Cancellation Watch Weekly Roundup: The Orville Improves for Its Season Finale, Into the Badlands Gets a Boost

Weekly Roundup: 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: On Thursday, FOX’s The Orville improved slightly to a 0.7 rating based on same day viewing for the 18-49 demographic with three million total viewers. That’s better than the numbers it has posted for its last few new episodes, but still has it on the low-end of the spectrum among FOX’s scripted shows. This one usually does very well with Live+7 delayed viewing, but I still consider it dangerously close to Bubble status as the season is winding down. This is one of several shows that I believe needs a Call to Action from fans to help convince its network to renew it.




Gotham wrapped up its five-year run on Thursday, but only managed a 0.5 rating with 2.2 million total viewers, a series low point. On The CW, Supernatural had its Season 14 finale and posted a 0.3 rating with 1.3 million total viewers. Over on Freeform, Cloak and Dagger slipped a tick to a 0.14 rating with 359K total viewers, and that is another show that could use a boost from fans on the social nets.

On Sunday, HBO’s Game of Thrones jumped up to a 5.3 rating with 12 million total viewers for the Battle of Winterfell. Expect that show’s numbers to keep growing has it heads to its series finale. On Starz, American Gods dropped to a 0.06 rating with 272K total viewers for its season finale. That one has been renewed for a third year, but I expect that will be its last.

On Wednesday, FX’s What We Do in the Shadows slipped to a 0.13 rating with 320K total viewers, though that one has been doing better in delayed viewing. Over on Syfy, Happy! slipped to a 0.09 rating with 310K total viewers as its prospects continue to dim. On Tuesday, The Flash posted its best numbers in a while with a 0.6 rating and 1.6 million total viewers. Roswell New Mexico improved to a 0.3 rating with one million total viewers for its first season finale.

On Monday, AMC’s Into the Badlands had a surprising jump in its ratings to a 0.24 score with 653K total viewers which was up 140% from last week’s 0.14 rating. Not certain if that one got a good boost from its lead-in, but this may give encouragement to fans still trying to save the show. Over on Freeform, Shadowhunters slipped to a 0.10 rating with 318K total viewers. And on The CW, Legends of Tomorrow and Arrow were low with both at a 0.2 rating and less than a million viewers each for the night.

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


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Call to Action: Several sci fi and fantasy shows are struggling as we head into the final months of the season and several more have already been cancelled. But as we have seen the last few seasons, a strong outpouring of support from fans can convince the networks to change their mind about the cancellation or at least produce a series finale (i.e., Timeless and Shadowhunters) or sway other venues into picking up these shows (i.e., The Expanse and Lucifer). Among the shows currently in need of support from fans are The Orville, Deadly Class, Siren, Origin, Wynonna Earp and more. You can see the full rundown of our Call to Action shows at this link.

News Roundup: Netflix has cancelled its zombie comedy Santa Clarita Diet after three seasons. CBS All Access has given its Twilight Zone reboot a second season renewal. The CW has renewed two more of its genre entries, giving a second season nod to its freshman series Roswell New Mexico and renewing The 100 for a seventh season just before that show’s sixth season debut. Nickelodeon has given the greenlight to a CGI-animated Star Trek series that will skew to younger viewers. HBO has ordered the space comedy Avenue 5 from Veep creator Armando Iannucci.

Status Updates: The Ratings for Happy! Remain Sad

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:

American Gods (Starz, Status – Renewed): Despite the ratings being down for this show from last year, Starz went ahead and renewed it for a third season (more on that at this link). Don’t be surprised if that gets announced as its final season at some point, though.

Arrow (CW, Status – Renewed): This show has been renewed for an 8th season and that will be its last. Expect it to wrap up with next season’s Crisis on Infinite Earths cross-over event which will bring major changes to the Arrow-verse.

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.

Cloak and Dagger (Freeform, Status – Renewal Possible): This show’s numbers in its second season are down notably from its first. It may make up some of that with delayed and digital viewing, and Disney owns both Freeform and Marvel, so it could still be okay. But a Call to Action from fans on the social nets could definitely help give it a boost.

A Discovery of Witches (AMC, Status – Renewed): The linear numbers for this show are not great, but it has already been available on the Shudder and SundanceNow streaming services and it has been renewed through a third season by Sky One in Britain.

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.

Game of Thrones (HBO, Status – Final Season): A strong return for this show’s final season makes you wonder if HBO execs are questioning the decision to end this one with its eighth season. But they have several spin-offs on the way, so the network is not done with this franchise yet.

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.

Happy (Syfy, Status – On the Bubble): The numbers for this show remain low in its second season and have it at levels that have seen other Syfy entries cancelled. The network’s parent company does have an ownership stake in the show, though, so it still has a chance.  Fans should definitely take to the social nets with a Call to Action to bring more attention to this one.

Into the Badlands (AMC, Status – Cancelled): This show returned with its best ratings since the beginning of its third season with the help of a lead-in from The Walking Dead, but it did drop notably after moving to its regular Monday timeslot.  If fans can stage a Call to Action on the social networks and make enough noise, perhaps they can convince AMC to change its mind about the cancellation or another venue to pick the show up.

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 Orville (FOX, Status – Renewal Possible): The numbers are down for this show in its regular Thursday timeslot, but it continues to perform well in Live+7 delayed viewing like last year. As a marginal performer, though, it could get swept out with any house-cleaning that might follow from the Disney buyout unless the Mouse House recognizes the franchise potential of this property. Fans should certainly take to the social networks at this point with a Call to Action to bring the show more attention and give it a boost.

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 – Renewed): This show’s same day rating numbers have been down the last few weeks but it does very well in digital viewing and has been renewed for a second season by The CW.

Shadowhunters (Freeform, Status – Cancelled): This show has been cancelled by Freeform and is currently airing the second half to its third season which will also include two additional episodes that will act as its series finale.

Siren (Freeform, Status – Renewal Possible): This show started its second season with decent debut numbers, but then saw those slip somewhat.  I don’t count it as a Bubble show just yet, but it could benefit from a Call to Action from fans on the social networks to bring it some more attention. It returns from hiatus on July 11th.

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, but it will finally be coming to an end with that announced as its final year. More on that at this link.

What We Do in the Shadows (FX, Status – Renewal Possible): This show got off to a decent start ratings-wise, but then took a dive with its third episode.  We will see how it tracks in the coming weeks, but this one may be in need of a Call to Action from fans.

Season Ended But Still Awaiting Renewal / Cancellation Decision:

Deadly Class (Syfy, Status – Renewal Possible): This show got off to a decent start, but then saw its numbers slip in subsequent weeks.  But it still did okay overall for a Syfy entry, especially with its delayed viewing numbers, and the network’s parent company NBC Universal has an ownership stake in the show.  It has a chance at coming back for a second season, but fans may want to make a Call to Action on the social nets to give it a boost.

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.

The Passage (FOX, Status – On the Bubble): This show got off to a good start with its premiere, but it wrapped up its first season with less than stellar numbers and I have moved it to Bubble status (more on that at this link).  If fans want this one to return for a second season, a Call to Action on the social networks could definitely give it a boost.

Santa Clarita Diet (Netflix, Status – Cancelled): This show is the latest to hit the three-season wall on Netflix and its cancellation was announced last week.  The fans will definitely put out an effort to save it, but they will have to follow a different strategy than the Call to Action campaigns for the broadcast networks and cable channels.

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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