Will Vikings season 5 be ratings hit despite long hiatus?
There’s no question that this show is one of the premiere entries in the History channel lineup and it has a devoted following all over the world (including us!). Yet, it’s also coming off of one of its largest hiatuses in some time. Vikings was last on the air early this year, and since then we’ve been eagerly awaiting to see what lies ahead for Lagertha as well as all of Ragnar’s sons. There’s a lot to unpack with Ragnar’s sons and the dynamic between these young men is going to be one of the major highlights of the story this season!
The ratings were great for season 4. The show didn’t lose too much steam after the departure of Travis Fimmel (which was a miracle) and averaged overall a 0.7 rating. Yet, it has the challenge of premiering during the holiday season as well as the challenge of there being so much in the way of competition out there. Many shows on average are falling anywhere from 10-15% year to year. Our expectation would be for Vikings to average around a 0.6 rating and it really needs to do well to secure its long-term future. While it may already have a sixth season, there’s no word on the show’s future beyond that. We’d love to see it make it to season 7 — that’s pretty rare for any cable series these days, especially one as big and as epic as this one.
Ultimately, some of the decisions on the show’s future could actually come down to the creators and the cast just as much as the people at the network. Working on Vikings has to be a rather exhausting endeavor for a wide array of reasons, including the fact that it’s 20 episodes out on location doing a wide array of intense stuff. Also, you’ve got creator Michael Hirst having such a huge role in writing every installment — it’s easily one of the best shows on TV, but it also has to be one of the most intensive.
Be sure to settle in to History tonight, given that Vikings is going to be airing two episodes back to back starting at 9:00 p.m. Eastern time. These episodes are going to set the tone for everything coming up this season and, hopefully, they will also help to compensate for the show being off the air for as long as it’s been.
Want more Vikings season 5 news?
Then be sure to head over here to see a new video focusing on one of the new additions this season — Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Heahmund! Also, like CarterMatt on Facebook to get some more news on Vikings season 5. We will be heavily covering the show all season with reviews, previews and ratings pieces so be sure to book mark us! (Photo: Vikings)