9 Bubble TV Shows We’re Most Worried About, Ranked
Soon we’ll know which broadcast TV shows will live to see another season, but the bubble shows below are all making us nervous.
After analyzing average viewership and 18-to-49 demo figures from TV Series Finale, we’re ranking these productions from threatened to endangered.
Some notes before we begin sounding the death knells: We’re excluding ABC’s freshman series R.J. Decker and Scrubs reboot and CBS’s America’s Culinary Cup competition from consideration, since they’re new to the scene. And Fox’s Grimsburg hasn’t yet returned for its third season.
OK, on with the ominousness…
9. DMV (CBS)
Good news: DMV’s average 18-to-49 demo rating (0.24) puts the workplace comedy in the middle of the CBS pack. Bad news: its average total viewership (3.06) — probably more important on the older-skewing network — ranks it near the bottom.
8. Watson (CBS)
It’ll take detective work to sleuth out why viewers aren’t warming to Morris Chestnut’s modern-day John Watson. The medical drama has lost nearly half of its Season 1 audience, dropping to an average of 2.79 million viewers in Season 2.
7. The Hunting Party (NBC)
The Hunting Party, a procedural starring Melissa Roxburgh as an investigator hunting down off-the-books fugitives, is hunting viewers in its second season. Its average demo rating has slipped to 0.16, down nearly 24 precent from last season.
6. 48 Hours (CBS)
After 38 years on air, is 48 Hours’ time limited? The newsmagazine is only getting a 0.12 rating in the 18-to-49 demo, a 32 percent drop from last season. It’s certainly no 60 Minutes, which is CBS’s most-viewed unscripted show.
5. Stumble (NBC)
4. On Brand With Jimmy Fallon (NBC)
On Brand might not be on target. The reality competition about marketing — hosted by former Uber executive Bozoma Saint John alongside Fallon — is only averaging 0.17 in the demo and 1.67 million viewers.
3. Shark Tank (ABC)
It seems this reality show about entrepreneurs and their would-be investors has become toothless in latter years. In both its average demo rating (0.16) and its average viewership (1.64 million), the show is ranking last among all ABC series.
2. Brilliant Minds (NBC)
The minds may be brilliant; the numbers are not. The medical drama is averaging 0.13 in the demo, down 40 percent from last season, and 1.87 million viewers, down 37 percent, and NBC recently punted the show’s midseason premiere.
1. Going Dutch (Fox)
Viewers seem to be AWOL when it comes to Fox’s sitcom starring Denis Leary as an American colonel in the Netherlands. The series is averaging 0.15 in the rating — the lowest of any scripted show on the network — and only 0.90 million viewers. We have a feeling Going Dutch is going bye-bye.
Watchlist Easy access to only the shows you care about — all in one simple place
Alerts Only important notifications — when a show is returning, when it becomes available to stream, and more.
Special Offers Exclusive products we release related to your favorite shows and streaming services