Benjamonster's TV

CBS announced today that it has renewed medical drama Code Black for a third season. The show has now escaped death twice with its chances improving as the spring goes on both years and it has managed to eke out renewals thanks to being replaced by weaker shows and internal support at CBS. We'll see if it can manage to pull of a surprise like last fall and end up again on the fall schedule.

As FOX gets ready to unveil its schedule tomorrow, it renewed New Girl for a seventh and final season. It will be an abbreviated season, believed to only be eight episodes. Once a flagship show of the network, it has been relegated to filler duty in recent years after diminishing returns. The cast seems ready to move on but it will be nice for fans of the long-running series to see a proper conclusion. I'd imagine this will not air in the fall but maybe around January.

Three renewals were handed out today. Easily the most surprising was Timeless on NBC because the show had been cancelled just a couple days ago! But its dedicated creators and perhaps fan support as well helped NBC to reverse the decision and now the show will be back for a 10 episode run sometime in 2018. This was an impressive coup by Sony and the people behind Timeless as it looked like the show had a good chance of coming back, but hope seemed gone after the cancellation. It sounds like NBC is interested in trying to air it earlier in the night than 10pm. Also renewed were Elementary and The Amazing Race on CBS.  Elementary does very poorly in linear ratings but has a huge syndication deal that makes CBS money. The Amazing Race is a reality staple that has bounced around the schedule on CBS and can be a solid filler that can be depended on.

Two renewals were handed out this evening with NBC giving Law & Order: SVU another year and FOX renewing The Exorcist . Law & Order: SVU has been renewed for a 19th season, putting it just one shy of tying the record for a live action scripted show, held by Gunsmoke . Its renewal was an inevitability but just announced now once they worked out star Mariska Hargitay's contract. With SVU, three Chicago shows, and the new Law & Order: True Crime series, Dick Wolf with have five shows on NBC again next year. It could be six if Chicago Justice gets renewed but I don't think its chances are great since we haven't heard anything. The Exorcist was renewed by FOX for a second season. The show only aired 10 episodes in a sleepy Friday timeslot but FOX has decided to give it a second season, which has been rumored for weeks. I'm a little surprised by this but it honestly isn't that far behind some other FOX shows that have gotten renewed.

Three comedies were given renewals today: Brooklyn Nine-Nine on FOX and Speechless and Fresh Off the Boat on ABC. Brooklyn Nine-Nine will be coming back for a fifth season despite very low ratings this spring. Still, it's become a utility player for FOX and will be airing reruns on TBS as well. The ratings have been pretty terrible this spring but I think this is a good decision. It just needs to be put in a low-pressure, low-priority spot. Speechless and Fresh Off the Boat were the last two family comedies to get renewed for ABC but both were fully expected to come back. It was just a longer negotiation because they come from an outside studio. Speechless will be back for a second season while Boat will be back for a fourth season. I think Speechless will stay on Wednesday but we'll see about Boat  and where it goes.

ABC handed out renewals to eight shows today: comedies Black-ish and American Housewife , dramas Designated Survivor, Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and Once Upon a Time , and reality shows The Bachelor, Shark Tank, and Dancing with the Stars . Black-ish is a critically acclaimed sitcom and a major piece of the ABC lineup. American Housewife has had a very successful and compatible first season airing behind The Middle . Designated Survivor has been the lone bright spot among freshmen dramas on ABC and has huge DVR numbers. The Bachelor, Shark Tank, and Dancing with the Stars were no-brainers. I wasn't sure if Dancing would actually get two cycles because of the American Idol news, but it will continue to air two cycles. Perhaps the least certain, although heading in a renewal direction, were veteran dramas Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Once Upon a Time . Marvel has a very small audience on Tuesday nights but it has been steady throughout the spring even as othe...

Although I think there is more news coming tonight, we have three renewals that have been handed out today. ABC renewed The Goldbergs not just for next season, but also for 2018-19, which will take the show through its sixth season. The family comedy took over the anchor 8pm slot on Wednesdays this year and it has done well though it has slipped some in late spring (not that unusual, especially for an 8pm show). It has proven capable of leading off a night after two years being nurtured behind The Middle . The Blacklist was also renewed for a full 22 episode fifth season by NBC. Once the hottest new show, it has seen its linear ratings drop significantly over the years, but it remains an established NBC show and does well in DVR and streaming. The 22 episode pickup makes it seem likely it will make the fall schedule, perhaps on Friday? Although not official, it appears that spinoff The Blacklist: Redemption will be cancelled. The biggest surprise was the renewal of comedy Gr...

FOX handed out two renewals late tonight to Gotham and The Last Man on Earth . Both shows were renewed for a fourth season. Gotham was a foregone conclusion, but it took until now to get an official renewal. The Batman drama has been an OK player on Monday nights. The Last Man on Earth was more of a question mark but the cult favorite has a loyal audience and there are other FOX sitcoms from the same creators that have gotten lower ratings.

The CW announced today that it has renewed iZombie and The Originals  for next year as the CW is the first network to finish its decisions on all its shows. 11 will be coming back while No Tomorrow and Frequency were cancelled, The Vampire Diaries has ended, and Reign is going to end. Both iZombie and The Originals  were held for midseason this year but have performed decently, especially The Originals on Friday nights. With two veteran shows ending, it's not surprising that the CW is giving these two shows more life. The Originals getting renewed keeps the universe of The Vampire Diaries alive, at least for now.

ABC announced that its comedy centerpiece Modern Family has been renewed for two more seasons after they closed deals (and raisers) for the core six cast members. Family has of course been ABC's top rated comedy since its debut in 2009 and there was a lot of speculation that it might only have one more season. But it will now get two seasons, which will take it through its 10th season. I wouldn't be surprised if that's it after that, but we'll see. It also possibly puts it in position to end at the same time as that other big network comedy hit, The Big Bang Theory .

NBC handed out renewals tonight to four veteran dramas: Chicago Fire, Chicago PD, Chicago Med, and Blindspot . Notably missing was the fourth Chicago show, the freshman Chicago Justice , whose fate is not decided yet. The Chicago franchise is a valuable one for NBC. Chicago Fire is one of the network's top shows. Chicago PD has been steady on Wednesday for years. Chicago Med was handed the difficult task of moving to Thursdays at 9pm and has performed admirably. And of course the crossovers between these shows are guaranteed ratings boosts. We'll see what happens with Justice . Blindspot was the top new show in Fall 2015, airing after The Voice . It faded as the season wore on and the show was given the tough slot of Wednesdays at 8pm. It started low but has held on remarkably well over the spring and it turned a likely cancellation into a renewal with its remarkable consistency. I'd be surprised if it stays Wednesday at 8pm though. I think either Friday or a midseason ...

There was only one renewal today among the five networks and it belonged to NBC's Taken , which was a bit of a surprise renewal though it seemed to be gaining ground in recent days. It will have a new showrunner and my prediction is it will be held until Summer 2018. Taken premiered to a 1.6 demo behind the premiere of The Voice 's latest edition but it hovered around a 0.8-0.9 demo fro much of its run and didn't seem to be a huge DVR player. It is a cheap option for NBC so economics probably played a factor.

CBS announced today that it has renewed Criminal Minds for a 13th season, joining a  huge list of renewals  made a couple weeks ago. It has come down to the wire with tough negotiations before but the long running drama will be back despite series lows hit this year and some major cast upheavals including the departures of original cast members Shemar Moore (his choice) and Thomas Gibson (the show's choice). Minds has always aired in the Wednesday 9pm slot but it seems like it could finally move to a 10pm slot next year with its slipping numbers. Still on the bubble for CBS is 2 Broke Girls, The Amazing Race, Code Black, Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders, Elementary, The Great Indoors, Hunted, and Undercover Boss . At least some of those will get renewed. It doesn't look good for The Odd Couple, Pure Genius, Ransom, and Training Day while Doubt has already been cancelled.

As they often do, CBS handed out a flurry of renewals all at once, joining the previously renewed The Big Bang Theory and NCIS .  CBS renewed five freshman for a good showing for the new class. Dramas Bull and MacGyver  and comedies Kevin Can Wait, Man with a Plan, and Superior Donuts  were all given second seasons. Most of these were expected but perhaps Superior Donuts was the most on the bubble. However, it has fit in very well in the Monday lineup and CBS rewarded it with a renewal. Several mainstay dramas and comedies got renewals too: Hawaii Five-0 (season 8), Blue Bloods (season 8), NCIS: Los Angeles (season 9), NCIS: New Orleans (season 4), Scorpion (season 4), Madam Secretary (season 4), Life in Pieces (season 3), Mom (season 5), Survivor (35th/36th edition), 60 Minutes (season 50!), and 48 Hours (season 31). None of these are major shocks. Maybe the most on the bubble was Madam Secretary but even that's not surprising. The shows notably missing from t...

CBS announced today that it has renewed The Big Bang Theory for an 11th and 12th season, which will take it through 2019. The veteran comedy is still one of the top shows on TV and CBS paid a pretty penny to keep it around. It is a syndication beast and the vital cog that keeps the entire CBS comedy lineup afloat so this was probably money well spent. I'd be surprised if it goes beyond 12 seasons though. 12 seasons will put it ahead of long running comedies like Cheers, Friends, Frasier, and M*A*S*H. In fact, when it finishes season 12, it will tie My Three Sons and Two and a Half Men and only trail The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet as the longest running live action sitcoms. CBS has not made many renewals yet but The Big Bang Theory joins NCIS and Big Brother on that list. Sure renewals are Blue Bloods, Bull, Hawaii Five-0, Kevin Can Wait, Mom, NCIS: Los Angeles, NCIS: New Orleans, Scorpion, Survivor  and probably Criminal Minds . Likely renewals include Life in Pieces, MacG...

Just a couple episodes into its second season, Shades of Blue was renewed for a third season. The drama starring Jennifer Lopez and Ray Liotta did admirable in a Thursday 10pm slot last year, holding steady despite airing behind low-rated repeats for much of its run. It was moved to Sunday 10pm this spring and has done decently considering its circumstances once again. Shades of Blue joins The Good Place, This is Us, Superstore, and The Voice as official renewals for next season. Sure to join them are Chicago Fire, Chicago PD, Law & Order: SVU, and  Little Big Shots. It's also looking good for The Blacklist, Chicago Justice, and Chicago Med . On the bubble is Blindspot, Taken, Timeless, and Trial & Error while it's not looking good for The Blacklist: Redemption, Caught on Camera with Nick Cannon, Emerald City, The New Celebrity Apprentice, and Powerless .

The CW announced today that it has renewed The 100 for a fifth season. The drama has been a cult hit but never a major ratings performer. It was held for midseason this year but has proven to be an OK lead-out of a diminishing Arrow . It seems likely it will be held again for midseason next year. The 100 joins Supergirl, Jane the Virgin, The Flash, Arrow, DC's Legends of Tomorrow, Supernatural, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, and Riverdale as renewals for next year. The Vampire Diaries and Reign are ending, The Originals and iZombie have yet to premiere, and it's not looking likely for No Tomorrow and Frequency .

The CW handed out its first (and probably only) renewal to a freshman series, renewing Riverdale for a second season. The Archie Comics murder mystery drama has been quiet but able to do something that freshmen flops No Tomorrow and Frequency have been unable to do: stay somewhat steady around a 0.4 demo despite a lower lead-in. Tomorrow and Frequency were frequently getting 0.2 demos with bigger lead-ins. Riverdale joins Supergirl, Jane the Virgin, The Flash, DC's Legends of Tomorrow, Arrow, Supernatural, and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend on the CW renewal list. No Tomorrow and Frequency are likely dead along with the ending The Vampire Diaries and Reign . The 100 is on the bubble while The Originals and iZombie have yet to start their new season.

After renewing The Mick yesterday, FOX announced today that two more freshmen have gotten a second season. The Wednesday pair of Lethal Weapon and Star both got second seasons which was not a surprise. Lethal Weapon has been a solid Wednesday lead off all season whether leading into Empire or Star . It is a much needed procedural success story for FOX. Star has bridged the Empire gap and while the Lee Daniels show is certainly no Empire , it has been steady for quite awhile after a couple rough early drops. These two dramas join The Mick, Bob's Burgers, Empire, Hell's Kitchen, Lucifer, and The Simpsons as official renewals for 2017-18. I won't rehash all of the rest of the FOX shows after going over it  yesterday .

FOX announced today that it has renewed freshman comedy The Mick for a second season. The Kaitlin Olson sitcom got a strong premiere airing out of an NFL doubleheader on the last Sunday of the regular season. Then given a tough Tuesday 8:30pm timeslot, it has had a small but loyal audience and has often built on its New Girl lead-in. FOX seemed to really be behind it from the start and considering the number of problems FOX is having, The Mick is doing just fine. The Mick joins Bob's Burgers, Empire, Hell's Kitchen, Lucifer, and The Simpsons  as official renewals for next season. Sure to join them are Family Guy, Gotham, Lethal Weapon, and  Masterchef Junior . It's looking good for Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Star.  On the bubble is 24: Legacy, The Last Man on Earth, My Kitchen Rules, New Girl, Rosewood, and  Sleepy Hollow . Finally, it's not looking good for APB, The Exorcist, Pitch, Scream Queens, and Son of Zorn though a surprise renewal for one of those shows in the...