Blue Bloods season 12 expectations: Can it turn around ratings drop?
However, there is still a lot to say when it comes to the long-term future of the series! CBS recently canceled MacGyver, which means that for the first time in a while, the Friday-night lineup will fundamentally change. Meanwhile, there has been scuttlebutt for a while about possible end dates for NCIS, especially with Mark Harmon moving into potentially a part-time role. When you think about these changes, it’s not that hard to figure out that Blue Bloods could be nearing an end, as well, at some point in the near future.
This may be especially the case when you take a look at the ratings. Last season, the Tom Selleck drama ended up averaging a 0.5 rating in the 18-49 demographic and just over 6.4 million live viewers an episode. These are drops of more than 16% from season 10, and that season was down from season 9. For years, Blue Bloods was a model of ratings consistency, but we’re now coming off of the show’s least-watched season yet.
Is there a chance to turn things around in season 12? Sure, especially with more episodes and a typical premiere window. We would expect a much smaller drop year-to-year, and this could be a time when the show honestly needs it. If it averages less than a 0.5 coming up, we’ll start to be more legitimately worried about the long-term future. It may be hard to improve its audience year-to-year, but we think it’s imperative that the show starts retaining more of its audience.
We say all of this in June not to frighten anyone, but instead as a reminder that if you love Blue Bloods, continue to watch it live and tell some others to do the same! Ratings-wise season 12 could be the most critical one yet, especially since it’s not cheap to film in New York and the series has had such an impressive run in the first place.
What are you the most excited to see on Blue Bloods season 12?
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(Photo: CBS.)
This article was written by Jess Carter.