Ratings Progress Report: Can ‘Code Black’ find its way to season 3 renewal?
“Code Black” is not your typical second-year CBS show. It didn’t run a full 22 episodes the first time around, and it also doesn’t look as though it’s going to be running a full 22 episodes this time around, either. It’s operating under its own set of rules, and it’s certainly an underdog story, but that is one of the many reasons to root for this show to succeed.
Now that we’ve said that, the show still has to have good ratings to get that second life! In the latest edition of our CarterMatt Ratings Bubble Report series, we do our part to try and chronicle whether or not we think that the medical drama, (now with Rob Lowe), has a shot of legitimately being resuscitated for an additional batch of episodes.
The case for more “Code Black” – The biggest thing that we can say in the show’s favor right now is that there’s not a medical drama that is precisely like this in capturing the reality of the situation in a hospital like this series. Sure, you’ve got your “Chicago Med” and your “Grey’s Anatomy,” but the environment and the characters are different. This show has a loyal following for a reason, and you see that in how it’s barely fluctuated at all in the numbers.
The case against it – The biggest issue potentially holding the show back is the mere fact that the ratings, while consistent, still are not great. It’s averaging a 1.0 rating in the 18-49 demographic. which puts it behind “Designated Survivor” and “Chicago PD” in terms of performance on the night. Also, you have to remember that it’s coming from an outside studio, and that often is not particularly great news for any show since a network typically wants to push their own properties first.
Outlook – We’d like to see more seasons of “Code Black”, but we have our concerns over a renewal given that despite bringing a star of Lowe’s caliber on board in order to boost numbers, they’ve actually fallen a bit. While it’s not CBS’ lowest-rated scripted series (that would be “Elementary”), there are still many reasons to be concerned. We’ll see what happens later next year.
What are your hopes for a “Code Black” renewal? Now is the time we want to hear from you in the poll below as well as in the comments box.
Want to get some other news right now when it comes to “Code Black”? Then be sure to head over to the link here right now! (Photo: CBS.)