Hawaii Five-0 season 8 ratings: Why the improvement now?

The first Hawaii Five-0 ratings of the new year are in, and there is absolutely quite a bit to celebrate when it comes to the numbers. There’s also something to celebrate beyond that when it comes to the CBS series’ performance as a whole.

Let’s start, for now, with just the raw data. Friday night’s midseason premiere, the first episode of 2018, drew a 1.2 rating in the 18-49 demographic to go along with almost 10 million viewers. These are, by far, the best numbers of the entire season for the Alex O’Loughlin-led series. They also mark the best demo rating since February of last year and the most total viewers since the January before that.

We’ve learned in the past eight-plus years of covering television ratings that it’s never a good idea to throw out a single reason for a show’s success; in reality, there are many different ingredients that, when mixed into the most-magic metaphorical cauldron, produce a big winner. Here, we see there being three different reasons why the series did so well this past Friday, and also tends to do so well in January in general.

1. Winter weather – While there are many industries that suffer as a result of the frigid temperatures in the northeast, television isn’t one of them. Provided that viewers have power, television and a warm cup of hot cocoa are some of the easiest ways to weather the storm. Shows tend to do well on Friday nights in the winter just because there’s not really an incentive to go outside and do anything.

2. Fewer obligations – High school football is over, and the same goes for holiday parties and much of the other stuff people tend to do during the second half of November through December. Many viewers who were either recording Hawaii Five-0 previously or watching in streaming / on-demand may be watching it live now. High-fives to all of these people for tuning into to the fun!

Related – Have you seen our review for Friday night’s Hawaii Five-0 yet?

3. The quality is still there – While we were of course bummed by the departures over the summer, we do think that few shows have done a better job transitioning over to new cast members than Hawaii Five-0 has. Tani and Junior feel like they’ve been a part of the team for far longer than they have; they’re natural fits who bring something to the series that isn’t there with the rest of the current ensemble. Hawaii Five-0 remains an excellent show; remember, there are still plenty of other options on TV, and viewers aren’t just watching new episodes because it’s cold outside. They’re still specifically seeking out this show. That’s a testament to the writers, cast, crew, and everyone who works hard behind the scenes.

CBS in general is reaping some big rewards this January — both MacGyver and Blue Bloods also improved on Friday versus their most-recent outings, but neither pulled in the viewership that Hawaii Five-0 did.

Related – Next week, be prepared for an especially emotional episode

What do you chalk up the Hawaii Five-0 ratings surge to? Share some of your thoughts in the comments!

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