Cancellation Watch: House of the Dragon Improves for Finale, Quantum Leap and La Brea Slip, and More

Cancellation Watch: Ratings results for the sci fi and fantasy shows on the broadcast networks and cable channels as well as status updates and breaking news on the currently airing, returning, and upcoming genre entries. See our Digital Ratings posts for the viewership of the streaming shows.

Linear Ratings Results of Interest:

On Sunday, HBO’s Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon had its Season 1 finale and saw its ratings improve to a 0.46 score based on same-day viewing for the 18-49 demographic with 1.8 million total viewers.  Those are the best linear viewing numbers it has seen since its second week, and the show has also been performing quite well in digital viewing.  Coming as no surprise, it was already renewed for a second season.

Last Monday, NBC’s Quantum Leap saw its numbers drop after two straight weeks of increases as it pulled a 0.35 rating in the demo and 2.4 million total viewers. That one has been doing well in delayed viewing so far, though, so it may be okay for now. Over on HBO, Avenue 5 did not make it into the Top 150 cable shows for the night once again and that one appears to be headed towards cancellation.

On Tuesday, The CW’s The Winchesters slipped to a 0.07 rating with 454K total viewers as the curious onlooker effect took its toll. Forty-two percent of the people who tuned in for the premiere did not stick around for the second episode, though perhaps this one will pick up slack with delayed and digital viewing. Over on NBC, La Brea slipped to a 0.32 rating with 3.4 million total viewers as it appears to be in a sophomore slump. If that one slips much more, it could find itself On the Bubble.

On Wednesday, FX’s American Horror Story returned for its eleventh season but saw its numbers drop notably year-over-year. It averaged a 0.11 rating with 330K total viewers across its two-episode premiere which was down by over half from its Season 10 premiere. That one has already been renewed through its thirteenth season, though.

On The CW, Stargirl improved slightly to a 0.09 rating with 423K total viewers, but it is uncertain at this point whether those count as acceptable numbers to the network’s new owners. Over on Syfy, Chucky improved to a 0.21 rating which includes its simulcast on USA. That show may be doing well enough to justify a third season.

On CBS on Thursday, Ghosts slipped to a 0.51 rating with 6.1 million total viewers, but it still counts as one of the most-watched comedies across the broadcast networks and appears to be on track for a third season renewal. On FXX, Little Demon closed out its first season with a 0.09 rating and 183K total viewers and it could earn a second season renewal.

On Sunday, AMC’s Interview With The Vampire improved a tick to a 0.10 rating with 469K while The Walking Dead dropped a tick to a 0.30 score with 1.4 million total viewers.  Over on BBC America, the final Jodie Whittaker episode of Doctor Who posted a 0.06 rating with 317K total viewers which was lower than the Season 13 average for that show.

You can see the full, season-to-date ratings for the sci fi and fantasy shows at this link, and below are the ratings for the genre shows from the past week. Ratings Source: ShowBuzzDaily

Ratings Results for the Week of 10/17/22

Series Rating / Tot Viewers
Quantum Leap (NBC) Mon 10 PM Rtg: 0.35 ↓ / Tot Vwrs: 2.4M, Status: Renewal Possible
Avenue 5 (HBO) Mon 10 PM Pending, Status: Cancellation Likely
The Winchesters (CW) Tue 8 PM Rtg: 0.07 ↓ / Tot Vwrs: 464K, Status: Renewal Possible
La Brea (NBC) Tue 9 PM Rtg: 0.32 ↓ / Tot Vwrs: 3.4M, Status: Renewal Possible
Stargirl (CW) Wed 8 PM Rtg: 0.09 ↑ / Tot Vwrs: 423K, Status: Renewal Possible
Kung Fu (CW) Wed 9 PM Rtg: 0.06 ↓ / Tot Vwrs: 387K, Status: Renewal Possible
Chucky (Syfy) Wed 9 PM Rtg: 0.21 ↑ / Tot Vwrs: 511K, Status: Renewal Possible
American Horror Story (FX) Wed 10 PM Rtg: 0.11 / Tot Vwrs: 330K, Status: Renewed
Reginald the Vampire (Syfy) Wed 10 PM Rtg: 0.04 / Tot Vwrs: 166K, Status: Renewal Possible
Ghosts (CBS) Thu 8:30 PM Rtg: 0.51 ↓ / Tot Vwrs: 6.1M, Status: Renewal Likely
Little Demon (FXX) Thu 10 PM Rtg: 0.09 ↑ / Tot Vwrs: 183K, Status: Renewal Possible
Doctor Who (BBCA) Sun 8 PM Rtg: 0.06 / Tot Vwrs: 317K, Status: Renewed
The Walking Dead (AMC) Sun 9 PM Rtg: 0.30 ↓ / Tot Vwrs: 1.4M, Status: Final Season
House of the Dragon (HBO) Sun 9 PM Rtg: 0.46 ↑ / Tot Vwrs: 1.8M, Status: Renewed
Let the Right One In (Show) Sun 9 PM Pending, Status: On the Bubble
Interview With The Vampire (AMC) Sun 10 PM Rtg: 0.10 ↑ / Tot Vwrs: 469K, Status: Renewed
Rick and Morty (ADSW) Sun 11 PM On Hiatus, Status: Renewed

Status Updates:

Let the Right One In (Showtime, On the Bubble): This show has only released three episodes so far, but its numbers are tracking lower than The Man Who Fell to Earth which was recently cancelled by Showtime.  The same-day viewing numbers are not as important to the premium cable channels because they don’t have sponsors to answer to.  But they do act as a leading indicator, and less than a 0.02 average suggests that not many people are tuning in.  If this one picks up slack with delayed and digital viewing, perhaps it will be okay, but I am moving it to Bubble status for now.

Disenchantment (Netflix, On the Bubble): Part 4 of this series was released in February 2022 and there has been no word on its fate since then. It has had what amounts to a typical run for a Netflix original with forty episodes and four “parts”, but creator Matt Groening does have more stories to tell in this universe, and animated shows sometimes make it past the three-to-four season wall at this streamer. If it does not return for new episodes on Netflix, perhaps Groening will shop it around to other venues once the rights have expired with the streamer.

Russian Doll (Netflix, On the Bubble): This is another Netflix entry that has been waiting for word on its fate, and the extended silence is not a good thing. This one has received acclaim from critics and it has also received some attention during awards season. Co-creator Natasha Lyonne has indicated that there are plans for a third season, but Netflix has been in cancelling mode this year, so this one’s chances do not look good at this point.

Ms-Marvel (Disney+, Renewal Possible): This has been one of the least-watched MCU shows on Disney+ so far, but I am not counting it out just yet. It was well-received by critics and fans, currently holding a 97% Fresh Ratings and 80% Audience Score on Rotten Tomatoes. And it was not a close-ended series like Wandavision or The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. It is still possible that the streamer could give it the mini-series tag to avoid having the cancellation stigma attached to it. Or the show could continue into a second year if they can slot it into the production schedule with the other upcoming MCU shows and movies.

You can see the status of all the currently airing, returning, and upcoming sci fi and fantasy shows at our Cancellation Watch page.

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CancelledSciFi.com: Keep up with the status updates of all the currently airing sci fi and fantasy shows with our Cancellation Watch posts. And be sure to follow the Cancelled Sci Fi Twitter Site  for breaking news and updates.

SciFiTVSite.com: Follow our Sci Fi TV Schedule for all the currently airing and upcoming sci fi and fantasy television shows, and you can see the premieres for all the upcoming genre entries at this link.

Author: johnnyjay

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