Ratings Debate: Will ‘iZombie’ come back to life for season 2?

There are not many opportunities that we even have to do Ratings Debate articles this year for shows on The CW. The majority of the shows are already renewed, and it feels pretty clear that they are moving on from “Hart of Dixie.” Everyone involved on the show seems to believe that it’s canceled, so we may as well take their word for it.

With that in mind, we are turning to really the only remaining series with a question mark over it in “iZombie,” given the fact that “The Messengers” has not even premiered yet and will do so on a Friday. Has the Rob Thomas series starring Rose McIver done enough to guarantee a second season? We would argue that it has, and we’ve got a little bit more for you on the subject below.

The case to keep it – Consistently, the show have been in the 0.7-0.8 range in the 18-49 demographic since the premiere. That puts it at a higher rating average than anything that The CW airs on Mondays, it is better than “Reign” and “The 100,” and it is far better than Fridays. It is around the same that we’re seeing from “The Vampire Diaries” and “Supernatural” these days. While you can make an argument that the show benefits big from coming on after “The Flash,” it kept its rating even in the week when it aired after a repeat.

This is also the sort of show that could expand in popularity in its second season, once you get it on Netflix / somewhere else and people start to discover it. “Scandal,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” and “Castle” are all examples of midseason shows that built a bigger audience in the second season.

The case to cancel it – Maybe zombies invade and murder everyone at The CW’s corporate headquarters. Or, maybe DC Comics calls and tells them that they want to use the characters in a movie and they burn off the whole series. Neither one of these are going to happen.

Prediction – There’s no real drama here. Unless there’s a sudden drop in ratings, we’re around 99% sure that “iZombie” will be back. The main question is how. We would not be shocked if it took the spot of “Reign,” which was moved to midseason or summer alongside “The 100.” Then, the show would have a place for a new series in the fall after “The Flash.” One way or another, Liv and company will be back.

Now, we want to hear from you. Vote on if you want to see the show back in the comments, and head over here to see more of our Ratings Debate pieces! Also, sign up to score some further TV news on everything we cover via our CarterMatt Newsletter. (Photo: The CW.)