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 throughout the week, be sure to follow the Cancelled Sci Fi Twitter Site
Ratings Results of Interest: On Sunday, TNT’s new dystopian series Snowpiercer, based on the feature film of the same name, started with a head of steam as it pulled a 0.47 rating based on same-day viewing for the 18-49 demographic with 1.9 million total viewers. The total viewership number increased to 3.3 million with the encore airings on Sunday and the simulcast on TBS included. That is a good start for a basic cable scripted series these days and has it off on the right track. Though well-known franchises adapted to television tend to suffer from the curious onlooker effect, with good early ratings that trail off in the weeks after the premiere. So we will have to see how this one tracks over the coming weeks.
Over on The CW on Sunday, Batwoman held steady at a 0.2 rating with 739K total viewers for its season finale. And Supergirl sneaked in one more Season 5 episode (I thought it was done last week), seeing its numbers improve to a 0.2 score with 648K total viewers. Both of those shows will be returning next season.
On Thursday, Freeform’s Siren slipped to 0.10 rating with 416K total viewers as that show’s fans need to make some noise on the social networks to give it a boost. Over on Syfy, Vagrant Queen ticked up to a 0.04 rating with 189K total viewers, but its fate remains very much in doubt.
On Wednesday, FX’s What We Do in the Shadows rebounded from last week’s season low, posting a 0.19 rating with 436K total viewers. That one appears to be doing okay for a basic cable show these days. Over on Freeform, Motherland Fort Salem slipped again, this time to a series low 0.07 rating with 257K total viewers. That is another show that needs a strong Call to Action from fans to survive.
On Tuesday, The CW’s The Flash held steady at a 0.4 rating with 1.1 million total viewers for its season finale. Legends of Tomorrow held at a 0.2 rating with 664K total viewers as it still has a few more episodes to go this season. On Monday, AMC’s encore run of Creepshow held at a 0.14 rating with 456K total viewers.
Most of the rest of the shows held mostly even with prior performance or did not air new episodes. 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 and to join the #CancelledSciFiArmy as we fight to save our sci fi shows. For more info on what the ratings mean and how I use them to gauge the status of a show, check our our Cancelled Sci Fi FAQ Page. Ratings Source: ShowBuzzDaily
Renewal and Cancellation Announcements: The CW has given a second season renewal to its horror anthology series Two Sentence Horror Stories. That one will get pushed to the Fall schedule due to the production delays. USA has cancelled its dystopian series The Purge after two seasons as that network appears to be following the same trend as many other basic cable channels and moving away from scripted programming.
Status Updates: Two Sentence Horror Stories Will Return for a Second Season
Below are the status updates for all the currently airing shows or those still awaiting word on their fate, including those on the streaming services. 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 our Cancellation Watch Page.
Currently Airing / Streaming Shows:
Amazing Stories (Apple TV+, Status – Renewal Possible): So far, Apple TV+ has renewed most of its original series, so consider this one to have a decent chance of coming back for a second season.
Batwoman (CW, Status – Renewed): While probably not the breakout hit The CW hoped for, this show is currently its second highest rated Fall entry. As expected, it has been renewed for a second season and I would expect it to stick around beyond that. More on that at this link.
Charmed (CW, Status – Renewed): The numbers were down a bit in Fall for this show because of its move to Fridays, but it should do well in digital viewing like it did last season (The CW pays more attention to those stats than the other broadcast networks). It has been renewed for a third season.
The Flash (CW, Status – Renewed): This show remained as The CW’s top-rated show in Fall and will now take up the torch for the Arrow-verse shows with Arrow coming to an end. It has been renewed for a seventh season, and it could stick around a year or two beyond that. More on that at this link.
Future Man (Hulu, Status – Final Season): As is typical of the streaming services, this show is ending with its third season. But that at least gives it the chance to wrap up its storylines.
Harley Quinn (DCU, Status – Renewal Possible): This animated entry proved popular in its first season and had a quick turnaround for its second year. At this point, a third season looks like a good.
I Am Not Okay With This (Netflix, Status – Renewal Possible): As with any Netflix original series, this show has a decent chance of sticking around for a second season. But don’t expect an extended run because the streamer tends to cap off its shows around the third season.
Into the Dark (Hulu, Status – Renewal Possible): This horror-movie-a-month anthology continues to draw good buzz in its second season and Hulu could keep it around for another year or so.
Legends of Tomorrow (CW, Status – Renewed): This show was renewed for a sixth season ahead of its fifth year premiere, but there is a good chance that it will wrap after the 2020-21 season. More on that at this link.
MacGyver (CBS, Status – Renewed): Production on the fourth season was been suspended due to the Coronavirus, but CBS certainly wanted to get this one to a syndication friendly count of episodes and has renewed it for a fifth season.
Motherland Fort Salem (Freeform, Status – On the Bubble): The numbers for this freshman series continue to drop and I have moved it to Bubble status. Fans are currently making a Call to Action on the social networks to convince Freeform to bring it back for a second year and the show leads our season end poll.
Outlander (Starz, Status – Renewed): The viewership is down for this show in its fifth season, but it is likely making up some of the slack with delayed and digital viewing. This is an established franchise for Starz that appeals directly to its female-skewing audience, and it has already been renewed through its a sixth season. Don’t be surprised if it continues beyond that as well.
Penny Dreadful City of Angels (Showtime, Status – On the Bubble): The premiere numbers for this show are not good, and even though the premium cable channels pay less attention to the same-day viewing, those stats do act as a leading indicator for viewer interest. This show will be starting out On the Bubble.
Primal (Adult Swim, Status – Renewal Possible): This show’s numbers are decent for a cable series these days, especially one airing at midnight. Five more episodes are planned for the first season and will air in 2020. If the numbers remain where they are at, Adult Swim could bring this one back for a second season.
Riverdale (CW, Status – Renewed): The numbers have slipped for this show in its fourth season–especially in Spring–but it likely makes up the gap in digital viewing which its network pays attention to (unlike the other broadcasters). It has been renewed for a fifth season and could stick around beyond that.
Roswell New Mexico (CW, Status – Renewed): This show has returned down some in the ratings from its first season, but that is the trend we have been seeing of late. It airs on The CW, aka the Happy Net, so it has already been renewed for a third season and could stick around beyond that.
Siren (Freeform, Status – On the Bubble): The numbers for this show have improved slightly the last two weeks, but I am still keeping it at Bubble status. Fans may want to make a Call to Action on the social networks to help it get a fourth season renewal.
Solar Opposites (Hulu, Status – Renewal Possible): Hulu is claiming that this freshman animated series from the Rick and Morty team is its top original comedy and it was the second-most-watched show on the streaming service during its premiere week. Expect a second season renewal announcement for this one to be arriving soon.
Supergirl (CW, Status – Renewed): This show has been renewed for a sixth season, but don’t be surprised if that is announced as its last at some point. More on that at this link.
Tales from the Loop (Amazon, Status – Renewal Possible): As with any original series on the streaming services, this one has a decent chance of coming back for a second season if the creative team has more stories planned. But the streaming shows tend to cap off around the third or fourth season mark.
Vagrant Queen (Syfy, Status – Cancellation Likely): The early numbers for this freshman series are not good, and Syfy has moved it out of Prime Time which almost assures it is headed for cancellation. It is currently in second place in our season end poll and should continue their Call to Action on the social networks to bring more attention to the show because its prospects are sinking fast.
Westworld (HBO, Status – Renewed): The same-day viewing for this show is down notably for its third season, but it continues to do well in delayed and digital viewing as well as the encore runs. HBO has renewed the show for a fourth season and it could stick around beyond that.
What We Do in the Shadows? (FX, Status – Renewal Possible): This show has returned for its second season with numbers up from its first year, which is about the best a basic cable series can hope for these days. It has slipped some the last few weeks but still appears to be on track for a third season renewal.
Season Ended But Still Awaiting Renewal / Cancellation Decision:
Altered Carbon (Netflix, Status – Renewal Possible): Word is that this one almost did not make it to a second season, and Netflix has been in the cancelling business of late. Perhaps Anthony Mackie’s presence will revive interest in the show, though, and allow it to stick around for at least one more year.
Black Mirror (Netflix, Status – Renewal Possible): There has been no word on this show since its fifth season debuted in June. Netflix tends to end its originals around the three season mark, but this is one of the streamer’s flagship originals and they make an event out of the release of each season. I expect at least a couple more seasons from this one.
Castle Rock (Hulu, Status: Renewal Possible): This season-long horror anthology series released is second season in Fall and could very well be on track for a third year renewal. But the streaming service has been quiet about its status since wrapping up in December. A Call to Action from fans on the social networks could help nudge Hulu execs in the direction of a renewal as they currently consider its fate.
The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (Netflix, Status – Renewal Possible): This show has been well-recieved thus far (currently holding an 86% Fresh Rating and 94% Audience Score on Rotten Tomatoes) and has a decent chance of returning for a second season if the creative team wish to continue the story.
Devs (Hulu, Status – Renewal Possible): This show is being billed as a “limited series”, but if it has a large enough audience in its first season, it could get extended to a second year or more.
Dispatches from Elsewhere (AMC, Status – Cancellation Likely): The numbers for this show dropped off notably throughout the season despite a strong lead-in from Better Call Saul. At this point, it seems unlikely it will return for a second season unless it has international financing and/or syndications deals which would keep it viable.
Emergence (ABC, Status – On the Bubble): This is one of ABC’s lowest-rated dramas based on same-day ratings, and its delayed viewing gains faded as the season progressed. I had moved it to Cancellation Likely status, but recent events with production shut-downs for other shows may work out favorably for Emergence. More on that at this link.
Manifest (NBC, Status – Renewal Likely): The numbers for this show improved as it wrapped up its second season, and it continues to be one of the top performers across the broadcast networks in delayed viewing. With the networks likely looking at a shortage of programming for Fall 2020 due to Coronavirus shutdowns, consider this show’s renewal chances to have vastly improved.
The Purge (USA, Status – Cancelled): This show has been cancelled by USA after two seasons as that network appears to be following the same trend as other basic cable channels and moving away from scripted programming.
SuperMansion (Crackle, Status – Renewal Possible): There has been no word on a fourth season of this show, but it has done well for Crackle so far and has also performed well in its encore run on Adult Swim. It released another special as recently as April 2019 and that might be its output for a while as the principals try to work in enough time in their schedules to produce more episodes.
The Terror (AMC, Status – On the Bubble): After proving to be a hit for AMC in its first season, this show returned with ratings down notably in its second year. But the series reboots itself each year, and network execs are currently listening to pitches for a third season. A Call to Action from fans on the social networks could help give this one an extra boost.
Two Sentence Horror Stories (CW, Status – Renewed): This show has been renewed for a second season and will be joining The CW’s Fall 2020 schedule since the production shutdowns will be pushing that network’s regular shows to January 2021.
Watchmen (HBO, Status – Renewal Possible): While the same-day viewing numbers for this show were soft in its first season, it did very well in delayed and digital viewing. Series creator Damon Lindelof has said that “there are no current plans to make” to make a second season, but he doesn’t want to “close the door completely” on a continuation. If there is a second season, it may be a few years down the road.
You can see the list of all of this season’s renewals and cancellations at this link.
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