Now that all of the season’s new shows have premiered, it’s time to take the temperature of the fall schedule.
To paraphrase Yogi Berra, it’s getting late early for some series, while others have proven to be hits worthy of full-season renewals (meaning they’re likely to get a second season).
Here’s my take on the freshman broadcast class of 2016, with grades based (mostly) on viewership.
CBS
“Bull”
Grade: A
Series starring Michael Weatherly as a wry jury consultant with high-tech toys snared nearly 17 million viewers for its premiere and hasn’t looked back. Renewed for the entire season.
“Kevin Can Wait”
Grade: B+
Viewers have welcomed Kevin James back to prime time in a big way. Numbers have cooled a bit, as expected, but with a full-season renewal it’s been solid overall.
“MacGyver”
Grade: B
Reboot of the mid-’80s series has surprised with its solid showing on Friday night (TV’s dead zone). Will stick around for the entire season.
“The Great Indoors”
Grade: C+
Cookie-cutter sitcom with too many (stale) millennial jokes was helped by its “Big Bang Theory” lead-in. Room for improvement.
“Man With a Plan”
Grade: C
Matt LeBlanc’s prime-time return didn’t match CBS stablemate Kevin James (his show’s lead-in). We’ll see how he does going forward.
“Pure Genius”
Grade: C
Show’s Oct. 27 premiere was meh in both viewership and critical reception. Needs a pulse.
ABC
“Designated Survivor”
Grade: A-
Kiefer Sutherland mumblefest about a low-level cabinet member who becomes an instant president (don’t ask) has resonated with viewers. Has been remarkably strong in adding delayed viewership (Live+3) while earning a full-season order.
“Speechless”
Grade: B
Groundbreaking sitcom starring Minnie Driver revolves around a strange family with a special-needs high schooler. Earned a full-season order early on.
“American Housewife”
Grade: C
Sitcom starring Katy Mixon started on a positive note in the coveted under-50 viewer demo with mediocre viewership overall. Has lost some steam on both counts after three episodes.
“Conviction”
Grade: D
Struggling to find an audience. Probably won’t make it. And what’s with ABC and one-word show titles?
“Notorious”
Grade: D
I like this series about a media-savvy defense attorney (Daniel Sunjata) in cahoots with the producer (Piper Perabo) of a top-rated cable news show. But no one else does. ABC cut its episode order from 13 to 10. Never a good sign.
NBC
“This Is Us”
Grade: A+
Easily the fall’s breakout series in terms of watercooler buzz, with a strong ensemble cast (Sterling K. Brown, Chrissy Metz, Justin Hartley, Chris Sullivan, Milo Ventimiglia, Mandy Moore) and top-notch writing. ‘Nuf said.
“Timeless”
Grade: C-
Time-travel series started strongly (12 million viewers) but has since sagged. Good special effects, though.
“The Good Place”
Grade: C-
Ted Danson/Kristen Bell sitcom wraps its season Thursday. Has lost nearly half its premiere audience. Headed for the bad place?
Fox
“Lethal Weapon”
Grade: B+
Reboot of big-screen franchise (starring Damon Wayans and Clayne Crawford) has been a strong Wednesday night presence and was rewarded with a full season.
“Son of Zorn”
Grade: C+
Mediocre ratings for a clever show mixing animation and live action. Needs time to get its “see” legs. I think it will do just that.
“Pitch”
Grade: C-
Series about Major League Baseball’s first female pitcher has struggled against NFL football on NBC. Needs to be moved elsewhere to get better sampling.
“The Exorcist”
Grade: D
Possesses only low ratings (below 2 million viewers a week). Stick a fork in it. Better bet: Fox’s “Lucifer.”