Scorecard: Quantum Leap Lands Just Outside the Top 30, The Swarm Is Number 3 for The CW

Mid-Season is kicking off this week with one premiere (more on that at this link), so now is a good time to take a look back at the Fall months and see how sci fi TV fared on the broadcast networks. There were not too many shows airing during the first half of the season due to production delays caused by the strikes, but a few did make it to the lineup and pulled relatively decent viewership.

NBC’s Quantum Leap revival received an early renewal in December 2022 which allowed it to get a jump on its second-season episodes before the writers’ strike brought things to a halt. Because of that, it was one of the few scripted shows airing in Fall and it ended up pulling decent viewership against minimal competition. It averaged a 0.29 rating based on same-day viewing for the 18-49 demographic with 2.72 million total viewers and ranked Number 36 out of 84 shows for non-repeat, non-special, non-sports programming. That is an improvement from its ranking at the end of its first season at Number 76, though it had much more competition last year.  If it continues to hold around this level, I expect this one to get a third-season nod.

FOX’s new animated fantasy comedy Krapopolis made the Top 10, placing at Number 8 with a ratings average of 0.58 in the demo and two million total viewers. That one has a pretty comfortable slot right after The Simpsons, though, and it also got quite a boost from an NFL lead-in during the Fall.  It has already been renewed through a third season.

The only other genre entry on the Big Four broadcast networks in Fall was an encore run of the original UK version of Ghosts on CBS. That one did okay for the network, averaging a 0.24 rating with 2.31 million total viewers and ranking at the Number 49 slot. The American version returns for its third season in February, but expect the British show to stick around for a while as schedule spackle.

What is particularly notable in the Top 30 below is the number of reality/competition shows that performed quite well in the Fall. That was largely driven by a dearth of scripted programming due to the strikes, but it could have a notable impact on future seasons. The networks were able to easily slot in those shows to fill up the schedule, and they are certainly cheaper to produce than scripted offerings. As the Peak TV Crunch continues to take its toll, I expect to see more reality and competition shows on the old-school networks as well as sports as they find those more profitable and easier to deal with.

Below are the Top 30 broadcast network shows (plus all the genre entries) for non-repeat, non-special, and non-sports programming based on ratings results through December 31st. The comparisons are against ratings averages for other shows in the same category (drama, comedy, reality, etc.) on the same network and also against the overall average for the network. Continue on to see the rankings for The CW which I separated from the Big Four broadcast networks.

The CW only had one genre show airing in the Fall, but it performed quite well for the network. The Swarm Ranked Number 3 among the network’s shows over that period and averaged a 0.05 rating in the demo with 340K total viewers. That German-produced series is an acquisition, and a renewal will be based more on the global viewership numbers, but the network should certainly have an interest in bringing it back if it gets a second season.

Below are the Top 30 broadcast network shows for non-repeat, non-special, and non-sports programming based on ratings results through December 31st for The CW.

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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.