The MacGyver season 3 renewal odds are even higher than you’d think

CBS’ MacGyver may not be a show that receives an extreme amount of attention from the press, but the more you look it, the more it looks like it’s going to be a fixture in the network’s schedule for the rather long time.

The good news when looking at the ratings from November 10 is that the Lucas Till series generated a 0.9 rating in the 18-49 demographic, a nice increase from where the show was the week before. (For the record, Hawaii Five-0 and Blue Bloods also improved to a 1.1 and 1.0 rating, respectively.)

MacGyver continues to be solid in the demo compared to most of the Friday night competition out there, but upon further consideration we’ve really come to notice one thing: We’re getting so hung up on the 18-49 demo ratings that we’re missing just how dominant the show is in total viewers right now. Last night’s new episode had (in total) more than 7.3 million people watching live. That is more than double any other show airing on network primetime in that time slot. It’s more than the viewership of NBC, ABC, and The CW combined. This was the most-watched episode of MacGyver this season — on average the show is averaging 6.8 million viewers, which is hardly a number to sneeze at.

What CBS has managed to find with this series is something that they’ve long been missing: A suitable Friday-night companion to some of these other crime shows. We’ve seen many cancellations come and go Friday night at 8:00 p.m. Eastern, but this series manages to perfectly capture what Friday night television really should be. MacGyver is fun, immersive entertainment that allows you to turn off much of the outside world. It has memorable characters and creative missions. For many viewers out there who remember the original series, it’s also a welcome dose of nostalgia. We certainly realize that this is far and away a very different show from the MacGyver of old, but much of the spirit of the original is very much alive here.

The network has until the spring to determine if they want to bring this show back for another season, but judging from the numbers alone there’s not going to be much of a debate here. This is a series that is dominating its time slot, still winning over new fans, and seems to perfectly understand what it is — fun, fast-paced entertainment. Here’s to hoping for many more years at this current pace.

Do you feel as confident as we do in regards to a MacGyver season 3 renewal at CBS? Be sure to share your thoughts with us in the comments section below right now!

Also, you can head over here to read our review of Friday night’s new episode; also, like us on Facebook to get some more news on MacGyver as well as other shows we cover here at CarterMatt. (Photo: CBS.)