Timeless movie ratings: What should the expectations be?
As we get closer to the Timeless movie airing on NBC tomorrow night, it does feel like the time is right for a conversation all about ratings.
So what should we really expect from the movie? As we’ve pointed out in the past, there are at least some reasons for a little bit of optimism here. For starters, the movie is airing on a night when there isn’t a lot of competition from other shows. Beyond just that, it’s also airing at a time when viewers may not be traveling just yet for the holidays. We know that one of the big criticisms that was out there for the first two seasons of Timeless was that the show aired so late that it was hard for younger viewers to watch it. By airing this movie at 8:00 p.m. Eastern, it does at least feel like this is a more acceptable time.
Of course, there are also some reasons for concerns when it comes to the ratings. For starters, there hasn’t been a flurry of promotion for the movie, and some of the show’s more-casual viewers may not actually know that it is coming on the air. Meanwhile, there are some others who may be wrapped up in holiday parties or the like. Typically, shows between seasons do lose around 10-15% of their viewership and while the movie isn’t technically a new season, it’s airing so long after season 2 that it may as well be.
Getting down to the numbers
Last season, Timeless averaged a 0.6 rating in the 18-49 demographic in the live ratings — a drop of over 40% from the season 1 average. That’s one of the reasons why NBC initially canceled the series. If this movie can find a way to bring in around a 0.8, maybe you could say that there’s a little bit more hope in the series’ future, whether it be on NBC or some other platform. There could also be hope with a 0.7, but all of it depends on such things as budget and what other networks / services are interested in.
The show’s writers have already indicated that watching a show like Timeless live is really the #1 way of ensuring that it sticks around, and we don’t want to give any false hope here — we don’t think that another revival is likely at present. Yet, you never know what will happen with a little bit of higher viewership and some holiday magic.
What do you want to see in terms of Timeless ratings? Be sure to share right now in the attached comments!