly things about millennials that are ripe for mockery. But this show didn't choose to do that and find clever ways to poke fun at our generation. Instead, they made all the characters nearly identical and resorted to easy punchlines. The millennials on the show weren't fully formed characters, they honestly could have all been one character playing off of Joel McHale.

For his part, McHale felt a little sad in this role. After his edgy run as the host of Talk Soup and then the lead on beloved cult hit Community, McHale has always felt "cool." But since the end of Community, he somehow made the transition from a hip guy to a lame dad. I might have bought this "rugged outdoorsman not in touch with the digital age" character if he was played by a young Craig T. Nelson for example but I didn't buy it at all from McHale. He has felt far too much in touch to play someone completely out of touch and I also didn't really buy him as an outdoorsman on top of that.

With all this negativity, I actually feel like there's a show here if it can actually find an interesting voice. For all the promises with casting and characters, the premise is a decent one and it allows for a broad framing that has the potential to more exploration of characters. Of course, they have to get some distinct characters quickly for this to work. Right now, the team of millennials that populates the cast does not make any sort of impact and the show is going to have to work overtime now to make them individual characters.

WILL I WATCH IT AGAIN?
I'll probably give it another week or two to see if it's heading in a good direction.

RATINGS RECAP: 10/27/16

ABC
8:00 Grey's Anatomy
Viewers: 8.2 million, 18-49 demo: 2.2
9:00 Notorious
Viewers: 3.8 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8
10:00 How to Get Away with Murder
Viewers: 4.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2

CBS
8:00 The Big Bang Theory
Viewers: 14.3 million, 18-49 demo: 3.4
8:30 The Great Indoors
Viewers: 8.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9
9:00 Mom
Viewers: 7.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
9:30 Life in Pieces
Viewers: 6.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4
10:00 Pure Genius
Viewers: 6.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0

NBC
8:00 Superstore
Viewers: 4.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
8:30 The Good Place
Viewers: 3.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
9:00 Chicago Med
Viewers: 7.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
10:00 The Blacklist
Viewers: 5.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2

FOX
8:00 Rosewood
Viewers: 3.4 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8
9:00 Pitch
Viewers: 2.9 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8

CW
8:00 DC's Legends of Tomorrow
Viewers: 1.8 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6
9:00 Supernatural
Viewers: 1.7 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6

On Thursday night, CBS unveiled its new Thursday lineup and the results got progressively worse as the night went on. The Big Bang Theory made a smooth return to Thursday with numbers just slightly below its last Monday airing a week and a half ago. At 8:30pm, The Great Indoors premiered to 8.8 million viewers and a 1.9 demo. This would be an OK showing if it was a regular airing - not good retention out of Big Bang but passable numbers. However, this is pretty weak for a premiere and it does not look too promising with this kind of start. At 9pm, Mom tied a series low with a 1.5 demo while Life in Pieces also tied a series low with a 1.4 at 9:30pm, but didn't have a face plant in the timeslot like some were expecting. It actually appeared to be pretty compatible with Mom. At 10pm, Pure Genius bombed as expected with a 1.0 demo premiere. It will surely go fractional next week but I'd imagine CBS might let it air here for awhile until a better time to air a new drama, perhaps January. Either way, this is clearly not going to go beyond its initial order.

NBC actually did not see its comedy hour impacted by the return of CBS comedies as it was actually up from last week. Despite airing against Big Bang, Superstore surged three tenths in the demo though it was even in the demo. This was a great first week in what everyone thought would be a tougher situation. At 8:30pm, The Good Place was up a tenth in viewers and two tenths in the demo. The good news continued at 9pm where Chicago Med was up four tenths in viewers and a big three tenths in the demo for a season high. It wasn't looking great for Med last week but this was a great performance, topping Chicago PD and just a tenth behind Chicago Fire this week. At 10pm, The Blacklist was up two tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo. On FOX, Rosewood was down a tenth in viewers and even in the demo while incessant promotions for Pitch during the World Series did nothing to help the struggling freshman drama as it was even with its last airing. If there was any week for it to pop, this was it and it didn't, which doesn't bode well.

On ABC, the return of Big Bang to the night did nothing to hurt TV's steadiest show. Grey's Anatomy was even in viewers and up a tenth in the demo. At 9pm, Notorious was down a tenth in viewers and the demo. It had its order cut to 10 episodes earlier in the week but it appears it will get to air the next couple weeks in this prime slot for whatever reason. I don't know why ABC wouldn't air specials or Grey's repeats here until the Shonda shows have their fall finales. They could always burn Notorious off in December. At 10pm, How to Get Away with Murder was down two tenths in viewers and even in the demo. Finally on the CW, DC's Legends of Tomorrow was even in viewers and down a tenth in the demo while Supernatural was up a tenth in viewers and even in the demo.

WINNER OF THE NIGHT: Chicago Med (NBC)
LOSER OF THE NIGHT: Pure Genius (CBS)

RATINGS RECAP: 10/26/16

ABC
8:00 The Goldbergs
Viewers: 6.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8
8:30 Speechless
Viewers: 5.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7
9:00 Modern Family
Viewers: 7.4 million, 18-49 demo: 2.3
9:30 Black-ish
Viewers: 5.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7
10:00 Designated Survivor
Viewers: 6.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2

CBS
8:00 Survivor
Viewers: 8.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9
9:00 Criminal Minds
Viewers: 7.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6
10:00 Code Black
Viewers: 5.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0

NBC
8:00 Blindspot
Viewers: 5.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
9:00 Law & Order: SVU
Viewers: 5.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
10:00 Chicago PD
Viewers: 5.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3

FOX
8:00 MLB World Series Game 2
Viewers: 17.4 million, 18-49 demo: 4.8

CW
8:00 Arrow
Viewers: 1.9 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7
9:00 Frequency
Viewers: 1.0 million, 18-49 demo: 0.3

On Wednesday night, FOX had Game 2 of the World Series. It was down from Game 1 but up big again from last year's Game 2. Once again, there was only minimal damage to the other networks. ABC had a night of Halloween episodes but the World Series and perhaps a week off last week did not give the usual boost Halloween shows get from this lineup. The Goldbergs was down four tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo to start off the night while Speechless, Modern Family, and Black-ish all down a tenth in viewers and the demo. The worst news by far came for Designated Survivor, which tumbled a million viewers and four tenths in the demo. This is a more male skewing show and it's a serialized drama so the double whammy of World Series and a week off really hurt this show. Now it must be off again next week for the CMA Awards.

The CBS and NBC lineups were mostly down slightly but held up OK. On CBS, Survivor was down three tenths in viewers and even in the demo. At 9pm, Criminal Minds was down seven tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo. Code Black closed out the night down three tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo. On NBC, Blindspot was even in viewers and down a tenth in the demo. At 9pm, Law & Order: SVU was even in viewers and up a tenth in the demo. It was the only show on the big four networks that was up from its last airing. Chicago PD was down four tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo, tying a series low. Finally on CW, Arrow was up a tenth in viewers and the demo while Frequency was even with last week.

WINNER OF THE NIGHT: Law & Order: SVU (NBC)
LOSER OF THE NIGHT: Designated Survivor (ABC)

QUICK HITS: Midseason Schedule Suggestion for CW

Here are my midseason thoughts for CW!

The CW has had a rough start to their season aside from a solid start for Supergirl. Their two new shows are flops while previous stalwarts The Flash and Arrow seem weaker. They have a lot of returning shows and one new show on deck for midseason.

MONDAYS
8:00 Supergirl
9:00 iZombie
Supergirl has made a successful transition to The CW and is solidly their second highest rated show next to The Flash. I imagine their beloved Jane the Virgin will stay on Mondays but I think it has proven its ceiling no matter what is in front of it so I would instead bring iZombie to the night and see how it does before launching a new show after Supergirl in the fall.

TUESDAYS
8:00 The Flash
9:00 Riverdale
The Flash is down but still the strongest show on the network and No Tomorrow is absolutely wasting that lead-in. They have just one show on the bench - Archie comics show Riverdale so I think they have to give it a chance behind their biggest show. I don't really think there's another option here, honestly.

WEDNESDAYS
8:00 Arrow
9:00 (Jan) Frequency/(Mar) The 100
Frequency is almost as big a problem as No Tomorrow but not quite as it has done slightly better in terms of ratings and reviews with a lower-rated lead-in. Arrow is down but should of course stay at 8pm. I would extend Frequency to 18 episodes or so and then air The 100 here late in the season.

THURSDAYS
8:00 DC's Legends of Tomorrow
9:00 Supernatural
I would leave Thursdays alone in the spring. DC's Legends of Tomorrow has been solid so far and Supernatural pretty much works anywhere. Nothing to worry about here this season.

FRIDAYS
8:00 (Jan) The Vampire Diaries/(Mar) The Originals
9:00 Jane the Virgin
I know it's critically acclaimed but Crazy Ex-Girlfriend needs to go. I would move Jane the Virgin over to the night and let Crazy go, though I do not think that will happen. The Vampirie Diaries is in a shortened final season and can give way to spin-off The Originals when the first run ends.

SAVE FOR SUMMER/FILLER: Reign

CANCEL: No Tomorrow, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

RATINGS RECAP: 10/25/16

ABC
8:00 The Middle
Viewers: 5.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
8:30 American Housewife
Viewers: 5.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6
9:00 Fresh Off the Boat
Viewers: 4.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
9:30 The Real O'Neals
Viewers: 3.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
10:00 Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Viewers: 2.3 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8

CBS
8:00 NCIS
Viewers: 14.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7
9:00 Bull
Viewers: 11.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
10:00 NCIS: New Orleans
Viewers: 9.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3

NBC
8:00 The Voice
Viewers: 9.4 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1
9:00 This is Us
Viewers: 8.7 million, 18-49 demo: 2.4
10:00 Chicago Fire
Viewers: 6.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6

FOX
8:00 MLB World Series Game 1
Viewers: 19.4 million, 18-49 demo: 5.6

CW
8:00 The Flash
Viewers: 2.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
9:00 No Tomorrow
Viewers: 0.8 million, 18-49 demo: 0.3

Tuesday night had the start of a more intriguing than usual World Series and it delivered its best Game 1 rating since 2009. Surprisingly, it had very little impact on the rest of the networks despite FOX being unbelievably stronger than usual on Tuesdays. That just goes to show how many viewers watch something other then broadcast networks regularly. On ABC, Halloween episodes did not provide a boost to the comedies but maybe it helped them from dropping much against the World Series. At 8pm, The Middle was down three tenths in viewers and even in the demo. American Housewife built on its lead-in. It was down six tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo. It did build on its lead-in for a third straight week. At 9pm, Fresh Off the Boat was down a tenth in viewers and the demo. The Real O'Neals managed to come back up slightly from last week's bad performance, rising three tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo. At 10pm, Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. was even in viewers and up a tenth in the demo.

On CBS, NCIS saw another series low as it fell seven tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo. This actually isn't too bad because I thought it could have dropped more against the World Series. At 9pm, Bull followed suit and was also down seven tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo. At 10pm, NCIS: New Orleans was up a tenth in viewers and the demo. It was actually The Voice that seemed to be hit harder by baseball than NCIS. The Voice was down 1.1 million viewers and a rough four tenths in the demo. This is Us was down too but it built on its lead-in even more impressively. It was down a million viewers and two tenths in the demo. At 10pm, Chicago Fire was down half a million viewers and even in the demo. Once again, it is really an independent performer from its lead-ins. Finally on the CW, The Flash was up a tenth in viewers and even in the demo as it was also not impacted by baseball. No Tomorrow was even with last week.

WINNER OF THE NIGHT: Chicago Fire (NBC)
LOSER OF THE NIGHT: The Voice (NBC)

RATINGS RECAP: 10/24/16

ABC
8:00 Dancing with the Stars
Viewers: 11.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6
10:00 Conviction
Viewers: 4.7 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8

CBS
8:00 Kevin Can Wait
Viewers: 7.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7
8:30 Man with a Plan
Viewers: 7.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6
9:00 2 Broke Girls
Viewers: 5.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4
9:30 The Odd Couple
Viewers: 4.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
10:00 Scorpion
Viewers: 7.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2

NBC
8:00 The Voice
Viewers: 11.2 million, 18-49 demo: 2.7
10:00 Timeless
Viewers: 5.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3

FOX
8:00 Gotham
Viewers: 3.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
9:00 Lucifer
Viewers: 3.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0

CW
8:00 Supergirl
Viewers: 2.7 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8
9:00 Jane the Virgin
Viewers: 1.1 million, 18-49 demo: 0.4

Monday night had the premiere of the new CBS Monday lineup without The Big Bang Theory and the results were mixed. Probably the best news came at 8pm where Kevin Can Wait appeared capable of being a lead-off show. It was understandably down four tenths from last week when it followed Big Bang but it was the strongest performer of the night for CBS and self started for the most part. The new Man with a Plan followed and was down just slightly from its lead-in. It got an OK sampling but didn't exactly make a splash. These two sitcoms may have a rough time next week when they air on Halloween, which tends to be unkind to the 8pm hour. At 9pm, 2 Broke Girls was down a tenth in viewers and the demo, tying a series low. The Odd Couple had a really rough premiere last week but managed not to drop as it was up three tenths in viewers and even in the demo. At 10pm, Scropion fell to a new low, dropping two tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo.

On NBC, The Voice was the clear leader on Monday with Big Bang gone from the night. It was down two tenths in viewers and even in the demo. After a strong week last week, Timeless had a rough one this week as it dropped four tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo despite the lead-in staying steady. A 1.3 demo really doesn't cut it and it dropped to a 1.1 in the 10:30 half hour. This has been one of the more interesting shows to watch the ratings for because it looked like it bought itself some time last week before looking like it will not last beyond its initial order again this week. On the CW, Supergirl inched down again as it was even in viewers and down a tenth in the demo while Jane the Virgin was even with last week. On ABC, Dancing with the Stars was up four tenths in viewers and even in the demo for a third consecutive week. At 10pm, Conviction had its first rise as it was up half a million viewers and a tenth in the demo. Notorious had its order cut today, can Conviction be far behind? Finally on FOX, Gotham was up two tenths in viewers and down a tenth in the demo while Lucifer was even in viewers and down a tenth in the demo.

WINNER OF THE NIGHT: Kevin Can Wait (CBS)
LOSER OF THE NIGHT: Timeless (NBC)

WEEKLY RECAP: October 17-23, 2016

Here is my weekly recap for Week #5. Please note this only covers regularly scheduled shows (no sports, specials, repeats, or Saturday shows). It also does not cover CW in the ratings section to make past year comparisons more accurate.

Previous Week 5s: 2015   2014

TOP 10 SHOWS (18-49 DEMO)
1. The Big Bang Theory (CBS, Monday 8:00pm) - 3.5    5th week
2. 60 Minutes (CBS, Sunday 7:35pm) - 3.0    3rd week
3. The Voice (NBC, Monday 8:00pm) - 2.7    5th week
4. This is Us (NBC, Tuesday 9:00pm) - 2.6    4th week
5. The Voice (NBC, Tuesday 8:00pm) - 2.5    5th week
6. Kevin Can Wait (CBS, Monday 8:30pm) - 2.1    5th week
    Grey's Anatomy (ABC, Thursday 9:00pm) - 2.1    5th week
8. Survivor (CBS, Wednesday 8:00pm) - 1.9    5th week
9. NCIS (CBS, Tuesday 8:00pm) - 1.8    3rd week
10. American Housewife (ABC, Tuesday 8:30pm) - 1.7    1st week
     Lethal Weapon (FOX, Wednesday 8:00pm) - 1.7    1st week
    NCIS: Los Angeles (CBS, Sunday 8:35pm) - 1.7    1st week

TOP 10 SHOWS (TOTAL VIEWERS)
1. 60 Minutes (CBS, Sunday 7:35pm) - 16.0 million    5th week
2. NCIS (CBS, Tuesday 8:00pm) - 14.8 million    5th week
3. The Big Bang Theory (CBS, Monday 8:00pm) - 14.2 million    5th week
4. Bull (CBS, Tuesday 9:00pm) - 12.3 million    4th week
5. The Voice (NBC, Monday 8:00pm) - 11.4 million    5th week
    NCIS: Los Angeles (CBS, Sunday 8:35pm) - 11.4 million    3rd week
7. Dancing with the Stars (ABC, Monday 8:00pm) - 10.6 million    4th week
8. The Voice (NBC, Tuesday 8:00pm) - 10.5 million    4th week
9. Blue Bloods (CBS, Friday 10:00pm) - 10.0 million    4th week
10. This is Us (NBC, Tuesday 9:00pm) - 9.7 million    2nd week

BOTTOM 10 SHOWS (18-49 DEMO)
1. Scream Queens (FOX, Tuesday 9:00pm) - 0.6    4th week
    Caught on Camera with Nick Cannon (NBC, Friday 8:00pm) - 0.6    2nd week
3. Conviction (ABC, Monday 10:00pm) - 0.7    3rd week
    Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (ABC, Tuesday 10:00pm) - 0.7    2nd week
    The Exorcist (FOX, Friday 9:00pm) - 0.7    5th week
    Secrets and Lies (ABC, Sunday 9:00pm) - 0.7    3rd week
    Quantico (ABC, Sunday 10:00pm) - 0.7    4th week
8. Dr. Ken (ABC, Friday 8:30pm) - 0.8    4th week
    Elementary (CBS, Sunday 10:35pm) - 0.8    3rd week
10. The Real O'Neals (ABC, Tuesday 9:30pm) - 0.9    1st week
     Brooklyn Nine-Nine (FOX, Tuesday 8:00pm) - 0.9    3rd week
     New Girl (FOX, Tuesday 8:30pm) - 0.9    3rd week
     Notorious (ABC, Thursday 9:00pm) - 0.9    3rd week
     20/20 (ABC, Friday 10:00pm) - 0.9    5th week
     The Last Man on Earth (FOX, Sunday 9:30pm) - 0.9    3rd week

BOTTOM 10 SHOWS (TOTAL VIEWERS)
1. Scream Queens (FOX, Tuesday 9:00pm) - 1.4 million    4th week
2. New Girl (FOX, Tuesday 8:30pm) - 1.8 million    5th week
3. The Exorcist (FOX, Friday 9:00pm) - 1.9 million    5th week
4. Brooklyn Nine-Nine (FOX, Tuesday 8:00pm) - 2.1 million    5th week
    The Last Man on Earth (FOX, Sunday 9:30pm) - 2.1 million    4th week
6. Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (ABC, Tuesday 10:00pm) - 2.3 million    4th week
    Son of Zorn (FOX, Sunday 8:30pm) - 2.3 million    3rd week
8. Family Guy (FOX, Sunday 9:00pm) - 2.5 million    3rd week
9. Quantico (ABC, Sunday 10:00pm) - 2.8 million    3rd week
10. The Real O'Neals (ABC, Tuesday 9:30pm) - 2.9 million    1st week

WINNERS OF THE NIGHT
Monday - The Big Bang Theory (CBS)    2nd week
Tuesday - American Housewife (ABC)    1st week
Wednesday - None
Thursday - DC's Legends of Tomorrow (CW)    1st week
Friday - Shark Tank (ABC)    2nd week
Sunday - NCIS: Los Angeles (CBS)    2nd week

LOSERS OF THE NIGHT
Monday - The Odd Couple (CBS)    1st week
Tuesday - The Real O'Neals (ABC)    1st week
Wednesday - None
Thursday - Superstore (NBC)    1st week
Friday - Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (CW)    1st week
Sunday - Secrets and Lies (ABC)    2nd week

MY TOP 5 EPISODES OF THE WEEK
1. The Middle #170 "A Tough Pill to Swallow"    2nd week
2. This is Us #4 "The Pool"    4th week
3. Timeless #3 "Atomic City"    1st week
4. American Housewife #2 "The Nap"    1st week
5. Fresh Off the Boat #39 "Breaking Chains"    1st week

RATINGS RECAP: 10/23/16

ABC
7:00 America's Funniest Home Videos (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.4 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8
8:00 Once Upon a Time
Viewers: 3.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
9:00 Secrets and Lies
Viewers: 3.1 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7
10:00 Quantico
Viewers: 2.8 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7

CBS
7:00 NFL Overrun
Viewers: 19.3 million, 18-49 demo: 5.6
7:35 60 Minutes
Viewers: 16.0 million, 18-49 demo: 3.0
8:35 NCIS: Los Angeles
Viewers: 11.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7
9:35 Madam Secretary
Viewers: 9.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
10:35 Elementary
Viewers: 5.4 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8

NBC
7:00 Football Night in America
Viewers: 8.2 million, 18-49 demo: 2.7
8:22 Sunday Night Football
Viewers: 17.7 million, 18-49 demo: 6.0

FOX
7:00 The Simpsons (Repeat)
Viewers: 1.4 million, 18-49 demo: 0.5
7:30 Bob's Burgers
Viewers: 3.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4
8:00 The Simpsons
Viewers: 3.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
8:30 Son of Zorn
Viewers: 2.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
9:00 Family Guy
Viewers: 2.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
9:30 The Last Man on Earth
Viewers: 2.1 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9

Sunday night had the NFL overrun swing back to CBS and of course helping their shows. Starting at 7:35, 60 Minutes swung all the way back up to 16 million viewers and a 3.0 demo. NCIS: Los Angeles followed and was up half a million viewers and three tenths in the demo for its best demo showing since March 9, 2015. This move to Sunday has been good for the veteran drama so far. At 9:35pm, Madam Secretary was down a tenth in viewers and even in the demo as the NFL halo didn't extend that far. Elementary closed out the night up two tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo. FOX didn't have the NFL overrun but it started OK thanks perhaps to regional NFL action boosting Bob's Burgers to a very solid 1.4 demo at 7:30pm. At 8pm, The Simpsons was down big from last week but topped the FOX lineup with a 1.5 demo. But the rest of the night didn't go as well. Son of Zorn proved it's really not a big player and was down 1.5 million viewers and half a demo point. Family Guy and The Last Man on Earth both tied series lows in the 9pm hour. Family was down 1.2 million viewers and four tenths in the demo while Last Man was down six tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo.

It was another really ugly Sunday for ABC where all three dramas tied or hit a series low. At 8pm, Once Upon a Time was down a tenth in viewers and the demo but that was the best performance of the night. It was incredibly ugly from 9-11pm where Secrets and Lies and Quantico both had 0.7 demos. Secrets was down four tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo. Quantico was down two tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo. Secrets will definitely be done after its order and Quantico is looking beyond the point of saving. For those keeping score, these two dramas join Conviction and Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. as ABC dramas with 0.7 demos this week. Finally, the ugly tie between the Seahawks and Cardinals on Sunday Night Football was up big from last week's Colts-Texans game.

WINNER OF THE NIGHT: NCIS: Los Angeles (CBS)
LOSER OF THE NIGHT: Secrets and Lies (ABC)

PILOT REVIEW: Man With A Plan

MAN WITH A PLAN

Starring: Matt LeBlanc, Liza Snyder, Diana Maria Riva, Matt Cook, Jessica Chaffin, Grace Kaufman, Matthew McCann, Hala Finley

Created by Jackie Filgo and Jeff Filgo
Written by Jackie Filgo & Jeff Filgo, Directed by James Burrows

Man with a Plan may not be the worst new network show this year but it certainly is the most unoriginal, even besting its lead-in, Kevin Can Wait. This retro-feeling sitcom brings Matt LeBlanc back to network TV for the first time since the failed Friends spinoff, Joey. In this new (?) sitcom, he plays Adam Burns, a contractor who agrees to stay home with the kids (Grace Kaufman, Matthew McCann, and Hala Finley) while wife Andi (Liza Snyder) goes back to work.

If you can think of a cliche or joke related to that premise, it was probably in the pilot or will be in the series. From dad not understanding his kids in the least to a dad at school (Matt Cook) who's a huge contrast to the main character, they were all things that had been seen before. The pilot was also very predictable. I mean, didn't we all know that Adam would start to figure things out even if we hadn't seen the trailer? Though it did include the creative idea of changing the wi-fi password every day, the arc of the episode was so familiar and expected.

I'm not about to say that all these criticisms are necessarily bad things in and of themselves. There are "comfort food" shows that can do this extremely well. I don't watch it anymore but I would argue that Last Man Standing fits into that category. But Man with a Plan currently has a way to go before it crosses the line from "bad" to "comfortable." For one thing, it just plays into an ever more maddening feeling that multi-cam sitcoms can't be clever or smart like LeBlanc's own Friends was once upon a time. It feels like the network wants to appeal to the lowest common denominator.

Another way for this show to improve to the level of comfortable (because really, I don't see it ever reaching a "great" level) is for Matt LeBlanc to show a little more interest in the show and his role. LeBlanc seemed to be marking his place most of the time even though there were fleeting glimpses as the lovable Joey Tribbiani. When the star doesn't seem to be enjoying himself, how could the audience?

WILL I WATCH IT AGAIN?
Probably at least once but I may wait a couple weeks to see what kind of show it looks like once it's settled in. I'm not too optimistic though.

RATINGS RECAP: 10/21/16

ABC
8:00 Last Man Standing
Viewers: 6.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
8:30 Dr. Ken
Viewers: 4.4 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8
9:00 Shark Tank
Viewers: 5.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
10:00 20/20
Viewers: 4.0 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9

CBS
8:00 MacGyver
Viewers: 8.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
9:00 Hawaii Five-0
Viewers: 9.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
10:00 Blue Bloods
Viewers: 10.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1

NBC
8:00 Caught on Camera with Nick Cannon
Viewers: 3.3 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6
9:00 Dateline NBC
Viewers: 5.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0

FOX
8:00 Hell's Kitchen
Viewers: 3.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
9:00 The Exorcist
Viewers: 1.9 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7

CW
8:00 The Vampire Diaries
Viewers: 1.0 million, 18-49 demo: 0.4
9:00 Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Viewers: 0.5 million, 18-49 demo: 0.2

On Friday night, ABC had Halloween episodes of the sitcoms, but that did not provide a boost in the ratings. Last Man Standing was up seven tenths in viewers and even in the demo while Dr. Ken was up three tenths in viewers but down a tenth in the demo, tying a series low. At 9pm, Shark Tank was up two tenths in viewers even in the demo. At a 1.3, it was the top demo draw of the night. At 10pm, 20/20 was up half a million viewers and a tenth in the demo. On CBS, MacGyver had a solid night as it was up six tenths in viewers and even in the demo. Hawaii Five-0 was up three tenths in viewers and even in the demo while Blue Bloods was down two tenths in viewers and the demo for a season low.

The CW launched its new Friday lineup. At 8pm, the final season of The Vampire Diaries started on par with last season's episodes but Crazy Ex-Girlfriend made a rough transition to Fridays with a series low in total viewers and a tie for series low in the demo. It barely made a dent as expected. On FOX, Hell's Kitchen was even in viewers and up a tenth in the demo. At 9pm, The Exorcist was down a tenth in viewers and even in the demo. Finally on NBC, Caught on Camera with Nick Cannon was up two tenths in viewers and even in the demo while Dateline NBC was up half a million viewers and even in the demo.

WINNER OF THE NIGHT: Shark Tank (ABC)
LOSER OF THE NIGHT: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (CW)

RATINGS RECAP: 10/20/16

ABC
8:00 Grey's Anatomy
Viewers: 8.2 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1
9:00 Notorious
Viewers: 3.9 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
10:00 How to Get Away with Murder
Viewers: 4.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2

CBS
8:00 Thursday Night Kickoff
Viewers: 7.0 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0
8:27 Thursday Night Football
Viewers: 14.2 million, 18-49 demo: 4.5

NBC
8:00 Superstore
Viewers: 4.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
8:30 The Good Place
Viewers: 3.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
9:00 Chicago Med
Viewers: 6.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
10:00 The Blacklist
Viewers: 5.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1

FOX
8:00 The Rocky Horror Show: Let's Do the Time Warp Again
Viewers: 5.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7

CW
8:00 DC's Legends of Tomorrow
Viewers: 1.8 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7
9:00 Supernatural
Viewers: 1.6 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6

On Thursday night, FOX aired its musical, the reboot of The Rocky Horror Show and the results were OK. It was a big improvement on FOX's usual Thursday lineup but not anywhere close to what Grease: Live got on a Sunday in January. This special got a ton of promotion but it could never seem to capture a lot of buzz. It did skew pretty young though. On ABC, Grey's Anatomy was rock solid as usual, up four tenths in viewers and even in the demo. At 9pm, Notorious was even in viewers and up a tenth in the demo. I fear as though Notorious has once again done enough for ABC not to make a move even though they should because of the black hole its being in the middle of an important lineup for them. At 10pm, How to Get Away with Murder was up three tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo from last week's series low.

CBS had their final Thursday Night Football night and it was down slightly from last week. Next week it is on the NFL Network only before NBC takes over the package while the CBS regular lineup premieres next week. On NBC, the comedies seemingly took a hit against Rocky Horror. Superstore was down two tenths in viewers and the demo. This is its lowest showing besides a burnoff in late December last year and now it has to face The Big Bang Theory next week. The Good Place was down four tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo but again even with its lead-in in the demo. At 9pm, Chicago Med continued the series low parade and was down a tenth in viewers and the demo. At 10pm, The Blacklist managed to not drop in the demo as it was down six tenths in viewers but even in the demo. Finally on the CW, DC's Legends of Tomorrow was even in viewers and actually up a tenth in the demo from last week's season premiere while Supernatural was down a rough six tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo, tying a series low in the latter category.

WINNER OF THE NIGHT: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (CW)
LOSER OF THE NIGHT: Superstore (NBC)

QUICK HITS: Midseason Schedule Suggestion for NBC

Here are my thoughts on NBC's midseason schedule!

NBC had a conservative fall with The Voice, football, and just three new shows. One of those new shows is a big hit (This is Us) and they have had no outright flops along with plenty of solid returning dramas. They also have the most shows on the bench. I don't actually expect them to air all of the new shows during the season as I think they will save some for summer, but this is what I would do if I was in charge:

MONDAYS
(Jan-Feb)
8:00 Celebrity Apprentice
10:00 Timeless

(late Feb)
8:00 The Voice
10:00 Midnight, Texas
The new incarnation of Celebrity Apprentice (sans Donald Trump) is slated to be the bridge series for The Voice and I think that's a good choice as there might be interest in new host Arnold Schwarzenegger and possibly renewed interest in the brand. I would extend the Timeless order to maybe 16 or so episodes and let it air with Apprentice and then let The Voice come back with a new show. I'm not totally sold that Taken is that show and it's a limited one anyway. I think Midnight, Texas is a bigger swing but also a show with bigger upside. That's the show I would choose. I would also use The Voice in December and again in the spring to launch some of their shows premiering during on other nights as they did last year.

TUESDAYS
(Jan-late Feb)
8:00 Little Big Shots: Forever Young
9:00 Trial & Error
9:30 Great News
10:00 Chicago Fire

(late Feb)
8:00 The Voice
9:00 This is Us
10:00 Chicago Fire
I have heard the plan is for This is Us to air without The Voice but I'm not sure I agree with that decision. It is their biggest new hit in awhile and I think they should protect it for this year and let it come back with The Voice to finish off its season. I would leave Chicago Fire at 10pm all season as it has proven it can do that just fine. For 8-10pm in January and February, I would go with Little Big Shots: Forever Young in a limited 8pm run and then new comedies at 9pm that could possibly get a December Voice preview like Superstore and Telenovela did last year. I think Trial & Error has some potential and Good News sounds interesting as well. NBC needs to keep throwing comedies out there and seeing what sticks.

WEDNESDAYS
8:00 (Jan) Blindspot/(late Mar) Marlon & The Carmichael Show
9:00 Law & Order: SVU
10:00 Chicago PD
I would mostly leave Wednesdays alone but maybe let Blindspot end its season early and bring two multi-cam comedies that don't really fit anywhere else to the night at the end of the season. It could be a contrast to the single cam comedies on ABC. Marlon is the newbie and The Carmichael Show is low rated but acclaimed and possibly on its final chance.

THURSDAYS
8:00 Superstore
8:30 (Jan) The Good Place/(Feb) Powerless
9:00 Chicago Med
10:00 The Blacklist
I would mostly leave Thursdays alone. They're not great but they are far better than the disasters NBC has had on this night for a couple years. The Good Place has a limited episode order so I would eventually replace it with superhero comedy Powerless, which has always seemed like a good fit with Superstore on paper. I suppose it's conceivable that The Blacklist could end its season a little bit early and make way for The Blacklist: Redemption in April or even May.

FRIDAYS
8:00 Grimm
9:00 Emerald City
10:00 Dateline NBC
This is the plan for NBC for the winter and I'm on board with it. Genre nights seem the way to go and the final season of Grimm and the new Emerald City should do OK. I think it's quite possible Midnight, Texas will arrive on this night at some point though I suggested it for Monday.

SUNDAYS
7:00 Dateline NBC
8:00 Little Big Shots
9:00 Chicago Justice
10:00 Shades of Blue
This is the NBC plan for Sunday and I really like this lineup. Little Big Shots was a hit last year, Chicago Justice has the Chicago franchise to bring in viewers, and Shades of Blue was a steady performer last year. I think this makes a whole lot of sense and I hope they follow through on the plan. The question is when to start this lineup with so many Sunday interruptions in January and February. Will they air specials and delay this lineup until March or air it and preempt it at times?

SAVE FOR SUMMER/FILLER: The Blacklist: Redemption, Taken, World of Dance, The Stream

RATINGS RECAP: 10/19/16

ABC
8:00 It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
Viewers: 7.6 million, 18-49 demo: 2.2
8:30 Toy Story of Terror
Viewers: 6.4 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0
9:00 ABC News: Presidential Debate
N/A
10:36 ABC News: Debate Analysis
Viewers: 8.3 million, 18-49 demo: 2.3

CBS
8:00 Survivor
Viewers: 8.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9
9:00 CBS News: Presidential Debate
N/A
10:36 CBS News: Debate Analysis
Viewers: 7.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8

NBC
8:00 Blindspot
Viewers: 5.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
9:00 NBC News: Presidential Debate
N/A
10:36 NBC News: Debate Analysis
Viewers: 8.3 million, 18-49 demo: 2.5

FOX
8:00 Lethal Weapon
Viewers: 6.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7
9:00 FOX News: Presidential Debate
N/A

CW
8:00 Arrow
Viewers: 1.8 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6
9:00 Frequency
Viewers: 1.0 million, 18-49 demo: 0.3

Wednesday night had the final Presidential debate. Its 71 million viewers was up from the last debate and the third 2012 debate, but down from the record breaking first debate. So it was really just the 8pm hour to look at. ABC had a good hour with two annual Halloween specials that were up from last year's airings. On CBS, Survivor was down half a million viewers and a tenth in the demo. On NBC, Blindspot was down three tenths in viewers but up a tenth in the demo. On FOX, Lethal Weapon was down a tenth in viewers and two tenths in the demo but it didn't have as big a lead-out as it usually does. Finally on the CW, Arrow was down a tenth in viewers ant the demo for a new series low. Frequency was the only show to air in the 9pm hour against the debate but it couldn't capitalize and was down a tenth in viewers and even in the demo at a very weak 0.3.

RATINGS RECAP: 10/18/16

ABC
8:00 The Middle
Viewers: 6.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
8:30 American Housewife
Viewers: 5.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7
9:00 Fresh Off the Boat
Viewers: 4.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
9:30 The Real O'Neals
Viewers: 2.9 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
10:00 Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Viewers: 2.3 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7

CBS
8:00 NCIS
Viewers: 14.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8
9:00 Bull
Viewers: 12.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6
10:00 NCIS: New Orleans
Viewers: 9.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2

NBC
8:00 The Voice
Viewers: 10.5 million, 18-49 demo: 2.5
9:00 This is Us
Viewers: 9.7 million, 18-49 demo: 2.6
10:00 Chicago Fire
Viewers: 7.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6

FOX
8:00 Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Viewers: 2.1 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
8:30 New Girl
Viewers: 1.8 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
9:00 Scream Queens
Viewers: 1.4 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6

CW
8:00 The Flash
Viewers: 2.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
9:00 No Tomorrow
Viewers: 0.8 million, 18-49 demo: 0.3

On Tuesday night, ABC had its second week of its new sitcom lineup and everything came down at least two tenths in a disappointing showing. At 8pm, The Middle was down eight tenths and a rough three tenths in the demo. The viewer total was the lowest since 2010. The Middle had a strong transition to Tuesdays with its premiere but this week proves it'll be a tough task especially against The Voice and NCIS. The best news of the sitcom block came from the new American Housewife, which was down eight tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo, but built on its Middle lead-in by two tenths in the demo. There's definitely some promise and interest here. At 9pm, Fresh Off the Boat was down nine tenths in viewers and three tenths in the demo. The clear weakling is The Real O'Neals, which was down nine tenths in viewers and three tenths in the demo to a weak 0.9 demo. While not setting the world on fire, the other three shows are acceptable. O'Neals is looking like a problem for ABC and should be the first comedy replaced. This lineup has a night of Halloween episodes next season, which could help matters. At 10pm, Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. was down four tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo to a series low. CBS had a very steady night as all three shows were even in the demo. In total viewers, NCIS was even, Bull was down seven tenths, and NCIS: New Orleans was down a tenth.

On NBC, The Voice started things off down four tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo. It was another great week for This is Us, which was down just two tenths in viewers and built on its Voice lead-in for a second week. This is a genuine hit for NBC. At 10pm, Chicago Fire was down a tenth in viewers and two tenths in the demo from last week's season premiere. Finally on FOX, Brooklyn Nine-Nine was even with last week and New Girl was down two tenths in viewers and even in the demo. The viewer total is a series low. Scream Queens explored even more lows, dropping two tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo to a series low. If I was FOX, I would flip this and Hell's Kitchen for the rest of the calendar year. Finally on the CW, The Flash was down a tenth in viewers and the demo to a new series low. This show has been pretty weak so far this season but I'm not sure why. No Tomorrow probably bought itself a little more time by going up a tenth in viewers and the demo even with the lead-in dropping.

WINNER OF THE NIGHT: American Housewife (ABC)
LOSER OF THE NIGHT: The Real O'Neals (ABC)

RATINGS RECAP: 10/17/16

ABC
8:00 Dancing with the Stars
Viewers: 10.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6
10:00 Conviction
Viewers: 4.2 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7

CBS
8:00 The Big Bang Theory
Viewers: 14.2 million, 18-49 demo: 3.5
8:30 Kevin Can Wait
Viewers: 8.5 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1
9:00 2 Broke Girls
Viewers: 5.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
9:30 The Odd Couple
Viewers: 4.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
10:00 Scorpion
Viewers: 7.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3

NBC
8:00 The Voice
Viewers: 11.4 million, 18-49 demo: 2.7
10:00 Timeless
Viewers: 5.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5

FOX
8:00 Gotham
Viewers: 3.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
9:00 Lucifer
Viewers: 3.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1

CW
8:00 Supergirl
Viewers: 2.7 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
9:00 Jane the Virgin
Viewers: 1.1 million, 18-49 demo: 0.4

Monday night had the final week for The Big Bang Theory before it heads back to Thursday and it was down two tenths in viewers and up a tenth in the demo. At 8:30pm, Kevin Can Wait was down two tenths in viewers and even in the demo. It has had a strong run at 8:30pm but now it becomes the 8pm anchor starting next week when it will lead into the new Man with a Plan. At 9pm, 2 Broke Girls was down seven tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo from last week's one hour premiere. The viewer total ties a series low. At 9:30pm, The Odd Couple had its season premiere and was awfully low with a 1.1 demo. We'll see how the 8pm hour goes next week but this is looking like an early weak spot in the CBS comedy lineup. At 10pm, Scorpion was up a tenth in viewers and even in the demo.

On the CW, Supergirl started things off down four tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo for a solid second week on the CW. At 9pm, the season premiere of Jane the Virgin was on par with many results last year when it had a much weaker lead-in. Overall, it looks like the audience is loyal but the ceiling is low for this show. On ABC, Dancing with the Stars was down three tenths in viewers and even in the demo. At 10pm, Conviction was even in viewers but down another tenth in the demo to a horrible 0.7. Is ABC really going to let this air for weeks to come? On NBC, The Voice was even in viewers but down two tenths in the demo. It was followed by a little bit more of an encouraging performance from Timeless, which was down three tenths in viewers and up a tenth in the demo despite the lead-in being down. This was heading south fast but this probably bought it some time (pardon the pun). Finally on FOX, Gotham was down a tenth in viewers and up a tenth in the demo while Lucifer was down a tenth in viewers and even in the demo.

WINNER OF THE NIGHT: The Big Bang Theory (CBS)
LOSER OF THE NIGHT: The Odd Couple (CBS)

WEEKLY RECAP: October 10-16, 2016

Here is my weekly recap for Week #4. Please note this only covers regularly scheduled shows (no sports, specials, repeats, or Saturday shows). It also does not cover CW in the ratings section to make past year comparisons more accurate.

Previous Week 4s: 2015   2014

TOP 10 SHOWS (18-49 DEMO)
1. Empire (FOX, Wednesday 9:00pm) - 3.5    4th week
2. The Big Bang Theory (CBS, Monday 8:00pm) - 3.4    4th week
3. The Simpsons (FOX, Sunday 8:00pm) - 3.0    2nd week
4. The Voice (NBC, Monday 8:00pm) - 2.9    4th week
5. This is Us (NBC, Tuesday 9:00pm) - 2.8    3rd week
6. The Voice (NBC, Tuesday 8:00pm) - 2.6    4th week
7. Modern Family (ABC, Wednesday 9:00pm) - 2.4    4th week
8. Kevin Can Wait (CBS, Monday 8:30pm) - 2.1    4th week
    Grey's Anatomy (ABC, Thursday 8:00pm) - 2.1    4th week
10. Survivor (CBS, Wednesday 8:00pm) - 2.0    4th week

TOP 10 SHOWS (TOTAL VIEWERS)
1. NCIS (CBS, Tuesday 8:00pm) - 14.8 million    4th week
2. The Big Bang Theory (CBS, Monday 8:00pm) - 14.4 million    4th week
3. Bull (CBS, Tuesday 9:00pm) - 13.0 million    3rd week
4. The Voice (NBC, Monday 8:00pm) - 11.4 million    4th week
5. The Voice (NBC, Tuesday 8:00pm) - 10.9 million    3rd week
    NCIS: Los Angeles (CBS, Sunday 8:00pm) - 10.9 million    2nd week
7. Dancing with the Stars (ABC, Monday 8:00pm) - 10.4 million    3rd week
    60 Minutes (CBS, Sunday 7:00pm) - 10.4 million    4th week
9. Blue Bloods (CBS, Friday 10:00pm) - 10.2 million    3rd week
10. This is Us (NBC, Tuesday 9:00pm) - 9.9 million    1st week

BOTTOM 10 SHOWS (18-49 DEMO)
1. Caught on Camera with Nick Cannon (NBC, Friday 8:00pm) - 0.6    1st week (New Season)
2. Scream Queens (FOX, Tuesday 9:00pm) - 0.7    3rd week
    The Exorcist (FOX, Friday 9:00pm) - 0.7    4th week
    Elementary (CBS, Sunday 10:00pm) - 0.7    2nd week
5. Conviction (ABC, Monday 10:00pm) - 0.8    2nd week
    Notorious (ABC, Thursday 9:00pm) - 0.8    2nd week
    Rosewood (FOX, Thursday 8:00pm) - 0.8    4th week
    Pitch (FOX, Thursday 9:00pm) - 0.8    3rd week
    20/20 (ABC, Friday 10:00pm) - 0.8    4th week
    America's Funniest Home Videos (ABC, Sunday 7:00pm) - 0.8    3rd week
    Quantico (ABC, Sunday 10:00pm) - 0.8    3rd week

BOTTOM 10 SHOWS (TOTAL VIEWERS)
1. Scream Queens (FOX, Tuesday 9:00pm) - 1.6 million    3rd week
2. New Girl (FOX, Tuesday 8:30pm) - 2.0 million    4th week
    The Exorcist (FOX, Friday 9:00pm) - 2.0 million    4th week
4. Brooklyn Nine-Nine (FOX, Tuesday 8:00pm) - 2.1 million    4th week
5. Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (ABC, Tuesday 10:00pm) - 2.7 million    3rd week
    The Last Man on Earth (FOX, Sunday 9:30pm) - 2.7 million    3rd week
7. Pitch (FOX, Thursday 9:00pm) - 2.9 million    2nd week
8. Quantico (ABC, Sunday 10:00pm) - 3.0 million    2nd week
9. Caught on Camera with Nick Cannon (NBC, Friday 8:00pm) - 3.1 million    1st week (New Season)
10. Gotham (FOX, Monday 8:00pm) - 3.4 million    3rd week
     Hell's Kitchen (FOX, Friday 8:00pm) - 3.4 million    4th week

WINNERS OF THE NIGHT
Monday - Supergirl (CW)    1st week (New Season)
Tuesday - This is Us (NBC)    2nd week
Wednesday - Lethal Weapon (FOX)    3rd week
Thursday - Supernatural (CW)    1st week (New Season)
Friday - Shark Tank (ABC)    1st week
Sunday - The Simpsons (FOX)    1st week

LOSERS OF THE NIGHT
Monday - Timeless (NBC)    1st week
Tuesday - No Tomorrow (CW)    2nd week
Wednesday - Blindspot (NBC)    1st week
Thursday - Pitch (FOX)    1st week
Friday - Caught on Camera with Nick Cannon (NBC)    1st week (New Season)
Sunday - Quantico (ABC)    1st week

MY TOP 5 EPISODES OF THE WEEK
1. This is Us #3 "Kyle"    3rd week
2. Black-ish #52 "Who's Afraid of the Big Black Man?"    2nd week
3. The Middle #169 "The Core Group"    1st week (New Season)
4. Speechless #4 "I-N-S-INSPIRATION"    3rd week
5. Superstore #16 "Spokesman Scandal"    3rd week

RENEWAL ALERT: The Voice

NBC announced today that The Voice has been renewed for two more cycles, this spring and next fall (both of which were foregone conclusions). They also announced that Gwen Stefani will rejoin the coaches panel with Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, and Alicia Keys while Miley Cyrus will return for next fall. The Voice joins Big Brother and NCIS on CBS and Bob's Burgers and Hell's Kitchen on FOX as official renewals for next season.

RATINGS RECAP: 10/16/16

ABC
7:00 America's Funniest Home Videos
Viewers: 4.5 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8
8:00 Once Upon a Time
Viewers: 3.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
9:00 Secrets and Lies
Viewers: 3.5 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
10:00 Quantico
Viewers: 3.0 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8

CBS
7:00 60 Minutes
Viewers: 10.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
8:00 NCIS: Los Angeles
Viewers: 10.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4
9:00 Madam Secretary
Viewers: 9.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
10:00 Elementary
Viewers: 5.2 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7

NBC
7:00 Football Night in America
Viewers: 8.1 million, 18-49 demo: 2.3
8:22 Sunday Night Football
Viewers: 13.6 million, 18-49 demo: 4.9

FOX
7:00 NFL Overrun
Viewers: 20.1 million, 18-49 demo: 7.0
7:45 The OT
Viewers: 15.4 million, 18-49 demo: 5.5
8:00 The Simpsons
Viewers: 7.4 million, 18-49 demo: 3.0
8:30 Son of Zorn
Viewers: 3.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
9:00 Family Guy
Viewers: 3.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6
9:30 The Last Man on Earth
Viewers: 2.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1

On Sunday night, NBC aired a Colts-Texans game that was its lowest rated in years. With an unappealing matchup and competition from baseball playoffs, it was a very down week. It hasn't been talked about too much but football ratings are consistently down this season no matter the network or game. However, FOX did have big ratings for their late afternoon Packers-Cowboys game, which went 45 minutes into primetime. It led into the 600th episode of The Simpsons and its annual "Treehouse of Horror" episode. All those factors allowed it to surge 4.2 million viewers and 1.5 demo points. At 8:30pm, Son of Zorn was not really impacted much despite the huge lead-in and was up two tenths in viewers but actually down a tenth in the demo. This was a very weak performance and bad sign as this is probably as big as its lead-in will ever be. At 9pm, Family Guy was also up two tenths in viewers and down a tenth in the demo. The Last Man on Earth was up two tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo at 9:30pm.

CBS didn't have the NFL lead-in but still had solid total viewer numbers for three of their four shows. 60 Minutes was down big from last week's NFL fueled edition but just a bit down from the last non-NFL Sunday. The rest of the shows didn't air last week so their trends are pretty comparable. At 8pm, NCIS: Los Angeles was down half a million viewers and a tenth in the demo. At 9pm, Madam Secretary was down a tenth in viewers and even in the demo. Elementary ended the night down eight tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo, tying a series low. Finally, it was another very low night for ABC. At 7pm, America's Funniest Home Videos was down three tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo. Once Upon a Time remained the best in the lineup but it was down six tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo. At 9pm, Secrets and Lies was down two tenths in viewers and even in the demo. Quantico posted a real stinker, dropping six tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo to a series low and a very weak 0.8 demo. ABC needs to blow up this night and start over. Aside from Videos, none of these shows should really stay on the night next season. I would announce this as the final season for Once, cancel Secrets and Lies, and move Quantico to Monday at 10pm or Thursday at 9pm for one last ditch effort to recapture some of the early magic it had.

WINNER OF THE NIGHT: The Simpsons (FOX)
LOSER OF THE NIGHT: Quantico (ABC)

QUICK HITS: Midseason Schedule Suggestion for FOX

As I did last year, I will be giving some midseason scheduling ideas over the next several days. Here are my thoughts on FOX, which has had a tough fall outside of Wednesdays and (sometimes) Sundays. They have a lot on the bench though. Given what they have, this is what I would do.

MONDAYS
(Jan & Apr-May)
8:00 Gotham
9:00 Lucifer

(Feb & Mar)
8:00 24: Legacy
9:00 A.P.B.
This is the FOX plan and I agree with it. 24: Legacy is getting the big post-Super Bowl slot and will make its timeslot premiere the next night, leading into the new A.P.B. I'm not totally sold on A.P.B., but 24: Legacy will certainly get some eyeballs and this gives it a chance to succeed. I would wrap the new shows with the current OK but not great pairing of Gotham and Lucifer in January and again in April.

TUESDAYS
(Jan)
8:00 Brooklyn Nine-Nine
8:30 New Girl
9:00 Scream Queens

(Feb)
8:00 Kicking & Screaming/Beat Shazam
9:00 The Mick
9:30 New Girl
FOX can let its low-rated lineup air through January to get through the Scream Queens episodes, but I would change gears the same week as Monday (and after the Super Bowl). Then I would try the unscripted Kicking & Screaming leading into new comedy The Mick and a time change for New Girl. If Kicking doesn't have enough episodes, they could air another unscripted offering, Beat Shazam at the end of the season.

WEDNESDAYS
(Jan)
8:00 Prison Break
9:00 Star

(late Mar)
8:00 Lethal Weapon
9:00 Empire
I don't know what I think about Star being the bridge for Empire and the fact that FOX only ordered 18 episodes of solid procedural Lethal Weapon, but that is what they did so I would keep Empire and Lethal Weapon together. In their place starting the first week of January, I would air the Prison Break revival leading into Star. Maybe it can surprise like Empire did in early 2015.

THURSDAYS
8:00 Masterchef Junior
9:00 (Jan) Pitch/(Mar) Shots Fired
FOX is wasting Masterchef Junior if they air it on Friday. It's time to get it back on a weekday. I would air it Thursday at 8pm and lead into a prestige hour. I would extend Pitch's order to maybe 16 episodes and make a decision at the end of the season. I would replace it with the ensemble drama Shots Fired in May. If Masterchef Junior ends early, the next installment of Hell's Kitchen could start.

FRIDAYS
8:00 Bones
9:00 Sleepy Hollow
With Bones saying goodbye, I don't think it's worth airing on a bigger night. Let it air out its run on Friday and pair it with a show it has been paired with at various times, Sleepy Hollow. This will be low but will keep the lights on on Fridays.

SUNDAYS
7:00 Animated Encores
7:30 Bob's Burgers
8:00 The Simpsons
8:30 Making History
9:00 Family Guy
9:30 (Jan) The Last Man on Earth/(Mar) Brooklyn Nine-Nine
I would end the Son of Zorn run in time to let Making History premiere to coincide with the football playoffs. If for some reason, they didn't get through Zorn, it can come back at the end of the season. I would eventually replace The Last Man on Earth with Brooklyn Nine-Nine returning to the night.

CANCEL: The Exorcist
Let it air its original run (or trim it slightly) then say goodbye.

HIATUS: Rosewood

SAVE FOR SUMMER/FILLER: American Grit, The F Word