Sunday TV Ratings 5/30/21: NASCAR Doubles NHL for Easy Win, Celebrity Family Feud Repeat Takes Second (UPDATED)
Friday TV Ratings 5/28/21: NBA Easily Leads, SmackDown and The Blacklist Tick Down (UPDATED)
Weekly Questions #8: An Open-Ended Discussion
Thursday TV Ratings 5/27/21: iHeartRadio Music Awards Collapse, Grey’s Anatomy and Station 19 Crash to New Lows, SVU and Organized Crime Also Slip (UPDATED)
Debris Canceled by NBC
One of NBC's newest dramas is already on the way out. Freshman sci-fi drama Debris has been canceled after a single season by the Peacock network. The show has been a weak performer in live+same-day ratings, averaging just a 0.38 in the 18-49 demo despite airing in the plum post-Voice slot. It rated lower in the slot that the renewed game show Weakest Link. It is also the second-lowest-rated 10 PM drama on the network, only topping Good Girls, which has a lead-in that's averaging nearly six tenths lower than The Voice. Jonathan Tucker, Riann Steele, Norbert Leo Butz and Scroobius Pip star in the series, which wrapped its thirteen-episode run on May 24. This is a correct prediction for The TV Ratings Guide.
Wednesday TV Ratings 5/26/21: The $100,000 Pyramid and Press Your Luck Return with Lows, Crime Scene Kitchen Decent Behind Rising Masked Singer Finale, One Chicago Shows and SEAL Team End Steady (UPDATED)
Sunday Cable Ratings 5/23/21: In Treatment Revival Bombs, Mare of Easttown Hits New Series High, The Chi Returns with Low, Black Monday Ties Season 2 Average
Below are the top 25 programs on cable on Sunday, 5/23/21. Items of note include the revival premiere of In Treatment on HBO, Pose on FX, and the season premiere of Black Monday on Showtime.
(Note: Click any show with its name in orange to be taken to its page in the TV Ratings Guide Cable Ratings Database.)
Paramount Plus Renew/Cancel: Renewal Predicted for Rugrats
Tuesday TV Ratings 5/25/21: This Is Us Ends Steady at 10 PM, FBI Down for Finale, Mental Samurai Abysmal (UPDATED)
Monday TV Ratings 5/24/21: All Rise Drops For Series Finale, The Voice and 9-1-1 Rise, Black Lightning Ticks Up (UPDATED)
Sunday TV Ratings 5/23/21: NCIS: New Orleans Steady for Series Finale, The Equalizer and American Idol End Steady, Billboard Music Awards Hit New Low, Duncanville Ties The Great North Finale (UPDATED)
Duncanville Season 2 Premiere Review
***Spoilers Ahead***
Das Banana Boot/Duncan's First Word
Photo Credit: Fox |
Season 2, Episode 1 - Das Banana Boot
In its 11-episode first season, Duncanville felt much like a hybrid between two other Fox animation staples. The series took the grounded, sunny atmosphere of classic Simpsons and fused it with a tamer version of the outlandish shock humor prevalent in modern Family Guy. The result was a clever comedy that never took itself too seriously but still made room for the occasional touching moment. While the first-half of the season two premiere doesn't mess with the established tone of the Amy Poehler toon, it does give the characters a new setting to work off of. Vacation episodes are a staple of family-based cartoons and sitcoms as a whole, with 'Das Banana Boot' not straying too far away from the standard setup that these installments follow.
The story begins with Duncan being informed by his teacher Mr. Mitch (Wiz Khalifia) that he does not have to go to summer school this year. For the first time in his academic career, Duncan is free to enjoy his summer break once he completes the Presidential Fitness Test. After a humorous first act involving Duncan's attempt at passing said exam, the entire family heads off to their getaway. The main plot centers on Annie (Amy Poehler) and Jack (Ty Burrell) getting away from the kids and finding a young couple to hang out with (Nick & Nina). Annie, being her typical, no-nonsense self, disapproves of the two while Jack, always desperate to please others, becomes infatuated with Nick. Although the concept of a wife and husband attempting to recapture their youth has been done to death, and already tackled in Season 1's 'Sister, Wife', the Duncanville writers throw in a twist that makes the story a lot more engaging. Chaos ensues after Jack & Annie decide to cut ties with their new friends, with Nick & Nina taking away their banana boat in retaliation. The fight that occurs as the family tries to take back the boat is equal parts thrilling and amusing. After that comes the shocking reveal that the new couple has died, resulting in the family frantically trying to cover up their deaths. That's topped immediately after with the revelation that the two deliberately faked their deaths in order to avoid paying for their hotel room. Although Nick and Nina, voiced by Adam Scott and Aubrey Plaza, do drive the story and raise the stakes, they mostly feel pointless in the grand scheme of things. There's nothing particularly interesting about either character, outside of the fact that their get-together with Poehler serves as a mini-Parks & Recreation reunion.
Even though they receive less screen time than the adults, the sub-plots featuring the Harris children are more engaging as a whole. Duncan spends his vacation heartbroken after seeing his crush Mia talking to another boy. Duncan consults Kimberly for help and hilarity ensues as she throws Duncan at two college girls to snap a photo for his Instagram feed, all to make Mia feel jealous. Kimberly herself undergoes a complete makeover to impress the boys at school but ends up finding a boy that feels like just as much of a social outcast as she does. Meanwhile, Jing, the youngest of the three, spends her stay trying to make a drawing worthy of being hung up on the fridge. All the subplots are driven by the insecurities that the three face, resulting in scenes that feel rather relatable at their core. On top of that, each scenario is mined for just enough comedic gold needed to satisfy viewers. None of the plots overstay their welcome and everyone ultimately gets the happy ending that they longed for.
'Das Banana Boot' is an endearing and exciting return that delivers a sufficient amount of comedy and action to shake off the formulaic nature of vacation episodes. It's quite entertaining to see the Harris clan in a new environment, and the episode manages to throw out enough bombshells to keep viewers on edge. In addition, the fact that Annie, Jack, and the kids were willing to cover up the death of Nick & Nina gives the events of the episode a bit of a sinister edge, even after it's revealed that the pair is still alive. But, that element only further establishes that Duncanville remains in a class of its own and does enough to differentiate itself from the pack.
Stray Thoughts
- The King of Queens references were unexpected but definitely appreciated.
- The president in the series looks a little too much like Kamala Harris.
- The use of Alice Cooper's School's Out was very fitting, especially since Cooper voiced himself in the second episode of season one.
Grade: B+
Season 2, Episode 2: Duncan's New Word
Photo Credit: Fox |
Up until this point, the relationship between Duncan and Jack has mainly been played for laughs. Duncan has never had much respect for his dad nor taken him very seriously. It has also been clear that Jack wants to remain in the Phil Dunphy-esque role of being the fun dad who rarely ever raises his voice or makes his kids mad. His reasons for being such a friendly father are explained in a harrowing fashion in 'Duncan's New Word'. As Duncan learns to feel some empathy and Jack taps into his inner-rage, the father and son duo finds some new-found respect and love for each other.
The episode starts with Duncan being his normal, apathetic self, refusing to properly do his chores and opting to stay out past his curfew with his friends. After Annie tells Jack to stop being such a pushover, he reluctantly goes into the diner to confront his son and is completely emasculated when Duncan drops an F-bomb to his face. As Duncan basks in the glory of being labeled a rebellious hero at his school, Mr. Mitch gives a heartfelt chat that helps him unlock a sense of empathy for his father. The character of Mr. Mitch works well as a comic relief, but it's definitely a welcome surprise when he exposes his more sincere side. Later on, Jack tells Duncan that he respects Duncan for swearing at him, because he himself never had the guts to do it to his father. Even if their purpose is to make the audience laugh, the flashbacks that feature a young Jack being abused by his father are absolutely gutting to watch. This makes Jack's decision to go confront his bitter father in the retirement home all the more satisfying.
After initially appearing like a nicer guy than before, it turns out that Jack's dad is only kind when he's taken his pills. Despite praising him a few minutes earlier, he reverts to the cruel man he was and begins to belittle Jack for not having the courage to tell him off. It isn't until Jack's father has the nerve to throw a ball at Duncan that Jack taps into his inner-rage and utters the most cathartic line of the entire episode. Words cannot describe how refreshing it was to see Jack berate his abusive father with a simple "F**k you", especially after seeing the trauma he faced at his hands throughout the years. What makes the confrontation even better is that Duncan now has some respect for his father that he didn't before. Jack does not have to verbally-abuse or demean Duncan to be a good dad, but he was also able to channel enough anger to chastise his bully of a father.
Over in the B-plot, Kimberly and Jing use the window of time where their parents are too focused on Duncan's outburst to do whatever they want. If nothing else, it's pleasant that the two are able to get along despite their age difference. Many animated sitcoms feature brothers and sisters that are far too dysfunctional to have a proper connection while Duncanville generally showcases that the siblings in the series have a fairly tight bond. The two are eventually caught in the act by Annie after they try to ride her old horse/police partner, effectively ending their streak of disobedience. While the main story easily overshadows this more mellow one, it's still a worthy addition to the installment.
'Duncan's New Word' might very well be the best episode of the series thus far, with the masterfully-constructed storyline making viewers legitimately furious with the way Jack was treated by his father in the past. Considering that his character is simply too nice for his own good, it was incredible that he was finally able to assert himself and stand up to his resentful father. The brilliant payoff scene finally gives Jack a much-needed win and redeems himself in the eyes of Duncan. This outing proves that Duncanville has more to offer than laughs alone and gives their characters more depth than they had before.
Stray Thoughts
- "Peacock & Chill" and "HBO Max & Wax" were two of the best lines.
- Mr. Mitch is currently my favorite character.
- It's nice that Duncan didn't give Jack's dad the pills. It was better for Jack to see that his dad was the same bitter man that he remembered.
- From Post Malone to AOC, there were so many hilarious pop-culture references in this one.
What did you think of these episodes of Duncanville? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below.
Disney+ Renew/Cancel: Another Renewal is Predicted for High School Musical
Friday TV Ratings 5/21/21: Shark Tank Ends Steady, Dick Van Dyke Show Special Weak, WWE SmackDown Ties for First (UPDATED)
Thursday TV Ratings 5/20/21: Last Man Standing Rises for Series Finale, Law & Order: SVU and Organized Crime Stable, Grey’s Anatomy Hits Series Low (UPDATED)
Cable Renew/Cancel - TBS, TruTV, Comedy Central & FXX: The Misery Index Remains a Valuable Asset for TBS
Ranking The Chances of Success of Reboots and Revivals Coming to Paramount Plus
Wednesday TV Ratings 5/19/21: The Conners and The Goldbergs Finales Hold Steady at Lows, Chicago Med and Chicago Fire Slip, SEAL Team and SWAT Rise (UPDATED)
Tuesday TV Ratings 5/18/21: Mixed-ish and Prodigal Tie Lows for Series Finales, The Voice Hits New Low, Superman & Lois Returns with a New Low (UPDATED)
Preliminary Analysis: ABC's 'Mixed-ish' (0.3) ended its two-season run in a resoundingly uneventful manner, tying its series low and previous episode. 'Black-ish' (0.3) and 'Big Sky' (0.4) were steady for their finales as well, but 'Pooch Perfect' (0.3) was down a notch at 8. Recently-renewed 'Resident' (0.4) fell to a new series low for its season finale on Fox, with recently-canceled drama 'Prodigal Son' (0.3) also shedding a tenth for its last ever episode. 'The Voice' (0.5) hit a rotten new low on NBC, but 'This Is Us' (0.8) and 'New Amsterdam' (0.4) were even on a week-to-week basis. 'NCIS' (0.7) and 'FBI' (0.7) were flat on CBS, with 'FBI: Most Wanted' (0.5) losing a tenth at 10. After nearly two months off the air, The CW's 'Superman & Lois' (0.1) crashed to its lowest rating yet. 'The Flash' (0.2) matched its last installment at 8.
Finals Update: 'The Voice' (0.6, +0.1), 'The Resident' (0.5, +0.1), 'Pooch Perfect' (0.4, +0.1), 'Prodigal Son' (0.4, +0.1), and 'Black-ish' (0.4, +0.1) adjusted up.
Monday TV Ratings 5/17/21: The Neighborhood and Bob Hearts Abishola Rise for Finales, All Rise Ticks Up following Cancellation, The Voice at Series Low (UPDATED)
ABC 2020-21 Season Renew/Cancel Wrap-Up: Thoughts on American Housewife, The Goldbergs, Rebel, For Life, The Conners and More
Well, it's time to truly say goodbye to the ABC Renew/Cancel for the season. Every renewal's been handed out. Every cancellation has been delivered. In this edition of the Renew/Cancel, I'm looking over my prediction record for every show. In an unusual season, every renewal and cancellation decision on ABC was handed out in an eleven day period this May, so I have a lot of recapping to do! KEep reading for my thoughts on the fates of bubble shows like American Housewife, Home Economics, Rebel and more!
The Great North Renewed For Third Season
The animated sitcom was already renewed for a second season in the summer.
Credit: Fox |
It appears that Fox wants the Tobins to stick around for a little while longer. On the heels of its season one finale, the network has decided to renew animated comedy 'The Great North' for a third season. 'The Great North' follows the adventures of the Tobin clan, a family residing in Lone Moose, a fictional town in Alaska. Nick Offerman, of 'Parks & Recreation' fame, voices titular character Beef Tobin. Jenny Slate, Will Forte, Dulce Sloan, Paul Rust, and Aparna Nancherla make up the rest of the voice cast. 'Great North' has been a modest performer for the Fox network, with its first season averaging a respectable 0.55 A18-49 rating. The series is set to return this fall to air its second season, with this renewal ensuring that it'll be back for another year after that.
What do you think of this news? Are you excited for two more seasons of 'The Great North'? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.
9-1-1 Renewed for Season 5
It's no emergency for 9-1-1: the hit procedural series has been renewed for a fifth season by Fox. The show has been a hit for the network since its debut and this season rated as the #1 scripted series on television with a 1.07 average. It was also the final scripted show to avoid slipping below the 1.0 mark. Its spinoff, 9-1-1: Lone Star, has also been a strong performer for the network. Ryan Murphy, creator of many successful shows for Fox and FX, created the series alongside frequent collaborators Brad Falchuk and Tim Minear. Angela Bassett, Peter Krause, Oliver Stark, Aisha Hinds, Kenneth Choi, Jennifer Love Hewitt and Ryan Guzman star in the series. This is a correct prediction for The TV Ratings Guide.
9-1-1: Lone Star Renewed by Fox For Season 3
The 126 will continue protecting the Lone Star State on Fox. 9-1-1: Lone Star has been renewed by Fox for a third season. The show has been a reliable player for the network, averaging 0.87 in the 18-49 demo and rating as their #2 scripted series this season. While failing to match the popularity of its mothership, 9-1-1, show show has retained that show well since uniting with it on Fox's lineup this season, and the duo has been unbeatable on Monday nights. Like its parent show, Lone Star comes from American Hourror Story and Glee creators Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk, alongside their frequent collaborator Tim Minear. Rob Lowe leads the cast alongside Ronen Rubinstein, Gina Torres, Sierra McClain, Brian Michael Smith, Natacha Karam and Jim Parrack. This is a correct prediction for The TV Ratings Guide.
The Resident Renewed by Fox For Fifth Season
The Resident will reside on Fox's schedule for at least another season. The network has renewed the veteran medical series for a fifth season. The Resident has never been a big hit on Fox, but it has remained a solid player. Even as the show shed 22% this year, its 0.56 average put it ahead of many of Fox's other scripted series. Created by Amy Holden Jones, the series stars Matt Czuchry, Emily VanCamp, Manish Dayal, Bruce Greenwood, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Jane Leeves and Morris Chestnut. This is a correct prediction for The TV Ratings Guide.
Sunday TV Ratings 5/16/21: Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, The Rookie and Family Guy End Down, Good Girls and NCIS Los Angeles Steady (UPDATED)
Preliminary Analysis: With its fate still up in the air, NBC's 'Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist' (0.2) lost a tenth for its season finale, two-tenths below last year's closer (0.4). 'Ellen's Game of Games' (0.3) also shed a tenth in the 8pm slot, but 'Good Girls' (0.3) tied its previous broadcast at 10. CBS saw some slippage early in the night with '60 Minutes' (0.5, -0.1) and 'The Equalizer' (0.6, -0.1), but 'NCIS: Los Angeles' (0.6) and 'NCIS: New Orleans' (0.5) were able to match their week-ago showings. 'AFV' (0.6), 'American Idol' (0.7), and recently-renewed 'Rookie' (0.5) all ticked down on ABC, with 'Idol' down about a tenth-and-a-half and the other two losing a tenth. Fox's animated sitcom 'The Simpsons' (0.4, +0.1) rebounded after last week's series low, despite its 'Bless the Harts' lead-in (0.2, -0.05) losing a few hundredths. 'The Great North' (0.3) held even for its season finale as 'Bob's Burgers' (0.4, -0.1) and the 'Family Guy' finale (0.4, -0.1) lost a notch. The CW got another pair of 0.1s out of dramas 'Legends of Tomorrow' and 'Batwoman'.