Cancellation Watch Weekly Roundup: The Orville Improves, Siren May Be Sinking

Ratings results and status updates on all the currently airing sci fi & fantasy shows as well as those still awaiting word on their fates. For the latest ratings updates, be sure to follow the Cancelled Sci Fi Twitter Site

Ratings Results of Interest: With most of The CW shows on a break last week, there was not too much ratings activity, but several shows did post some numbers of note. On Thursday, FOX’s The Orville improved to a 0.8 rating based on same day viewing for the 18-49 demographic with 3.1 million total viewers, which is the highest score it has seen on Thursdays so far this year. Despite the fact that its same day viewing is down year-over-year, that show continues to perform well in delayed viewing and still appears to be on track for a third season renewal (assuming the Disney buyout does not throw a wrench into things). Over on Freeform on Thursday, Siren slipped a bit more to a 0.16 rating with 502K total viewers. Those are not disastrous numbers, but I’m sure its network would prefer to see higher scores for this one and a Call to Action from fans on the social networks could definitely give it a boost.




On Sunday, AMC’s The Walking Dead remained mostly steady at a 1.7 rating with 4.4 million total viewers. That is still near its series low levels, but it remains the top-rated scripted series on cable and has already been renewed for a tenth season. Over on Disney, Star Wars Resistance improved to a 0.09 rating with 496K total viewers. That show has already been renewed for a a second season.

On Wednesday, Syfy’s The Magicians improved slightly to a 0.21 rating with 573K total viewers. That show has already been renewed for a fifth season. In the lead-out hour, Deadly Class remained at a 0.14 rating with 365K total viewers. That one has been down the last few weeks and could definitely use a boost on the social networks from its fans.

On Tuesday, FOX’s The Gifted remained low at a 0.5 rating with 1.6 million total viewers as that show looks likely to be at the end of its run on that network unless a strong Call to Action from fans can save it. Over on the History Channel, Project Blue Book slipped to a 0.25 rating with 1.3 million total viewers, but that one has already been renewed for a second season.

I covered last Monday’s shows in the prior Weekly Roundup post and the other sci fi and fantasy entries remained mostly steady or did not air new episodes during the week.  You can see the full ratings results for the week at this link, and be sure to follow the Cancelled Sci Fi Twitter Site for the latest results and breaking news.  Ratings Source: ShowBuzzDaily


What’s to watch on the Streaming Services?  Click on the following links for a comprehensive list of the Sci Fi TV Shows available on Netflix | Prime Video | Hulu | Other


News Roundup: Netflix has renewed The Haunting of Hill House as a season-long horror anthology.  The next season will be called The Haunting of Bly Manor and will be based on the Henry James Gothic horror novella The Turn of the Screw. Syfy’s fan-favorite supernatural series Wynonna Earp has run into production delays that could jeopardize its upcoming fourth season. But fans are rallying together to show their support and hopefully improve its prospects. In development news, Neil Gaiman is working on a modernized reboot of Jim Henson’s The Storyteller, and a Land of Oz TV series is in the works. You can read about those and other development announcements at this link.

Status Updates: Deadly Class and Siren Could Use a Call to Action from Fans

Below are the status updates for all the currently airing shows or those still awaiting word on their fate.  This does not include streaming shows, unless there is information worth mentioning, because there is typically too little data available to gauge their fates. You can click through to the show pages to see week-over-week ratings results (where available) and find out more information about the series.  You can see the status of all the currently airing and returning sci fi TV shows at the Cancellation Watch Page.

Currently Airing / Streaming:

Arrow (CW, Status – Renewed): As expected, this show has been renewed for an 8th season. It could be targeting wrapping up with next season’s Crisis on Infinite Earths cross-over event which I discuss in more detail at this link.

Black Lightning (CW, Status – Renewed): Though it wasn’t a sure thing, this show has been renewed for third season. It could get folded into the Arrow-verse during next season’s Crisis on Infinite Earths cross-over event which I discuss in more detail at this link.

Charmed (CW, Status – Renewed): The same day ratings for this show may not be great on highly competitive Sunday nights, but it is one of the most watched shows in digital viewing on the network’s website and app.  Since The CW has better adapted to the 21st century than the other broadcast nets, it factors online viewing more heavily into its model and has given this one a second season renewal.

Deadly Class (Syfy, Status – Renewal Possible): This show’s numbers have been down the last few weeks, but it may still be doing good enough for a Syfy entry these days.  Fans may want to make a Call to Action on the social nets to bring it some more attention, though.

The Flash (CW, Status – Renewed): As expected, this show has been renewed for an 6th season. There could be some changes coming with next season’s Crisis on Infinite Earths cross-over event which I discuss in more detail at this link.

The Gifted (FOX, Status – Cancellation Likely): This is currently FOX’s lowest-rated show and it is not seeing enough in delayed viewing gains like it did last year. The network does own the show and it is part of the X-Men franchise, so that works in its favor. But even series creator Matt Nix does not have much confidence in the show returning for another season on FOX. I am moving this one to Cancellation Likely status and it could definitely use a Call to Action from fans on the social networks.

God Friended Me (CBS, Status – Renewed): As expected, this show has been renewed for a second season .  Its numbers in the 18-49 demo are just passable, but it continues to rank in the Top 25 based on total viewers each week and it fits in well with the CBS brand.

Gotham (FOX, Status – Final Season): The ratings have been on a downturn for this one the last few seasons, but FOX elected to bring it back for one more year to wrap up Batman’s origin story.

Into the Badlands (AMC, Status – Cancelled): The good news is that this show will be returning to the schedule on March 24th.  The bad news is that the remaining Season 3 episodes will be its last.  After remaining silent on the status of the show since it wrapped up the first half of its third season last June,  AMC has announced that it will not be returning for a fourth year.

Legacies (CW, Status – Renewed): The same day rating for his one have not been great in its first season, but it is one of the most watched shows in digital viewing on the network’s website and app.  Since The CW has adapted to the 21st century better than the other broadcast nets, it factors online viewing more heavily into its model and has renewed this show for a second season.

Legends of Tomorrow (CW, Status – Renewed): As expected, this show has been renewed for an 5th season. It could be targeting wrapping up with next season’s Crisis on Infinite Earths cross-over event which I discuss in more detail at this link.

MacGyver (CBS, Status – Renewal Likely): This show’s ratings are down from last year’s levels, but that likely will not matter. It is owned by CBS and it will have three full seasons after this year, so it is worth it to the network to keep it going at least one more season to get it to the episode threshold the syndication market prefers. Also, it plugs up and hour on low-viewership Fridays.

The Magicians (Syfy, Status – Renewed): This show’s fourth season debut was down from last year’s numbers, but it is still the highest rated show on Syfy overall. It has already been renewed for a fifth season, so it is safe for at least one more year.

The Orville (FOX, Status – Renewal Possible): This show returned with good ratings for its Season 2 debut, getting a boost from NFL Football with a special Sunday airing, but its numbers are down in its regular Thursday timeslot. It continues to perform well in Live+7 delayed viewing like last year, but fans might want to start prepping a Call to Action campaign just in case.

The Passage (FOX, Status – Renewal Possible): This show got off to a good start with it premiere, but its numbers have slipped since then. If it does not drop any further, though, it could stick around for a second season.

Project Blue Book (History, Status – Renewed): This show got off to a decent start for a cable series these days and has been able to hold on to its audience through the first few weeks of its first season.  And as expected, the History Channel has renewed this one for a second season.

Riverdale (CW, Status – Renewed): This show is only down slightly from last year’s numbers and it tends to get plenty of attention on the social networks. It also performs very well in its encore runs on Netflix and is on the verge of the syndication stretch. The CW has renewed it for a fourth season as expected and it could stick around beyond that.

Roswell New Mexico (CW, Status – Renewal Possible): This one has started out with decent numbers for the fifth place network and I expect it will also perform well in digital viewing. It did not get included with the network’s renewal of its Fall shows, but it just joined the schedule and looks to be on target for a second season nod.

Siren (Freeform, Status – Renewal Possible): This show returned with decent debut numbers for its second season, but it has seen its ratings slip since then.  I don’t think it is in trouble just yet, but it could benefit from a Call to Action from fans on the social networks to bring it some more attention.

Supergirl (CW, Status – Renewed): As expected, this show has been renewed for an 5th season. There could be some changes coming with next season’s Crisis on Infinite Earths cross-over event which I discuss in more detail at this link.

Supernatural (CW, Status – Renewed): As expected, this series has been renewed for a record-busting 15th series. Whether it continues beyond that will depend upon whether the principal actors will want to stick with the show.

Star Wars Resistance (Disney, Status – Renewed): This show’s numbers are on the low side, but then animated series tend to live and die more by their merchandising than overnight ratings results. It has been renewed for a second season that will debut in Fall 2019.

The Walking Dead (AMC, Status – Renewed): The post-Rick Grimes era has not led to an improvement in the ratings for this show, but TWD still continues to rank as the top scripted series on cable and also outperforms most broadcast network shows.  Coming as no surprise, AMC has renewed this one for a tenth season.

Season Ended But Still Awaiting Renewal / Cancellation Decision:

Manifest (NBC, Status – Renewal Possible): This show got off to a strong start based on same day viewing early in the Fall, but saw its numbers slip as the season progressed. But it has remained one of the most-watched broadcast network shows based on Live+7 delayed viewing. Rumor is that NBC has already renewed the show for a second season, but I am currently waiting for an official announcement.

The Haunting of Hill House (Netflix, Status – Renewal Possible): Netflix has renewed this show as a season-long horror anthology.  The next season will be called The Haunting of Bly Manor and will be based on the Henry James Gothic horror novella The Turn of the Screw.

Humans (AMC, Status – On the Bubble): This show’s numbers were down in its third season, and AMC kicked it out of Prime Time to the 11 PM hour; never a good sign. Its fate is more closely tied to how it is performing in Britain on Channel 4, but its numbers are down over there as well according to Wikipedia. I have moved it to Bubble status and will keep it there until we hear final word on its fate.

Mars (NGC, Status – Renewal Possible): This show’s same day viewing numbers were down notably in its second year, but it relies more heavily on its global viewership stats. I consider a third season possible, though Nat Geo may decide to wrap it up at that point.

Origin (YouTube, Status – Renewal Possible): This show has flown under the radar since its debut in November, but it is receiving mostly positive buzz thus far. YouTube is in the early stages of ramping up its scripted programming for its premium service, so it will likely stick by its shows and give this one at least one more season to find an audience.

You can see the list of all of this season’s renewals and cancellations at this link.


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Author: johnnyjay

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