Saturday Cable Ratings 11/28/20: Christmas Waltz Is Most-Watched Hallmark Christmas Movie of 2020 So Far, LSU and Texas A&M College Football Game Leads, Judge Jeanine Down Further
Below are the top 25 programs on cable on Saturday, 11/28/20. Items of note include Christmas Waltz on Hallmark, College Football on ESPN, and Merry Liddle Christmas Wedding on CNN.
(Note: Click the name of any show with its title in red to be taken to its page in the TV Ratings Guide Cable Ratings Database.)
5 Takeaways from the Latest Ratings for Newsmax TV
Wednesday Cable Ratings 11/25/20: Good Morning Christmas! and Cuomo Prime Time Lead, Fox News Keeps Dropping, Last Word Tops Maddow; PLUS: Newsmax TV Ratings
Below are the top 25 programs on cable on Wednesday, 11/25/20. Items of note include Good Morning Christmas on Lifetime, Cuomo Prime Time on CNN, and Tucker Carlson Tonight on Fox News.
(Click the names of the shows written in teal or blue to be taken to their pages in the TV Ratings Guide Cable Database.)
NCIS: Los Angeles S12E03 Review
There are effectively three permanent
cast members missing at the moment, with reminders of two covered in the
‘previously on NCIS:
‘Angry Karen’ opens with Nell talking Sam in as he waits to meet a whistle blower with information vital to national security. Unfortunately the whistle blower, Donald Harris attempts to run Sam down, propelling himself through the windscreen of his car in the process. The team proceed to investigate why he tried to kill Sam, and what information he was due to divulge.
This is a busy episode with numerous
settings covered by the various team members, clearly a luxury now afforded
with a large team. Rountree is stationed at the hospital, Sam and
Callen team up at certain points but split to interview Harris’ roommate and
the missing accountant’s Captain respectively. Kensi also relishes working solo
for once, although she later partners with
There was some great character moments
as expected from writer/showrunner R. Scott Gemmill. Rountree spent most of the
episode bored during his hospital duty and, with his burgeoning kinship with
other newbie
Running alongside the case is the theme of development. Callen shows Fatima how to connect IT equipment to a car and extract information from the car, a task Eric would usually undertake and certainly a skill Callen rarely has a chance to demonstrate. Nell is experiencing a crisis of confidence and repeatedly doubts herself. She babbles away to Sam who really just states the obvious to her, that she is capable and doing a fine job. There is no questioning why she sent Sam to a meet without Callen as back up and at no point is it referenced that the team were pressuring Callen to take Hetty’s job. This is very different to the overly self-assured Nell who was introduced in season 2 however the potential which Hetty originally saw is clearly still present - and Nell is proving her right even if she questions her own abilities. The closing scene sees Callen approaching Nell’s (aka Hetty’s) desk, just as he has done with Hetty in the past. There is no animosity, just a gentle rebuke that she hasn’t offered him a drink.
‘Angry Karen’ suffers from a lack of
cohesion, despite Nell’s attempt at being the glue which holds them together.
The separation of the team results in an unusual lack of energy in certain
scenes, for example Sam’s interview with the housemate suffers with him unable
to play off Callen. Likewise there is no bullpen banter or post-case drinks for
the field agents at The Squid & Dagger. The main action of a car chase and
gunfight is reserved for the climax, with Callen throwing himself out of the
Charger to come up behind the Navy Commander to point a gun at the back of his
head. There is a notably low body count in season 12, most likely linked to
both budget constraints and the tempering down of the use of violence by law
enforcement. This has resulted in a shift in the style of storytelling. Gone is
the frenetically paced, action packed episodes and instead there a
pedestrian feel with a focus on the investigation. In the past, slower episodes
have been character focused (not present here) and this new version of
NCIS:
Note: ‘Angry Karen’ is pejorative slang
for an angry, demanding white woman and was the name given to the fictional
weapon which was duping the navy out of millions.
Saturday TV Ratings 11/28/20: Robbie the Reindeer and The Story of Santa Claus Drop from 2019, 48 Hours Leads
Friday TV Ratings 11/27/20: Minions Holiday Special Ties The Grinch to Lead Black Friday, Frosty the Snowman Drops from 2019, Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer Gives CW a 0.2 (UPDATED)
Fox Renew/Cancel #4: ’Bless the Harts’ Is Still a Likely Renewal
Credit: Fox/Seat42F |
Here are the latest renew/cancel predictions for the Fox network. Two shows have fallen even further since the last update on November 13th while the Sunday animation block has thrived with the help of football boosts. New sitcom 'Call Me Kat' and the final season of 'Last Man Standing' will enter the chart after they premiere on January 3, 2021.
The Simpsons: With the help of back-to-back football lead-ins, 'The Simpsons' now averages a sturdy 1.13 A18-49 rating. This means that America's favorite yellow family is the third highest-rated scripted series and the #1 comedy on broadcast television. Of course, those numbers are hardly as impressive as they sound given that 4 of the 7 episodes that have aired this year had an NFL postgame show leading directly into it. Take away the football-inflated installments and 'Simpsons' drops down to a measly 0.55 A18-49 average, less than half of its current one. Even then, a 0.55 average would be considered passable by today's bleak broadcast standards. With that said, the series is in no real danger and is strong enough to hold its own. The show's creative well may have run dry but the sitcom still has some life left in the ratings department. Status: CERTAIN RENEWAL
Poll of the Week
Thursday TV Ratings 11/26/20: The Masked Singer & I Can See Your Voice Soar to Season Highs, National Dog Show Solid (UPDATED)
Preliminary Analysis: With the 'Cowboys v Washington' NFL game leading into it, Fox's 'The Masked Singer' (3.0) and 'I Can See Your Voice' (1.6) were both catapulted to new season highs. This is the highest-rated episode of 'Masked Singer' since the post-Super Bowl installment and a brand-new series high for 'I Can See Your Voice'. NBC's annual broadcast of 'The National Dog Show' (0.6) was a tenth above last year (0.5), the canine showcase led into a repeat of 'The Wall' (0.4). ABC went with 'Frozen' and 'Toy Story' holiday specials (0.4/0.4) and 'Wonderful World of Disney' (0.5). The specials were each down two-tenths from 2019 when they posted matching 0.6s. CBS had repeats of 'Young Sheldon' (0.4/0.3),'B Positive' (0.3/0.3), and a steady 'Star Trek: Discovery' (0.2). The CW aired the final installment of the 2016 'Gilmore Girls' reboot (0.1).
Finals Update: 'The Masked Singer' (+0.5), 'I Can See Your Voice' (+0.2), 'Olaf's Frozen Adventure' (+0.1), 'Toy Story That Time Forgot' (+0.1), and the repeat of the 'National Dog Show' (+0.1) adjusted up.
Drama Scorecard: November 22-25, 2020
The holidays lopped off much of this week's seasonal entries, NBC is hibernating till January and CW and FOX are burning off less desirable shows til the turn of 2021. However, ABC and CBS are committed to making up lost time for September and much of October. Sunday, November 22 saw honest (non-inflated) ratings for CBS with NCIS: Los Angeles (0.6) and NCIS: New Orleans (0.5), while CW barely existed with Pandora (0.0) and a down Outpost (0.1). Monday, November 23 saw ABC's The Good Doctor (0.6)and FOX's bankrupt Filthy Rich (0.3) steady while CBS maintained with All Rise (0.5) and an uptick with Bull (0.5).
Tuesday, November 23 delivered similar fortunes with NCIS (0.9) and FBI (0.9) steady, while FBI: Most Wanted (0.7) gained a tenth. ABC's freshman pilot Big Sky (0.7) holding impressively steady, while FOX's neXt (0.2) finally lost a tenth. And Wednesday, November 24 saw NBC's Chicago-verse off the radar, leading to mild gains for ABC's For Life (0.5) and SWAT (0.4), both of which regained a tenth.
Sitcom Scorecard: November 22-25, 2020
The holidays left a lighter plate for scripted programming without the Thursday five on display, but there was plenty of shifts from ABC and FOX's main courses. Football Inflation again grove the FOX lineup to new heights on Sunday, November 22 with The Simpsons (1.5), Bless the Harts (0.7), Bob's Burgers (0.7) and Family Guy (0.6) enjoying a hearty bump. Monday, November 23 saw The Neighborhood (0.8) steady while Bob Hearts Abishola (0.6) slid down a tenth. ABC made the fateful decision to take on the holidays on Wednesday, November 24 seeing lower results with The Goldbergs (0.6) registering a series low while American Housewife (0.5), The Conners (0.6) and Blackish (0.4) tying their existing lows.
Wednesday TV Ratings 11/25/20: SNL Thanksgiving Does OK, The Goldbergs Hits Series Low, For Life Rises from Blackish (UPDATED)
American Housewife - Season 5, Episode 4 Review - Homeschool Sweet Homeschool
Tuesday Cable Ratings 11/24/20: The Misery Index Ties Season High, Tucker Carlson and The Ingraham Angle Continue Downward Slides as Cuomo Prime Time Leads Cable News
Below are the top 25 programs on cable on Tuesday, 11/24/20. Items of note include Cuomo Prime Time on CNN, Tucker Carlson Tonight on Fox News, and The Misery Index on TBS.
(Note: Click any show with its name in green or blue to be taken to its page in the TV Ratings Guide Cable Ratings Database.)
Tuesday TV Ratings 11/24/20: 400th NCIS and Big Sky Hold Steady, The Bachelorette Drops Again (UPDATED)
President Obama and the Former Struggles of Cable News Ratings
One Day At A Time Canceled Again
Monday Cable Ratings 11/23/20: Erin Burnett and The Situation Room Lead CNN to Cable News Victory, Tucker and Fox News Stay Below-Average, NFL and Holiday Baking Championship Rise
Below are the top 25 programs on cable on Monday, 11/23/20. Items of note include Erin Burnett OutFront on CNN, Holiday Baking Championship on Food Network, and Monday Night Football on ESPN.
(Note: Click any show with its name in yellow or blue to be taken to its page in the TV Ratings Guide Cable Ratings Database.)
Saturday Cable Ratings 11/21/20: A Nashville Christmas Carol Becomes Highest-Rated Saturday Hallmark Christmas Movie of 2020, Fox News Shows Continue Slippage, Tennessee/Auburn College Football Game Leads
Below are the top 25 programs on cable on Saturday, 11/21/20. Items of note include A Nashville Christmas Carol on Hallmark, College Football on ESPN, and The Situation Room on CNN.
(Note: Click the name of any show with its title in red to be taken to its page in the TV Ratings Guide Cable Ratings Database.)
Monday TV Ratings 11/23/20: Dancing with the Stars Rises for Finale, Bob Hearts Abishola Down, Gilmore Girls Modest in Premiere (UPDATED)
Cable Renew/Cancel - TBS, TruTV, Comedy Central & FXX: TBS Finds Some Success with The Misery Index
TBS, TruTV, Comedy Central and FXX haven't exactly been the busiest networks in the past few months, but it's still well past time for an update for these four networks, as I haven't updated my predictions for them since September. Keep reading to see what moves are in store for these shows and which shows have been renewed since the last update.
Sunday Cable Ratings 11/22/20: The Christmas House Below-Average for Hallmark, Fargo Rises, The Undoing, Candy Land, and Fear The Walking Dead Among Numerous Drops
Below are the top 25 programs on cable on Sunday, 11/22/20. Items of note include The Christmas House on Hallmark, Fargo on FX, and The Undoing on HBO.
(Note: Click any show with its name in orange to be taken to its page in the TV Ratings Guide Cable Ratings Database.)
Friday Cable Ratings 11/20/20: Tucker Carlson and Fox News Continue to Drop, Anderson Cooper Leads Cable News, Real Time Rises for Finale
Below are the top 25 programs on cable on Friday, 11/20/20. Items of note include Tucker Carlson Tonight on Fox News, the finale of Real Time with Bill Maher on HBO, and Raven's Home on Disney Channel.
(Note: Click the name of any show with its title in purple or blue to be taken to its page in the TV Ratings Guide Cable Ratings Database.)
President Trump and the Decline of FOX News
TVRG Productions November News Day: Holiday Specials, Midseason Finale Dates, and a New Feature Announcement
Sunday TV Ratings 11/22/20: American Music Awards Drop Dramatically, NFL Sunday Night Football and The Simpsons Rise (UPDATED)
Preliminary Analysis: Fox's 'The Simpsons' (1.5) enjoyed another night of assistance from NFL Overrun (4.4) and 'The OT' (4.2), rising two-tenths from last week's football-boosted episode. But the momentum did not seep into the rest of the lineup as 'Bless the Harts' (0.7) only managed to match its last installment and the 9pm duo of 'Bob's Burgers' (0.6) & 'Family Guy' (0.6) each lost a tenth. On ABC, the 2020 'American Music Awards' (1.0) plunged by over 40% when compared to last November's 1.7 A18-49 rating. The ceremony did not have much lead-in help as 'AFV' (0.5) took an alarming three-tenth decline from its week-ago outing. NBC had a strong showing of 'Football Night in America' (1.7/4.0) and the 'Chiefs v. Raiders' NFL game (4.2). CBS's '60 Minutes' (0.9) lost six-tenths from last week's Obama-boosted episode while 'NCIS: Los Angeles' (0.6) held even and 'NCIS: New Orleans' (0.5) actually rose a tenth. 'Pandora' (0.1) inched up on the CW and led into a steady edition of 'The Outpost' (0.1).
Finals Update: On Fox, 'NFL Overrun' (6.1, +1.7), 'The OT' (6.1, +1.9), and 'Bob's Burgers' (0.7, +0.1) adjusted up. NBC's 'Chiefs v. Raiders' NFL game (5.4, +1.2) and ABC's 'AFV' (0.6, +0.1) also adjusted up. On the CW, 'Pandora' (0.0, -0.1) adjusted down.
Saturday TV Ratings 11/21/20: The Croods Decent for NBC, Oklahoma State vs Oklahoma College Football Game Dominates (UPDATED)
CBS Renew/Cancel November 15-19: NCIS is Certain For Renewal On an Outdated Network
Week 3 of CBS original scripted programming unveiled 7 more original showings, all of which again failed to crack the 1.0 barrier in the ratings. Monday, November 17 and Tuesday, November 18 unveiled complete lineups with some winners, and other shows to keep an eye on. Monday comedies The Neighborhood and Bob Hearts Abishola placed a respectable 2nd and 3rd in their timeslots, demonstrating great faith in their performances. Their follow-up dramas however delivered on the lower end, showing signs they soon could take 3rd or 4th against their competition. The same delivered on Tuesday night as former heavyweight NCIS could not break the 1.0 benchmark, and the network took 3rd as FBI delivered solid and its spinoff FBI: Most Wanted lost 1/3 of its lead-in, getting edged out by ABC's premiere of Big Sky. Week 2 may show signs of a bounceback as the majority of CBS' shows have shown upticks in 2nd showings, and ABC's freshman dramas have a history of shedding viewers fast.
Fall 2020 has demonstrated an odd pattern of most shows debut soft on CBS, then gain a tenth in the upcoming showings. Shows which featured this phenomena are Young Sheldon, The Unicorn and even fledgling B-Positive bounced back after losing a tenth. Could America return home and enjoy the predictable entries from America's comfort food network? Or does is demonstrate the network fails to ignite a spark with innovative programming? As discussed last week, the network needs some updating. It is like a home tastefully decorated in the late 1990's with built-in entertainment centers and desks, berber carpeting and oversized windows. It looked cutting edge for years, but is old and tattered come 2020. CBS relied too heavily on crutches such as Chuck Lorre's crass sitcoms, spinoffs of formerly successful franchises and drafting new procedurals featuring a former "name" from a prior procedural. Michael Weatherly, Shemar Moore and David Boreanaz all enjoyed success on prior shows but now have series on CBS with tepid ratings which reflect below.
Certain Renewal
Five entries are predictable for coming back next year. Young Sheldon still garners buzz and is trending. FBI and NCIS still deliver above average in ratings. And CBS did manage to rehabilitate its destroyed Monday comedy lineup with the solid deliveries from The Neighborhood and Bob Hearts Abishola. These shows are crucial to holding together their evenings, and CBS will likely need these shows for the following season.Likely Renewal
This category is being cautiously monitored in the upcoming weeks. With the exception of Mom (which only lies here due to age and the Allison Janney factor), the remains have exhibited softer ratings. The NCIS spinoffs are old but compatible for a less desirable evening. They will likely continue on until the marquee players decide to throw on the towel, similar to Hawaii Five-O last season. All Rise experienced a sharp drop from Bob Hearts Abishola. And Bull delivered even softer, taking 2nd to ABC's weakening The Good Doctor. If it holds steady, it is marketable for at least a move on CBS' lineup.
Leans Cancellation
B-Positive did receive an uptick this week, but needs to demonstrate solid viewing patterns before being upgraded. SWAT delivered poor and soft in a two-hour premiere with back-to-back 0.4 rating, followed by lowering the bar a tenth. The series is at its 4th year, traditionally the time CBS begins paring down aging or weaker shows. Time will tell if ABC's For Life outrates it, but the signs are leading toward cancellation.
Likely Cancellation
The Unicorn feels like a misplaced sitcom deserving of exposure on ABC and CBS. Well written, visually appealing and never demanding a laugh with a forced laugh track, it has received ample advertisement and decent launching ground behind Young Sheldon. It showed an uptick this week, but will need to demonstrate more consistency to receive an upgrade. CBS needs shelf space for new shows and needs to part with at least one entry. They're likely not going to touch their solid Monday entries (which are bringing new life into the sitcom arena). More than likely 1-2 sitcoms will meet their ending to accommodate and Unicorn is first on deck to be parted.
Drama Scorecard: November 15-20, 2020
ABC and CBS loaded 8 more dramas into the lineup this week, leaving ABC deflating to below NBC in overall drama ratings as expected but stronger nonetheless. Sunday, November 15 showed the true CBS weight as NCIS: LA (0.6) and NCIS: NO (0.4) deflated two tenths, while CW's Pandora (0.0) played invisible in the ratings yet again. The network also unveiled its lineuo on Monday, November 16 with All Rise (0.5) and Bull (0.4) delivering lower than last season, while ABC's The Good Doctor (0.6) and FOX's outgoing Filthy Rich (0.3) holding steady. Tuesday, November 17 saw more action as ABC premiered its freshman drama Big Sky (0.7) to modest results, NBC's This Is Us (1.2) shed a tenth, and FOX's nearly canceled neXt (0.3) held steady. CBS unveiled its procedural lineup to softer results as NCIS (0.9) and FBI (0.9) could not break the 1.0 barrier, and FBI: Most Wanted (0.6) premiered noticeably weaker.
Wednesday, November 18 featured ABC's sophomore season premiere of For Life (0.4) low but matching its lead-in while CBS' SWAT (0.3) shed yet another tenth. NBC's Chicago-verse lost a little ground with Chicago Med (1.0) and Chicago Fire (1.0) barely staying above the solid line, and Chicago PD (0.8) dropping two tenths. Thursday, November 19 featured some downticks across the board as NBC's Law and Order: SVU (0.5) lost a tenth, ABC's Station 19 (1.0) also lost two tenths, and A Million Little Things (0.7) debuted slightly down. However, Grey's Anatomy (1.3) gained a tenth and for the first time in a while outrated NBC's former heavyweight This Is Us. Over at CW, a two hour series finale sent out it's oldest player Supernatural (0.3, 0.3) solid and steady. Friday, November 20 only featured The Blacklist (0.4) delivering low but steady.