Magnum PI getting special post-AFC Championship Game airing
Today, the network announced that come January 20 following the AFC Championship Game, a new episode of the Jay Hernandez series will air starting at around 10:00 p.m. Eastern / 7:00 p.m. Pacific. Of course, this time is flexible depending on whenever the game actually concludes. This will be followed later that night by a special edition of The Late Late Show with James Corden.
Meanwhile, CBS also confirmed that on Super Bowl Sunday (February 3), you are going to have an opportunity to see The Late Show following the local news and The World’s Best, the new competition show (basically the network’s version of America’s Got Talent) that is airing following the big game itself. The last time CBS had the Super Bowl it actually aired a special edition of The Late Show immediately afterwards; this was back before Stephen Colbert had really nailed down the tone of his show and there were still some kinks to be worked out.
Over the past several years, it’s become more traditional for networks to air new episodes of some of their established hits after championship games alongside Super Bowls as a way to boost ratings; yet, there really hasn’t been all that much of a correlation between airing a show after a big game and them having staying power. While we do think the post-NFC Championship Game timeslot helped the series premiere of The Resident slightly on Fox last year, typically airing established shows after these games doesn’t lead to a permanent bump. This Is Us was already a hit prior to it airing after the big game and the Super Bowl hasn’t necessarily helped some other shows such as Elementary or The Blacklist all that much.
Yet, if a network like CBS thinks that this special airing could even bring in 2% more viewers on a regular basis, it’s definitely a worthwhile gamble. That’s especially the case with Magnum PI, a show that could appeal to many football fans that also could use a small ratings bump in its quest to get a season 2. We do think that a renewal is likely, but also not guaranteed at present; its ratings in the new year will likely be a big determining factor, but it definitely possesses some of the same qualities that make other shows from the world of executive producer Peter M. Lenkov a hit.
What do you think about Magnum PI airing following the AFC Championship Game on CBS? Be sure to share right now in the comments! (Photo: CBS.)