RATINGS RECAP: 5/29/17

ABC
8:00 The Bachelorette
Viewers: 5.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
10:00 Still Star-Crossed
Viewers: 2.3 million, 18-49 demo: 0.5

CBS
8:00 Kevin Can Wait (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.7 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6
8:30 Man with a Plan (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.6 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6
9:00 Superior Donuts (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.4 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6
9:30 2 Broke Girls (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.8 million, 18-49 demo: 0.5
10:00 Scorpion (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.5 million, 18-49 demo: 0.5

NBC
8:00 Stanley Cup Finals Game 1
Viewers: 4.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7

FOX
8:00 Gotham
Viewers: 3.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
9:00 Lucifer
Viewers: 3.3 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9

CW
8:00 Supergirl (Repeat)
Viewers: 1.0 million, 18-49 demo: 0.2
9:00 Whose Line is it Anyway?
Viewers: 0.9 million, 18-49 demo: 0.2
9:30 Whose Line is it Anyway? (Repeat)
Viewers: 0.9 million, 18-49 demo: 0.3

On a quiet Memorial Day, it was The Bachelorette on top. It was even in viewers and down three tenths in the demo, which is pretty typical for its second week Memorial Day drop. It should rebound next week. The problem for ABC came at 10pm where Shondaland's critically panned Still Star-Crossed was DOA with a 0.5 demo. Will they really leave it here? My guess is yes since Quantico stayed all spring in this same slot. On FOX, Gotham was up a tenth in viewers and even in the demo while the season finale of Lucifer was up three tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo. On the CW, the season premiere of Whose Line is it Anyway? was ignored.

RATINGS RECAP: 5/28/17

ABC
7:00 America's Funniest Home Videos (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.3 million, 18-49 demo: 0.5
8:00 America's Funniest Home Videos (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.9 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8
9:00 The Bachelorette (Repeat)
Viewers: 1.5 million, 18-49 demo: 0.3

CBS
7:00 60 Minutes
Viewers: 6.8 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6
8:00 NCIS: Los Angeles (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.2 million, 18-49 demo: 0.4
9:00 Madam Secretary (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.8 million, 18-49 demo: 0.3
10:00 Elementary (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.5 million, 18-49 demo: 0.3

NBC
7:00 Dateline NBC
Viewers: 2.7 million, 18-49 demo: 0.4
8:00 Celebrity Ninja Warrior
Viewers: 1.9 million, 18-49 demo: 0.4
9:00 American Ninja Warrior All-Stars
Viewers: 3.3 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9

FOX
7:00 NASCAR Racing
Viewers: 3.6 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7

RATINGS RECAP: 5/26/17

ABC
8:00 Shark Tank (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.2 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7
9:00 Shark Tank (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.2 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7
10:00 20/20
Viewers: 3.1 million, 18-49 demo: 0.5

CBS
8:00 MacGyver (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.5 million, 18-49 demo: 0.5
9:00 Hawaii Five-0 (Repeat)
Viewers: 5.0 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6
10:00 Blue Bloods (Repeat)
Viewers: 5.7 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6

NBC
8:00 First Dates
Viewers: 3.5 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7
9:00 Dateline NBC
Viewers: 4.4 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8

FOX
8:00 Beat Shazam (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.1 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6
9:00 Love Connection (Repeat)
Viewers: 1.8 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6

CW
8:00 Penn & Teller: Fool Us (Repeat)
Viewers: 0.9 million, 18-49 demo: 0.2
9:00 Penn & Teller: Fool Us (Repeat)
Viewers: 1.0 million, 18-49 demo: 0.3

RATINGS RECAP: 5/25/17

ABC
8:00 The Goldbergs (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.6 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6
8:30 American Housewife (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.2 million, 18-49 demo: 0.5
9:00 Modern Family (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.5 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6
9:30 Modern Family (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.7 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7
10:00 Black-ish (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.4 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6
10:30 Speechless (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.0 million, 18-49 demo: 0.5

CBS
8:00 The Big Bang Theory (Repeat)
Viewers: 6.4 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
8:30 Superior Donuts (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.4 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6
9:00 Mom (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.9 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6
9:30 Life in Pieces (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.4 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6
10:00 The Amazing Race
Viewers: 3.6 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6

NBC
8:00 Celebrity Ninja Warrior
Viewers: 4.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
9:00 Running Wild with Bear Grylls
Viewers: 4.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
10:00 Red Nose Day
Viewers: 2.7 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7

FOX
8:00 Beat Shazam
Viewers: 3.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
9:00 Love Connection
Viewers: 3.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1

CW
8:00 Supernatural (Repeat)
Viewers: 0.8 million, 18-49 demo: 0.2
9:00 Supernatural (Repeat)
Viewers: 0.7 million, 18-49 demo: 0.2

The TV Summer season kicked off Thursday night with a quiet evening and FOX having the best night (!) The network premiered Beat Shazam and Love Connection to a decent 1.2 and 1.1 demo respectively. Just for comparison sake, the last time FOX did this well at Thursday 8pm was February 23 while the last time they got a 1.1 demo at 9pm Thursday was January 5. NBC had a trio of Red Nose Day themed events and did decently with Celebrity Ninja Warrior and Running Wild with Bear Grylls, but the Red Nose Day special itself was mostly ignored at 10pm. ABC and CBS only aired comedies except for 10pm on CBS, which had The Amazing Race. It was down three tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo to a new series low.

RATINGS RECAP: 5/24/17

ABC
8:00 Movie: Dirty Dancing
Viewers: 6.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4

CBS
8:00 Survivor
Viewers: 8.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9
10:14 Survivor Reunion Show
Viewers: 5.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3

NBC
8:00 Law & Order: SVU (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.0 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7
9:00 Law & Order: SVU
Viewers: 5.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
10:00 Law & Order: SVU
Viewers: 6.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4

FOX
8:00 Shots Fired
Viewers: 3.4 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
9:00 Empire
Viewers: 6.9 million, 18-49 demo: 2.5

CW
8:00 Arrow
Viewers: 1.7 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6
9:00 The 100
Viewers: 0.9 million, 18-49 demo: 0.3

Wednesday night was the final night of the 2016-17 season and the networks headed into the summer with a mostly positive night. FOX started things off with the season finale of Shots Fired up half a million viewers and a tenth in the demo while Empire had a strong end to its season, rising eight tenths in viewers and three tenths in the demo for its best result since the midseason premiere on March 22. CBS had the finale of the latest edition of Survivor. It was on par with the fall finale after a very steady season. On ABC, the critically panned update of Dirty Dancing actually did decently. Considering the fact that megabomb potential seemed to be there, this was a good showing. NBC had two episodes of Law & Order: SVU. The 9pm episode did the best numbers for the veteran drama since February and the 10pm episode was up a tenth in the demo from that. Finally on the CW, the season finale of Arrow was up three tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo in its final new Wednesday airing. The season finale of The 100 was up a tenth in viewers and even in the demo.

RATINGS RECAP: 5/23/17

ABC
8:00 Downward Dog
Viewers: 5.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
8:30 Dancing with the Stars
Viewers: 8.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4

CBS
8:00 NCIS (Repeat)
Viewers: 8.3 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
9:00 Bull
Viewers: 8.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
10:00 48 Hours: NCIS
Viewers: 4.6 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6

NBC
8:00 Great News
Viewers: 3.1 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7
8:30 Great News
Viewers: 3.1 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8
9:00 The Voice
Viewers: 9.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9

FOX
8:00 Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Viewers: 1.8 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7
8:30 Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Viewers: 1.5 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6
9:00 Prison Break
Viewers: 1.9 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7

CW
8:00 The Flash
Viewers: 3.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
9:00 iZombie
Viewers: 1.0 million, 18-49 demo: 0.3

Tuesday night had the finales of the big franchises on ABC and NBC. On NBC, The Voice was up seven tenths in viewers and four tenths in the demo. It was a nice surge from last week but still a new low for a finale. Earlier in the night, Great News was up a bit from last week's 9pm episodes. We'll see how it does on Thursdays. ABC had a decent start for the Tuesday run of Downward Dog, which was down just a tenth in the demo from its Wednesday preview last week. It was also just two tenths below The Middle last week. This would be a decent summer run if it stays at this level. But then, the two and a half hour finale of Dancing with the Stars crashed to a new series low for the show. This was definitely a bloated finale and ABC and NBC need to find a way to not have these two competition finales air on the same night. On CBS, the season finale of Bull had to follow an NCIS repeat and it was down 1.5 million viewers and two tenths in the demo. The viewer total was a series low while the demo tied one. On FOX, the season finale of Brooklyn Nine-Nine was on par with last week while the finale (for now) of Prison Break was down half a million viewers and two tenths in the demo to a new series low. Finally on the CW, the season finale of The Flash was up a nice half a million viewers and two tenths in the demo while iZombie was up a tenth in viewers and even in the demo.

SEASON IN REVIEW: 2016-17 Miscellaneous Awards

BEST RETURNING COMEDY
Superstore (NBC) - I love many ABC family sitcoms, they are my favorite genre on any network. But the best comedy of the year wasn't one of them, it was NBC's quirky but hysterical workplace comedy Superstore. I don't feel like it's exaggerating to say that Superstore is the true heir to The Office with a group of misfit but lovable employees and a dense, but well-meaning boss. It had many great episodes and wasn't afraid to occasionally mix in some heart. It had a great sophomore season.

RUNNER-UP: The Middle (ABC)

BEST RETURNING DRAMA
Chicago Med (NBC) - I have said for years that Chicago Fire is underrated when it comes to critical acclaim and I stand by that statement, but now I would say the entire Chicago franchise (except for the underwhelming Chicago Justice) maybe fits into that statement after the very strong second season of Chicago Med. My history with medical dramas is that I almost always like them at first but lose interest quickly. So the fact that I'm still very invested in Chicago Med is telling. It has great characters and intense stories that keep me engaged. A particular standout all season and especially end was Oliver Platt.

RUNNER-UP: Chicago Fire (NBC)

THE "REVENGE" AWARD (BIGGEST SEASON TWO DISAPPOINTMENT)
The Catch (ABC) - The Catch has been an odd show for me. I watched the premiere and was underwhelmed and didn't stick with it. Then I binged the first season later on and ended up really liking it. So I was cautiously optimistic about the second season, but it ended up being a big disappointment and I gave up on it after two episodes. I think the retooling into a rom-com did not work for this show and it really just couldn't ever quite figure it all out as far as what it wanted to be. It was a promising idea but ultimately a misfire from Shondaland.

THE "I'M ALMOST DONE WITH YOU" AWARD
Modern Family (ABC) - So I understand why it happened, but I was pretty disappointed to hear that Modern Family had been renewed for two more seasons. Why you ask? Well, because I have felt like its been a chore watching this show recently but because I loved it so much at one point, I feel the urge to see it through. But it has gone from being a brilliant comedy to an inconsistent one to a flat out shell of what it was. It reminds me of the end of The Office. I don't think I laughed once at the show the whole season, the characters have all become caricatures of themselves. And unlike The Office, there was no cast upheaval. It just isn't as good anymore. One more season I may have seen it through, but two? I think I might just choose to be done and check back in for the series finale whenever that is. Last year, How to Get Away with Murder "won" this award and I did in fact give it up, so we'll see what happens.

THE "BIGGEST TEASE" AWARD
Speechless (ABC) - I was a big fan of Speechless early on. I thought the pilot was brilliant and I enjoyed the early episodes. But about halfway through the season, I found that I was barely paying attention when I was watching it and ultimately, I gave it up and pulled it from my regular viewing rotation. I don't know what happened because I love the premise, but I think I just find the family pretty unlikable and I do not enjoy Minnie Driver in the mother role. I did watch the season finale and decided that maybe I'll give it one more chance next season, but for now it was a tease that didn't blossom into a great show.



RANKING OF THE DICK WOLF SHOWS (THIS SEASON)
1. Chicago Med
2. Chicago Fire
3. Law & Order: SVU
4. Chicago PD
5. Chicago Justice

RANKING OF THE CURRENT DICK WOLF SHOWS (ALL TIME)
1. Chicago Fire
2. Law & Order: SVU
3. Chicago Med
4. Chicago PD
5. Chicago Justice

RANKING OF THE TUES/WEDS ABC FAMILY SITCOMS (THIS SEASON)
1. The Middle
2. Fresh Off the Boat
3. The Goldbergs
4. American Housewife
5. Black-ish
6. Imaginary Mary
7. Speechless
8. Modern Family
9. The Real O'Neals

RANKING OF THE CURRENT TUES/WEDS ABC FAMILY SITCOMS (ALL TIME)
1. The Middle
2. The Goldbergs
3. Modern Family
4. Fresh Off the Boat
5. Black-ish
6. American Housewife
7. Imaginary Mary
8. Speechless
9. The Real O'Neals

SHOWS THAT DID NOT HIT A SERIES LOW IN THE DEMO IN THE 2016-17 SEASON
The Bachelor
Bob's Burgers
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (tied low)
Dancing with the Stars (tied low)
Fresh Off the Boat
The Goldbergs (tied low)
The Great Christmas Light Fight
Hell's Kitchen
New Girl (tied low)
Superstore (tied low)
Undercover Boss (tied low)

SHOWS THAT DID NOT HIT A SERIES LOW IN VIEWERS IN THE 2016-17 SEASON
The Bachelor
The Big Bang Theory
Bob's Burgers (tied low)
Chicago Fire
Chicago PD
Dancing with the Stars
The Goldbergs
The Great Christmas Light Fight
Grey's Anatomy
Hawaii Five-0
Hell's Kitchen
NCIS
NCIS: Los Angeles
The Originals (tied low)
Shark Tank
Superstore
Undercover Boss
The Voice

MOST PROMISING TRAILERS FOR 2016-17 (BY NETWORK)
ABC: The Good Doctor
CBS: SEAL Team
NBC: Rise
FOX: Ghosted
CW: Life Sentence

RATINGS RECAP: 5/22/17

ABC
8:00 Dancing with the Stars
Viewers: 10.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8
9:00 The Bachelorette
Viewers: 5.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8

CBS
8:00 Princess Diana: Her Life, Her Death, The Truth
Viewers: 6.2 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8
10:00 The Late Late Show Carpool Karaoke Primetime Special
Viewers: 4.2 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7

NBC
8:00 The Voice
Viewers: 9.7 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0
10:00 Running Wild with Bear Grylls
Viewers: 3.6 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9

FOX
8:00 Gotham
Viewers: 2.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
9:00 Lucifer
Viewers: 3.0 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8

CW
8:00 Supergirl
Viewers: 2.1 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6
9:00 Jane the Virgin
Viewers: 1.0 million, 18-49 demo: 0.3

Monday night had some glimpses of summer programming as others were ending their season. On ABC, a one hour performance finale of Dancing with the Stars was up a nice four tenths in viewers and three tenths in the demo. It was followed by the season premiere of annual summer hit The Bachelorette, which was down a bit from last year's premiere but a still solid 1.8 demo. The Voice had a small rally of its own on NBC as its performance finale was up six tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo. CBS skewed old with a Princess Diana special while a James Corden special at 10pm didn't get much traction. 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. Finally on the CW, the season finale of Supergirl was up two tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo while Jane the Virgin was up two tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo.

WEEKLY RECAP: May 15-21, 2017

Here is my weekly recap for Week #35. 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.

Past Week 35s:   2016

TOP 10 SHOWS (18-49 DEMO)
1. Empire (FOX, Wednesday 9:00pm) - 2.2    17th week
2. Grey's Anatomy (ABC, Thursday 8:00pm) - 2.0    24th week
3. The Voice (NBC, Monday 8:00pm) - 1.8    25th week
4. Modern Family (ABC, Wednesday 9:00pm) - 1.7    22nd week
    Survivor (CBS, Wednesday 8:00pm) - 1.7    23rd week
6. Dancing with the Stars (ABC, Monday 8:00pm) - 1.5    10th week
    NCIS (CBS, Tuesday 8:00pm) - 1.5    18th week
    The Voice (NBC, Tuesday 8:00pm) - 1.5    24th week
9. The Goldbergs (ABC, Wednesday 8:00pm) - 1.4    17th week
10. Bull (CBS, Tuesday 9:00pm) - 1.3    4th week
    Chicago Fire (NBC, Tuesday 10:00pm) - 1.3    9th week
    Chicago PD (NBC, Wednesday 10:00pm) - 1.3    2nd week

TOP 10 SHOWS (TOTAL VIEWERS)
1. NCIS (CBS, Tuesday 8:00pm) - 13.3 million    24th week
2. Bull (CBS, Tuesday 9:00pm) - 11.0 million    22nd week
3. Dancing with the Stars (ABC, Monday 8:00pm) - 10.1 million    18th week
4. NCIS: New Orleans (CBS, Tuesday 10:00pm) - 9.2 million    18th week
5. The Voice (NBC, Monday 8:00pm) - 9.1 million    25th week
6. The Voice (NBC, Tuesday 8:00pm) - 8.7 million    22nd week
7. Survivor (CBS, Wednesday 8:00pm) - 8.3 million    11th week
    60 Minutes (CBS, Sunday 7:00pm) - 8.3 million    29th week
9. Scorpion (CBS, Monday 10:00pm) - 7.9 million    2nd week
    Grey's Anatomy (ABC, Thursday 8:00pm) - 7.9 million    8th week

BOTTOM 10 SHOWS (18-49 DEMO)
1. Elementary (CBS, Sunday 10:00pm) - 0.5    22nd week
2. Quantico (ABC, Monday 10:00pm) - 0.6    22nd week
    Great News (NBC, Tuesday 9:30pm) - 0.6    3rd week
    Brooklyn Nine-Nine (FOX, Tuesday 8:30pm) - 0.6    Special Airing
    The Toy Box (ABC, Friday 8:00pm) - 0.6    5th week
    20/20 (ABC, Friday 10:00pm) - 0.6    13th week
    Making History (FOX, Sunday 8:30pm) - 0.6    8th week
8. Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (ABC, Tuesday 10:00pm) - 0.7    17th week
    Great News (NBC, Tuesday 9:00pm) - 0.7    1st week
    Brooklyn Nine-Nine (FOX, Tuesday 8:00pm) - 0.7    10th week
    Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders (CBS, Wednesday 9:00pm) - 0.7    Special Airing
    Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders (CBS, Wednesday 10:00pm) - 0.7    2nd week
    First Dates (NBC, Friday 8:00pm) - 0.7    4th week
    Madam Secretary (CBS, Sunday 9:00pm) - 0.7    10th week
    Shades of Blue (NBC, Sunday 9:00pm) - 0.7    Special Airing
    Shades of Blue (NBC, Sunday 10:00pm) - 0.7    4th week

BOTTOM 10 SHOWS (TOTAL VIEWERS)
1. Making History (FOX, Sunday 8:30pm) - 1.3 million    9th week
2. Brooklyn Nine-Nine (FOX, Tuesday 8:30pm) - 1.4 million    Special Airing
3. Bob's Burgers (FOX, Sunday 7:30pm) - 1.6 million    16th week
4. Brooklyn Nine-Nine (FOX, Tuesday 8:00pm) - 1.7 million    16th week
5. Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (ABC, Tuesday 10:00pm) - 2.1 million    22nd week
    Family Guy (FOX, Sunday 9:00pm) - 2.1 million    14th week
7. The Simpsons (FOX, Sunday 8:00pm) - 2.2 million    11th week
8. Prison Break (FOX, Tuesday 9:00pm) - 2.4 million    4th week
9. Great News (NBC, Tuesday 9:30pm) - 2.6 million    3rd week
10. Quantico (ABC, Monday 10:00pm) - 2.7 million    13th week

WINNERS OF THE NIGHT
Monday - Man with a Plan (CBS)    2nd week
Tuesday - Chicago Fire (NBC)    3rd week
Wednesday - Empire (FOX)    5th week
Thursday - Grey's Anatomy (ABC)    4th week
Friday - None
Sunday - None

LOSERS OF THE NIGHT
Monday - Lucifer (FOX)    1st week
Tuesday - The Voice (NBC)    2nd week
Wednesday - Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders (CBS)    4th week
Thursday - Scandal (ABC)    2nd week
Friday - The Originals (CW)    2nd week
Sunday - Making History (FOX)    2nd week

RATINGS RECAP: 5/21/17

ABC
7:00 America's Funniest Home Videos
Viewers: 4.4 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8
8:00 Billboard Music Awards
Viewers: 8.7 million, 18-49 demo: 2.6

CBS
7:00 60 Minutes
Viewers: 8.3 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8
8:00 60 Minutes
Viewers: 7.5 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8
9:00 Madam Secretary
Viewers: 7.4 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7
10:00 Elementary
Viewers: 4.1 million, 18-49 demo: 0.5

NBC
7:00 Dateline NBC
Viewers: 4.9 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
9:00 Shades of Blue
Viewers: 3.8 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7
10:00 Shades of Blue
Viewers: 4.1 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7

FOX
7:00 Bob's Burgers (Repeat)
Viewers: 1.2 million, 18-49 demo: 0.5
7:30 Bob's Burgers
Viewers: 1.6 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8
8:00 The Simpsons
Viewers: 2.2 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
8:30 Making History
Viewers: 1.3 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6
9:00 Family Guy
Viewers: 2.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1

WINNER OF THE NIGHT: None
LOSER OF THE NIGHT: Making History (FOX)

SEASON IN REVIEW: 2016-17 New Dramas

Here is my look at the new dramas of the year! Tomorrow, check back for my final wrap-up of the 2016-17 season!

Past Seasons: 2015-16   2014-15   2013-14   2012-13   2011-12   2010-11

BEST NEW DRAMA
This is Us (NBC) - The biggest and buzziest new show of the year certainly earned the praise heaped on it. Tugging at the heart strings week after week, it could have easily veered into cheesy territory but real situations and struggles and dynamic performances across the board made it Must See TV even before it officially receives that label next season on Thursdays. The clever plot twist of the pilot was just the tip of the iceberg for a show that gave a completely fresh look at the family drama thanks to its generation-spanning look at one family. Broadcast TV needed This is Us in a big way and for someone who finally finished watching Parenthood last summer, it has filled the Parenthood sized hole in my heart.

RUNNER-UP: Designated Survivor (ABC) - I've had a complicated relationship with Designated Survivor this year and if I wasn't only halfway through Feud, it may have gotten bumped down to the "Worth Mentioning" category. But when Designated is good, it's very good. It's thrilling and keeps you on the edge of your seat. The problem is it just hasn't been able to figure out the kind of show it wants to be on a consistent basis. Of course it's had three showrunners with a fourth taking over in the fall, so that could be why.

Worth Mentioning: Feud: Bette and Joan (FX)/Pitch (FOX)

BEST LEAD ACTOR IN A NEW DRAMA
Milo Ventimiglia, This is Us (NBC) - As Jack Pearson, Milo Ventimiglia has found the role of a lifetime. He doesn't get to have his story in the present day, but his character permeates throughout the entire series. And that wouldn't work, the relationship and impact on the kids in the present day scenes, if it wasn't for Ventimiglia's dynamite performance. He is a flawed character yet ridiculously likable and easy to root for. His relationship with Mandy Moore and the kids might seem idealistic at times but also seems incredibly realistic.

RUNNER-UP: Sterling K. Brown, This is Us (NBC) - There are countless great performances in This is Us that they're pretty much taking runner-up spots to each other. Fresh off of his winning performance in American Crime Story, he was the heart of present-day This is Us in his role as Randall, the one who has it all together, until he doesn't. He elevates every scene he's in.

Worth Mentioning: Kiefer Sutherland, Designated Survivor (ABC)/Michael Weatherly, Bull (CBS)

BEST LEAD ACTRESS IN A NEW DRAMA
Mandy Moore, This is Us (NBC) - Years after being a teen pop star and actress, Mandy Moore is back in a big way with her role in This is Us. Playing Rebecca in a variety of decades, she has perhaps the most to do in the show and she's eminently likable but complicated, like most This is Us characters. Moore was fantastic whether she was a wide-eyed young woman, a harried mom of triplets, or an older woman who lost her husband and has complicated relationships with her children. Moore effectively plays Rebecca at all ages, and that is no easy feat.

RUNNER-UP: Kylie Bunbury, Pitch (FOX) - I lament that Pitch is cancelled and also that it never quite became the show I hoped it would be. Otherwise, it may have been a star making performance for Kylie Bunbury, who was great in a demanding lead role. I hope she has something else in the near future.

Worth Mentioning: Jessica Lange, Feud: Bette and Joan (FX)/Abigail Spencer, Timeless (NBC)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A NEW DRAMA
Ron Cephas Jones, This is Us (NBC) - As the older William, who reunites with his biological son in the pilot of This is Us, and dies with two episodes remaining in the season, Ron Cephas Jones packed a whole lot into what was basically a recurring role. I'll write more about his death episode when it inevitably makes my end of year list, but I'll say now that throughout the season, Jones made William a character who may not have meant much such an integral part of the show that our hearts broke when he died.

RUNNER-UP: Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Pitch (FOX) - Mark-Paul Gosselaar transformed himself physically and gave a very strong performance in Pitch as catcher Mike Lawson. His scenes with Kylie Bunbury were the scenes that worked best in the uneven but promising drama. For an actor best known for Saved by the Bell, he showed he has something more in him.

Worth Mentioning: Alfred Molina, Feud: Bette and Joan (FX)/Chris Sullivan, This is Us (NBC)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A NEW DRAMA

Maggie Q, Designated Survivor (ABC) - And we finally have a winner not from This is Us! While Kiefer Sutherland is relegated to not being Jack Bauer, the most action in Designated Survivor is coming from Maggie Q as FBI agent Hannah Wells. With a much better part than in the dreadful Stalker, Maggie Q has kept the show moving and I always pay a little more attention in her scenes because I know something big is likely to happen. She's the most consistent part of this inconsistent but promising drama.

RUNNER-UP: Helen Hunt, Shots Fired (FOX) - I didn't keep watching Shots Fired, but I really enjoyed Helen Hunt in every scene she was in. I wish she had been given to more, because she brought a level of class and veteran acting that made the drama seem more prestigious.

Worth Mentioning: Judy Davis, Feud: Bette and Joan (FX)/Susan Kelechi Watson, This is Us (NBC)

WORST NEW DRAMA
Emerald City (NBC) - I know this wasn't a show for me, but I just didn't get it at all. Not to rehash my pilot review but this was such a silly way to reinvent a classic story. "Let's take The Wizard of Oz and make it like Game of Thrones. Except it's on NBC so we certainly can't have the sophistication of Game of Thrones." The Wizard of Oz is beloved and can be remade and retold in different ways, but this just didn't work at all.

RUNNER-UP: Notorious (ABC) - This was ABC's laughable attempt at trying to do a TGIT show without Shondaland's involvement. It was a show that tried way too hard to be steamy and hip and it just came off super lame.

Worth Mentioning: Time After Time (ABC)/Taken (NBC)

SEASON IN REVIEW: 2016-17 New Comedies

For the final three days of the season, I will be looking back. Today is a look at the new comedies, tomorrow the new dramas, and then some miscellaneous awards on Wednesday!

Past Years: 2015-16   2014-15   2013-14   2012-13   2011-12   2010-11

BEST NEW COMEDY
American Housewife (ABC)
When American Housewife premiered, I thought it was a lesser version of the ABC comedies I have grown to love like The Middle, Fresh Off the Boat, The Goldbergs, etc. But it really fits right in with all of them and continued to find its groove as the season wore on. The cast really gels well as a family and the show is smart to mainly focus on the family with just auxiliary scenes with the friends. My complaint in the pilot was that it just seemed to be a litany of fat jokes, but it has instead found a heart and sweetness to it while still being a bit brash. In that way, it seems like a true successor to The Middle, its lead-in this past year. And considering how much I still love The Middle, that's definitely a compliment.

RUNNER-UP: The Mick (FOX) - Believe me, I'm still surprised I like this show as much as I do. It's over the top and at times, quite dark and cynical. But it's also uproarious and outrageous. It has none of the sweetness of the ABC family sitcoms and as much as I love the ABC shows, it's a little bit refreshing.

Worth Mentioning: Trial & Error (NBC)/Imaginary Mary (ABC)

BEST LEAD ACTOR IN A NEW COMEDY
Nicholas D'Agosto, Trial & Error (NBC) - Trial & Error had a lot of attention on the many wacky characters that populated its first season, but my favorite character was the straight man among all the eccentrics. As trial lawyer Josh Segal, Nicholas D'Agosto brought a sense of exasperated normalcy to a town and trial that had bizarre situations at every turn. For a show as silly as this one, it needed a grounded center. This is the type of role that people like Andy Griffith and Bob Newhart have filled in their sitcoms. I'm not comparing D'Agosto to those legends. I'm just saying that proves how important it is for the straight man to be strong and D'Agosto certainly was.

RUNNER-UP: Diedrich Bader, American Housewife (ABC) - Diedrich Bader is not my favorite character in American Housewife and in a better year for sitcoms, he may not have gotten this spot. But he is a good foil to Katy Mixon and can have some very funny moments in the nerdy husband/father role.

Worth Mentioning: Adam Pally, Making History (FOX)/Kevin James, Kevin Can Wait (CBS)

BEST LEAD ACTRESS IN A NEW COMEDY
Kaitlin Olson, The Mick (FOX) - As I mentioned before, I'm pretty surprised that I watched the whole first season of The Mick. But the main reason I did was because of Kaitlin Olson in the lead role. As Mickey Molng, the aunt who has no business raising children, she is a hoot even as she is crude and outrageous like the show. Olson has great comedic timing and interacts with the kids in a way that no other character in a family sitcom does. Despite her many deficiencies, she somehow is still a character you root for. But most importantly, she is just hilarious.

RUNNER-UP: Katy Mixon, American Housewife (ABC) - I didn't care for Katy Mixon in Mike & Molly, but she is completely delightful in American Housewife. She is brash and funny and the whole center to the show. Her winning performance is a lot of what makes American Housewife a success.

Worth Mentioning: Kristen Bell, The Good Place (NBC)/Jenna Elfman, Imaginary Mary (ABC)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A NEW COMEDY
Ted Danson, The Good Place (NBC) - I didn't stick with The Good Place but in the episodes I watched, I absolutely loved Ted Danson. In fact, I found myself wishing his part was bigger than it was. As Michael, he was so goofy and weird, proving again that Danson is one of the most versatile actors around today. He has gone from likable parts on shows like Cheers to a gruff part in Becker to a villain in Damages, and now a completely offbeat character. He continues to make any show he's in better.

RUNNER-UP: John Lithgow, Trial & Error (NBC) - Another veteran actor playing an offbeat character, John Lithgow had some hilarious moments in Trial & Error as the accused Larry Henderson. I really enjoyed Lithgow in this part but I sometimes felt like the writers could have done more with him and he wasn't the best part of his show, like Danson was, which is why he's the runner-up.

Worth Mentioning: Judd Hirsch, Superior Donuts (CBS)/Cedric Yarbrough, Speechless (ABC)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A NEW COMEDY
Julia Butters, American Housewife (ABC) - I always enjoy precocious children in family sitcoms, which is why actors like Giselle Eisenberg (Life in Pieces) and Albert Tsai (Trophy Wife) have won supporting actor accolades from me in other years. As youngest daughter, the decidedly quirky Anna-Kat, Julia Butters had some great comedic moments that make her seem well beyond her years. She can make any line funny when given the chance and I only hope the show continues to use her a lot and she can continue to keep that comedic instinct even as she gets older.

RUNNER-UP: Jayma Mays, Trial & Error (NBC) - As prosecutor Carol Anne Keane, Jayma Mays was a great foil for Nicholas D'Agosto in Trial & Error. She was slightly less outrageous than the defense team, but not by much, and she had some really funny moments during the courtroom scenes.

Worth Mentioning: Leighton Meester, Making History (FOX)/Sofia Black-D'Elia, The Mick (FOX)

WORST NEW COMEDY
The Great Indoors (CBS) - This wasn't a year with an embarrassingly bad sitcom like Dr. Ken or Work It or How to Be a Gentleman. All the ones on this list weren't great, but they were passable. There were just a whole lot of "blah" sitcoms this year. Probably the most "blah" was The Great Indoors, which made millennials look like idiots and the previously cool Joel McHale look like a lame dad. It was a waste of McHale's talents and a sitcom that resorted to dumb jokes. Or at least the pilot and second episode did. I didn't watch it beyond that.

RUNNER-UP: Powerless (NBC) - I didn't hate Powerless. In fact, I thought Alan Tudyk and Vanessa Hudgens were not bad. But as I said, this wasn't a year with terrible sitcoms. Just blah ones. And Powerless was a cool premise, but ultimately a blah show.

Worth Mentioning: Man with a Plan (CBS)/Son of Zorn (FOX)

RATINGS RECAP: 5/19/17

ABC
8:00 The Toy Box
Viewers: 2.4 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6
10:00 20/20
Viewers: 2.7 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6

CBS
8:00 Undercover Boss
Viewers: 5.0 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8
9:00 The New I Love Lucy Superstar Special
Viewers: 3.6 million, 18-49 demo: 0.5
10:00 Blue Bloods (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.7 million, 18-49 demo: 0.5

NBC
8:00 First Dates
Viewers: 3.2 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7
9:00 Dateline NBC
Viewers: 5.2 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9

FOX
8:00 Movie: Maid in Manhattan
Viewers: 1.9 million, 18-49 demo: 0.4

CW
8:00 The Originals
Viewers: 0.8 million, 18-49 demo: 0.2
9:00 Reign
Viewers: 0.7 million, 18-49 demo: 0.2

WINNER OF THE NIGHT: None
LOSER OF THE NIGHT: The Originals (CW)

RATINGS RECAP: 5/18/17

ABC
8:00 Grey's Anatomy
Viewers: 7.9 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0
9:00 Scandal
Viewers: 5.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2

CBS
8:00 The Big Bang Theory (Repeat)
Viewers: 7.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4
8:30 The Great Indoors (Repeat)
Viewers: 5.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
9:00 The Amazing Race
Viewers: 4.4 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
10:00 The Amazing Race
Viewers: 3.9 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8

NBC
8:00 Law & Order: SVU (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.4 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6
9:00 The Blacklist
Viewers: 4.9 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
10:00 The Blacklist
Viewers: 4.9 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9

FOX
8:00 Masterchef Junior
Viewers: 3.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0

CW
8:00 Supernatural
Viewers: 1.8 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6
9:00 Supernatural
Viewers: 1.7 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6

Thursday night brought two hours of a show on every single network. On ABC, the season finale of Grey's Anatomy was just one hour and it was up nine tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo. It will join Empire as the only shows at a 2.0 demo or above this week. At 9pm, the two hour finale of Scandal was up a tenth in viewers but down two tenths in the demo to tie a series low. It declined over the two hours from nearly a 1.4 in the 97.:00 half hour to a 1.1 in the 10:30 half hour. CBS aired two hours of The Amazing Race. The 9pm hour was on par with last week's 10pm episode, but the 10pm episode was down a tenth in the demo. On NBC, a two hour season finale of The Blacklist was even in viewers and up a tenth in the demo. FOX aired the two hour season finale of Masterchef Junior and it was up half a million viewers and a tenth in the demo. Finally on the CW, it was a, you guessed it, two hour season finale of Supernatural that was up a tenth in the demo for its best performance since March 30.

WINNER OF THE NIGHT: Grey's Anatomy (ABC)
LOSER OF THE NIGHT: Scandal (ABC)

UPFRONTS 2017: The CW's Official Schedule

Last but not least, here is the CW schedule!

Check back next week for my wrap-up of the 2016-17 season!

MONDAYS
8:00 Supergirl (3rd Season)
9:00 VALOR

The CW is moving Jane the Virgin to another night and giving a prized new show one of their decent lead-ins from Supergirl. Valor has been a hot pilot and it will be given a chance to succeed but I don't know what I think of this pairing. I guess of any of the superhero shows were going to be a lead-in, maybe this is the best option?





TUESDAYS
8:00 The Flash (4th Season)
9:00 DC's Legends of Tomorrow (3rd Season)

Tuesdays will go back to the winter pairing of The Flash and DC's Legends of Tomorrow. It was a successful pairing but it's a little surprising that the CW is not using what is easily their biggest lead-in on a new show. That being said, it seems likely that they are planning to give this slot to Black Lightning at midseason since Legends of Tomorrow doesn't make full seasons of episodes.

WEDNESDAYS
8:00 Riverdale (2nd Season)
9:00 DYNASTY

Wednesday nights goes from being a superhero/supernatural night to a soapy night as they will pair sophomore Riverdale with their splashy new update of 1980s iconic drama Dynasty. While these two are both soaps, they don't share much else in common as Riverdale is more for teens while Dynasty will likely appeal to an older crowd. The CW is also not giving these shows any sort of superhero support, but maybe they are hoping the branding of the night will pay off. It's a risk, but I get what they're trying to do here.


THURSDAYS
8:00 Supernatural (13th Season)
9:00 Arrow (6th Season)

The CW is putting Arrow and Supernatural together again after some time apart, but now Supernatural will lead off the night while Arrow moves to 9pm. Arrow had a rough decline this year and is now not clearly ahead of other CW shows not named The Flash. So there was less of an inclination to use it as a lead-in and they needed to find a show that could air against This is Us and Scandal. And so Arrow gets the task. It's decent counter programming.

FRIDAYS
8:00 Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (3rd Season)
9:00 Jane the Virgin (4th Season)

The CW is basically giving up on Fridays and leaving it for their critically acclaimed but very low rated dramedies. Ceazy Ex-Girlfriend and Jane the Virgin are a great pair with each other and truthfully they wouldn't do much better on another night, if at all. Still, we may see a 0.1 demo at some point from this lineup next year.

MIDSEASON: BLACK LIGHTNING, LIFE SENTENCE, The 100, iZombie, The Originals
As mentioned, I expect Black Lightning to go to Tuesdays at 9pm. Life Sentence fits best with the Friday dramedies, but I expect it to get a better slot for a launch while The Originals probably returns to Fridays. The 100 and iZombie will probably get slots based on how the fall goes.

CANCELLED/ENDED: Frequency, No Tomorrow, Reign, The Vampire Diaries

RATINGS RECAP: 5/17/17

ABC
8:00 The Goldbergs
Viewers: 5.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4
8:30 Speechless
Viewers: 4.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
9:00 Modern Family
Viewers: 6.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7
9:30 Downward Dog
Viewers: 4.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
10:00 Designated Survivor
Viewers: 5.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1

CBS
8:00 Survivor
Viewers: 8.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7
9:00 Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders
Viewers: 4.9 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7
10:00 Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders
Viewers: 4.2 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7

NBC
8:00 Blindspot
Viewers: 4.3 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
9:00 Law & Order: SVU
Viewers: 5.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
10:00 Chicago PD
Viewers: 6.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3

FOX
8:00 Shots Fired
Viewers: 2.9 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8
9:00 Empire
Viewers: 6.1 million, 18-49 demo: 2.2

CW
8:00 Arrow
Viewers: 1.4 million, 18-49 demo: 0.5
9:00 The 100
Viewers: 0.8 million, 18-49 demo: 0.3

Wednesday night had four finales and a premiere on ABC. At 8pm, The Goldbergs was up a tenth in viewers and the demo while Speechless was up two tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo. At 9pm, Modern Family was up half a million viewers and a tenth in the demo. It was followed by the series premiere of Downward Dog, which will air on Tuesdays through early summer. The sneak peek premiere was below Black-ish numbers, but did OK. It will have to surprise on Tuesday to last beyond this summer. At 10pm, the season finale of Designated Survivor was up two tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo. On CBS, Survivor was even with last week. It was followed by the final two episodes of the cancelled Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders. The two episodes were down a tenth in the demo from last week's episode to tie a series low. This cancellation was deserved.

On FOX, Shots Fired was down two tenths in viewers and even in the demo while Empire had another good week as it was down two tenths in viewers and even in the demo. After declining all year, Empire has been pretty steady in recent weeks. On NBC, the season finale of Blindspot was up four tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo. Law & Order: SVU was up six tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo while the season finale of Chicago PD was up three tenths in viewers and even in the demo. Finally on the CW, Arrow and The 100 both tied series lows. Arrow was down three tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo while The 100 was down a tenth in viewers and even in the demo.

WINNER OF THE NIGHT: Empire (FOX)
LOSER OF THE NIGHT: Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders (NBC)

UPFRONTS 2017: CBS's Official Fall Schedule

Here is the CBS schedule!

Past CBS schedules: 2016   2015   2014   2013   2012   2011

MONDAYS
8:00 (Sep) The Big Bang Theory (11th Season)/(late Oct) Kevin Can Wait (2nd Season)
8:30 9JKL
9:00 (Sep) Kevin Can Wait/(late Oct) Me, Myself, and I
9:30 (Sep) ME, MYSELF, AND I/(late Oct) Superior Donuts (2nd Season)
10:00 Scorpion (4th Season)

As usual, Mondays are a mess schedule wise because The Big Bang Theory will be over for a little over a month. It's actually even a little messier than indicated here because CBS will air one episode of Young Sheldon on Premiere Monday before premiering 9JKL the next week. Then in September the 9pm hour is Kevin Can Wait and the new Me, Myself, and I. In late October, Kevin Can Wait moves to 8pm, Me, Myself, and I moves to 9pm, and Superior Donuts begins its second season at 9:30pm. I do like the way this is giving new shows a chance to succeed, but it's also mixing single cam and multi-cam, which they are also doing on Thursdays. The only consistency with this whole night is Scorpion, which is a solid 10pm performer.

TUESDAYS
8:00 NCIS (15th Season)
9:00 Bull (2nd Season)
10:00 NCIS: New Orleans (4th Season)

Despite NBC sending This is Us to Thursdays, CBS is keeping the status quo on Tuesdays. This is a night that is working well so I understand, but I also think they had a real chance to launch something at 9pm against a bunch of comedies on the other networks. But, it also may be a boost to Bull, which was quickly dwarfed by This is Us this past fall.

WEDNESDAYS
8:00 Survivor (35th Edition)
9:00 SEAL TEAM
10:00 Criminal Minds (13th Season)

After 12 years airing on Wednesdays at 9pm, Criminal Minds finally makes the move to 10pm. This definitely needed to happen and could have a couple years ago. For a show that's as old as Minds is, it made no sense to keep leaving it in the same slot when Survivor could provide a better lead-in to the new show. The new show is not S.W.A.T. with Minds alum Shemar Moore. It is the David Boreanez drama SEAL Team, which seems like a good CBS show. I think this is a good lineup.



THURSDAYS
(Sep)
8:00 Thursday Night Football

(Nov)
8:00 The Big Bang Theory (11th Season)
8:30 YOUNG SHELDON
9:00 Mom (5th Season)
9:30 Life in Pieces (3rd Season)
10:00 S.W.A.T.

As usual, football will air on Thursdays through the end of October. Then there is a new lineup that will once again try a new show at 8:30pm and 10pm. The 8:30pm show is the highly anticipated prequel to The Big Bang Theory, Young Sheldon. It gets a one-off airing in September and then will start airing regularly in November. If any show can retain well out of Big Bang, a prequel seems likely. At the very least, it should start off strong. The 9pm hour with Mom and Life in Pieces remains the same but will have to face off against This is Us and the final season of Scandal. The comedies do go multi-camera/single camera in both hours, which doesn't always work well. At 10pm, S.W.A.T. will try to do what Rush Hour, Pure Genius and Training Day couldn't do in the past two years. It has a tall order and I'm not feeling great about its chances to make a dent. At the very least, CBS should give it a preview premiere somewhere else.

FRIDAYS
8:00 MacGyver (2nd Season)
9:00 Hawaii Five-0 (8th Season)
10:00 Blue Bloods (8th Season)

Fridays will stay the same as MacGyver was a pleasant surprise this past season and Hawaii Five-0 and Blue Bloods are as steady as veteran drama comes. No big surprises here.

SATURDAYS
8:00 Encores
10:00 48 Hours (31st Season)

SUNDAYS
7:00 60 Minutes (50th Season)
8:00 WISDOM OF THE CROWD
9:00 NCIS: Los Angeles (9th Season)
10:00 Madam Secretary (4th Season)

CBS is giving a new drama the football/60 Minutes lead-in (on some Sundays). This was a great move for NCIS: Los Angeles this past season but I'm not convinced that Wisdom of the Crowd is the best choice. It seems like S.W.A.T. or SEAL Team would have been a better fit. NCIS: Los Angeles moves back an hour while Madam Secretary inherits the dreaded 10pm slot that gets delayed big time on some NFL Sundays. It was already struggling at 9pm so it could get pretty low at 10pm.




MIDSEASON: BY THE BOOK, INSTINCT, The Amazing Race, Code Black, Elementary, Man with a Plan, Undercover Boss
Only two new shows sit on the bench while some veteran shows like Code Black, Elementary, and surprisingly Man with a Plan are held as well.

CANCELLED/ENDED: 2 Broke Girls, Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders, Doubt, The Great Indoors, Hunted, The Odd Couple, Pure Genius, Ransom, Training Day

TO SUM UP:
There are several things I like about this schedule. CBS's cornerstone shows are so old and they have launched solid but not breakout hits for years now. They are launching more new shows than any other network but impressively, five of the six are put in a good position to succeed (sorry, S.W.A.T.). I like when networks with a bunch of moderate performers are bold enough to give their better slots to new shows. It's the only way they have a chance of breaking out. Of course the new shows also have to be good, which is the second piece to the puzzle.

RATINGS RECAP: 5/16/17

ABC
8:00 The Middle
Viewers: 5.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
8:30 American Housewife
Viewers: 4.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
9:00 Fresh Off the Boat
Viewers: 3.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
9:30 Imaginary Mary
Viewers: 2.8 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8
10:00 Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Viewers: 2.1 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7

CBS
8:00 NCIS
Viewers: 13.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
9:00 Bull
Viewers: 11.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
10:00 NCIS: New Orleans
Viewers: 9.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1

NBC
8:00 The Voice
Viewers: 8.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
9:00 Great News
Viewers: 3.4 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7
9:30 Great News
Viewers: 2.6 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6
10:00 Chicago Fire
Viewers: 6.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3

FOX
8:00 Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Viewers: 1.7 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7
8:30 Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Viewers: 1.4 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6
9:00 Prison Break
Viewers: 2.4 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9

CW
8:00 The Flash
Viewers: 2.5 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
9:00 iZombie
Viewers: 0.9 million, 18-49 demo: 0.3

Tuesday night was finale night with many shows airing their season finales. ABC had finales across the board. At 8pm, The Middle was up three tenths in viewers and even in the demo while American Housewife was up a tenth in viewers and even in the demo in its last Tuesday new episode airing before it heads to Wednesday next season. At 9pm, Fresh Off the Boat was up two tenths in viewers and even in the demo. The series finale of cancelled Imaginary Mary followed and was even in viewers and down a tenth in the demo. At 10pm, Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. was even. It won't be back in September because it's being held for midseason. On CBS, the NCIS season finale was down a tenth in viewers and up a tenth in the demo while Bull, which still has one more week, was even in viewers and up a tenth in the demo. At 10pm, the season finale of NCIS: New Orleans was up two tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo.

On NBC, The Voice was even in viewers but down a rough two tenths in the demo for a new series low. It was no help to Great News, which did not show that it earned its renewal and timeslot upgrade as both episodes were down a tenth in the demo from last week with the 9:30pm episode dropping to a 0.6 demo. At 10pm, the season finale of Chicago Fire more than doubled its lead-in, rising four tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo. On FOX, two episodes of Brooklyn Nine-Nine were counted separately, but on par with last week's two episodes, which were counted as one hour. At 9pm, Prison Break was even. Finally on the CW, The Flash was down two tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo to tie a series low while iZombie was down a tenth in viewers and even in the demo.

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

UPFRONTS 2017: ABC's Official Fall Schedule

Here is the ABC schedule!

Past ABC schedules: 2016   2015   2014   2013   2012   2011

MONDAYS
8:00 Dancing with the Stars (25th Edition)
10:00 THE GOOD DOCTOR
Monday nights will once again pair Dancing with the Stars with a new drama. Last year, it was Conviction, which looked good on paper but didn't work out. This time, it is The Good Doctor, a medical drama starring Freddie Highmore that has gotten some decent buzz already. It will be in a similar situation as Conviction last year: airing after Dancing and competing against (likely) Scorpion plus a new NBC drama. I thought Conviction would do well and I thought Deception seemed like a better fit, but it's a great opportunity for ABC to launch a show. If The Good Doctor is the right show, it has a real chance here.

TUESDAYS
8:00 The Middle (9th Season)
8:30 Fresh Off the Boat (4th Season)
9:00 Black-ish (4th Season)
9:30 THE MAYOR
10:00 THE GOSPEL OF KEVIN

Tuesday nights remain a comedy block, but there are some significant changes. After three years airing behind Modern Family, Black-ish has been given an anchor role on a Tuesday night that got easier with the departure of This is Us from the night. It will be paired with the seemingly compatible The Mayor, which is shockingly the only new comedy to premiere on ABC's fall schedule. Earlier in the night, The Middle remains at 8pm but it is now paired with Fresh Off the Boat, moving back to its old slot. At 10pm is a new drama in a slot where ABC has had a ton of trouble. The Gospel of Kevin sounds promising, but this is such a troubled timeslot for ABC and it will have an unproven lead-in. I just don't feel too high about its chances.

WEDNESDAYS
8:00 The Goldbergs (5th Season)
8:30 Speechless (2nd Season)
9:00 Modern Family (9th Season)
9:30 American Housewife (2nd Season)
10:00 Designated Survivor (2nd Season)

Wednesday nights are not being used for anything new, but there is one big change. American Housewife will move over from Tuesdays at 8:30pm to Wednesdays behind Modern Family. No question this is a timeslot upgrade, but it's still a significant risk. This sort of move can help a show break out, but ABC learned a hard lesson when they tried to do the same thing with promising sophomore Suburgatory a couple years ago. While I think Housewife is deserving, I'm a little surprised they didn't just leave it paired with The Middle, which is such a natural companion. Also, with the stability of the rest of the night, I'm surprised they didn't try a new comedy in the 9:30pm slot. The Goldbergs, Speechless, Modern Family, and Designated Survivor all remain in the slots they held this whole season.

THURSDAYS
8:00 Grey's Anatomy (14th Season)
9:00 Scandal (7th Season)
10:00 How to Get Away with Murder (4th Season)

Thursday nights gets the main TGIT crew back together as they will hold Shondaland's For the People for midseason. I wonder if this was planned the whole time or decided once NBC put This is Us in the 9pm slot. We may never know for sure. Either way, this is a reliable but obviously declining lineup that now has much tougher competition from NBC. It is the final season of Scandal, so there will certainly be a big push from ABC in that regard.

FRIDAYS
8:00 Once Upon a Time (7th Season)
9:00 MARVEL'S THE INHUMANS
10:00 20/20 (36th Season)

Friday nights are undergoing a major makeover to a genre night. The renewal of Once Upon a Time seemed dumb to me, but if they were going to renew it, putting it Fridays at 8pm is not a bad idea. The bigger surprise is that the long-announced Marvel's The Inhumans has been dropped on Friday nights. I certainly expected a better timeslot for this show and I have to wonder if it's not what ABC planned. It's only supposed to have eight episodes so Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is slotted to take its place. Stalwart 20/20 remains at 10pm.

SATURDAYS
8:00 Saturday Night Football

SUNDAYS
7:00 America's Funniest Home Videos (28th Season)
8:00 To Tell the Truth (3rd Season)
9:00 Shark Tank (9th Season)
10:00 TEN DAYS IN THE VALLEY

As most know by now, American Idol is slotted for Sunday nights in March, so the fall lineup definitely has a placeholder feeling. To Tell the Truth is definitely filler while Shark Tank can bounce in and out of the lineup and plug in where needed. New straight to series drama Ten Days in the Valley starring Kyra Sedgwick is primed for a limited run and it will certainly have a tough time attracting an audience in this timeslot. Obviously, this is a low priority night in the fall, but ABC is hoping things will turn around in March.

MIDSEASON: ALEX INC., AMERICAN IDOL, THE BACHELOR: WINTER GAMES, THE CROSSING, DANCING WITH THE STARS JUNIOR, DECEPTION, FOR THE PEOPLE, ROSEANNE, SPLITTING UP TOGETHER, UNTITLED GREY'S ANATOMY SPINOFF, The Bachelor, Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Quantico
ABC has a ton on deck for midseason led by American Idol. Some are winter filler like The Bachelor: Winter Games and perhaps Dancing with the Stars Junior. I expect a new drama to premiere after American Idol so that could be The Crossing, Deception, the newly announced Grey's spinoff, or perhaps For the People. I actually don't know where ABC is going to put all these shows.

CANCELLED/ENDED: American Crime, Big Fan, The Catch, Conviction, Dr. Ken, Imaginary Mary, Last Man Standing, Notorious, People Icons, The Real O'Neals, Secrets and Lies, Time After Time, The Toy Box

TO SUM UP:
There are some things I like about this ABC schedule. They should have never renewed Once Upon a Time or Quantico, but at least one is buried on Fridays and the other held off the fall schedule. I get launching four dramas because they need to find some dramas that work, but they are in tricky slots. And I don't understand ABC actually reducing the number of comedy hours on the schedule in the week. That is easily what's working best for them and I just don't understand why they would get rid of an hour and only launch one new sitcom in the fall. ABC has made some real bonehead schedule decisions in the past and I don't think there's any major catastrophe here. I just think it is not playing to its strengths or giving its new shows the best chances to succeed.