Ratings: ‘Lethal Weapon’ makes great season 2 case; ‘Doubt’ on CBS starts super-low
The ratings for Wednesday night’s primetime lineup are in, and in this highlights article, there are a couple of important points that we want to emphasize … beginning with something that looks incredibly hopeful for the future of Fox’s “Lethal Weapon.”
Per the latest numbers, last night’s big episode — which featured the debut of Thomas Lennon as famed movie character Leo Getz — ended up generating in total a 1.4 rating in the 18-49 demographic. While this may not be a number that blows anyone anyway, it was #2 in its timeslot yet again behind “The Goldbergs,” and it’s been fairly consistent. We were concerned that it would fall hard without “Empire” with it on the night, but that hasn’t happened. At the moment, the show’s season 2 renewal odds have to be high, given that it’s consistently Fox’s second-best show behind “Empire.”
Ultimately, expect to see more of Riggs and Murtaugh going into season 2.
As for a few other shows…
“Hunted” – We remain cautiously optimistic about a second season here. While a 1.2 rating may not be fantastic, it’s not a complete dud for a CBS midseason entry. We could see it coming back once again in this spot, even if it didn’t turn out to be anywhere near the hit that it was following the AFC Championship Game (not that we thought that those viewers would stick around, anyway).
Also, we figure that “Hunted” could improve even more in a second season once it figures itself out a little bit better and has contestants who understand what they’re doing.
“Law & Order: SVU” – Kudos to the show for keeping most of its 400th episode ratings, and scoring as a whole 1 5. Provided that everyone involved is still interested, this feels like a lock to return.
“Criminal Minds” – While the show did finish behind “SVU” with a 1.3, we do think renewal is incredibly likely here, as well. One of the big advantages of the cast turnover is probably that the show’s cost goes down, which may make it easier to bring the show back.
“Doubt” – This isn’t good. With just a 0.8 rating for its premiere, we’re already doubtful that this show has a future. If that rating drops next week, we’re doubtful that it even stays on the air in this timeslot. It’s not that “Code Black” was a huge hit, but at least it was consistently better than this, even if it’s only by a small margin.
What did you watch on Wednesday night? Be sure to share your thoughts on the matter below! (Photo: Fox.)