NETWORK UPDATE:  RISING STAR and WIPEOUT swapped 0.1s, with RISING STAR on the low end–in fact, it was ABC’s lowest-rated original show of the night.  On CBS, BIG BROTHER went up even higher to 2.2, but RECKLESS was pathetic, down another 0.1 to 0.5.  SUNDAY CABLE:  THE STRAIN, FX’s first entry into the world […]

  AMC has renewed its building-the-railroad melodrama HELL ON WHEELS for a 10-episode 3rd season.  The renewal was far from a sure thing, as the show has indifferent ratings among 18-49s (the recent season finale was at 0.5, which was around where the series usually landed where it didn’t have a strong lead-in), but it […]

        NETWORK FINALS:  The primetime network finals had ABC at 1.6 (down from 2.5/2.7 in 2016, when the network split up its night for ratings purposes), CBS at 1.1 (down from 2.4), NBC at 1.7 (down from 4.0), and FOX at 1.0 (compared to 1.2/0.5).         Broadcast Official Nationals […]

  BROADCAST FINALS ABC:  THE BACHELORETTE ticked down to 0.71, and CLAIM TO FAME ticked up to 0.37. CBS:  Reruns at 0.33/0.29/0.27/0.28. NBC:  AMERICAN NINJA WARRIOR ticked down to 0.35, and THE WEAKEST LINK was down 0.03 to 0.25. FOX:  DON’T FORGET THE LYRICS rose 0.05 to 0.33, and BEAT SHAZAM was up 0.02 to […]

        NETWORK FINALS:  The final rating for THE OSCARS was 2.12, down 60% from the 2020 rating and consistent with other recent awards shows.  (A note to those arguing that the content of the show drove viewers to turn it off in progress:  the highest quarter-hour of the telecast was at 2.31 […]

        NETWORK FINALS:  AMERICA’S GOT TALENT gained 0.1 in final numbers, while the 10-11PM reruns of MODERN FAMILY and BLACK-ISH lost the same.           Broadcast Official Nationals Program Ratings Chart     CABLE HIGHLIGHTS:  USA’s WWE SMACKDOWN led Wednesday cable, steady at 0.65, with CHRISLEY KNOWS BEST down 0.06 […]

        NETWORK FINALS:  DOUBT, STILL STAR-CROSSED and 20/20: IN AN INSTANT all fell 0.1 in final numbers.         Broadcast Official Nationals Program Ratings Chart     CABLE HIGHLIGHTS:  A&E’s LIVE PD almost doubled the next-highest rating of the night, up 0.11 from last Saturday to 0.68.  (Note, HBO’s KEEPING […]

  NETWORK UPDATE:  Sunday is one of the few nights without any local football preemptions, so these adjustments are to the Monday preliminary numbers.  Thanks to CBS’s PGA CHAMPIONSHIP coverage as its lead-in, 60 MINUTES retained its preliminary 1.5 rating, and BIG BROTHER rose 0.1 to 2.1.  The MADAM SECRETARY rerun, however, lost 0.1 to 0.6.  […]