Goodbye Tonight on TV!

Reader,

After five wonderful years on various blog hosting sites, this is officially the end of the line for Tonight on TV.  This decision has been in the works for about a year now, with the site slowly shutting down along the way.

I want to thank each and every one of you who followed me on this journey.  Without you, Tonight on TV would not have been a success.

All of the stories uploaded to Tonight on TV will be here for years to come.  If at some point you are bored, maybe you will want to take a look at my predictions from previous television seasons.  Who knows!  I feel as if it is only right to leave the information in its place for anyone who may stumble across it.

This is not a full goodbye for me from the television world.  You can still follow me on Twitter (@yankeesrj12), chat with me on the TV Media Insights forums, or find me in the comments section on Spotted Ratings.

Thank you again.

RJ

the end

 

Returning Comedies and Dramas Results: 2014-15

In September 2014, I went ahead and predicted which returning comedies and dramas would be renewed for the 2014-15 television season.  This was the third time I attempted to predict network decisions prior to the start of the television season.

For the results, I split each show into one of four categories: those I predicted would be renewed (for comedies and dramas), and those I predicted would be cancelled (again, for comedies and dramas).  If a show is colored in GREEN, the series was renewed.  If a show is colored in RED; the series was cancelled.

I predicted the following comedies would be renewed:
2 Broke Girls
Brooklyn Nine Nine
Last Man Standing
Mike and Molly
Modern Family
Mom
The Goldbergs
The Middle
The Millers

Success rate: 8/9 (89%)

Analysis: Just like last season, I finished 8/9 in the comedy renewal category.  If only it were not for the sudden cancellation of The Millers a few episodes into its second season!

I predicted the following comedies would be cancelled:
New Girl
The Mindy Project
Success rate: 1/2 (50%)

Analysis: The Mindy Project was officially cancelled by FOX, but there are rumors the series may return in a two season deal on Hulu.  Even if the pickup does occur, the series was technically cancelled by FOX.  As for New Girl, I figured a cancellation was not going to happen

Despite the ownership by 20th Century FOX, nothing says “keep New Girl on the air” – even its huge syndication deal on Netflix, TBS, and MTV.  I’ll probably be wrong with this prediction, but my gut continues to tell me New Girl is dunzo.

Overall success rate for comedies: 9/11 (82%)

I predicted the following dramas would be renewed:
Agents of SHIELD
Arrow
Bones
Blue Bloods
Castle
Chicago Fire
Chicago PD
Criminal Minds
CSI
Elementary
Grey’s Anatomy
Grimm
Hawaii Five-0
NCIS
NCIS: Los Angeles
Once Upon a Time
Person of Interest
Reign
Resurrection
Scandal
Sleepy Hollow
Supernatural
The 100
The Blacklist
The Following
The Good Wife
The Originals
The Vampire Diaries
Success rate: 26/28 (93%)

Analysis: Other than Resurrection and The Following meeting their demise, my predictions for renewals were not too far off from being correct.  I was a little hesitant to mark CSI as renewed, but since it is coming back for a two-hour wrap up movie, I consider next season the official end.  As a note, I originally predicted the fate of Hannibal (as renewed), although it never aired in the regular season so I removed it from the results.

What I said about The Following (after giving it a 50.1% chance of returning):

Throw in new leadership at FOX, and the fate of The Following is pretty murky.  This is one of the few shows that could very well go either way.  It’ll be close, but I think FOX sticks around for at least one more go-around.

I predicted the following dramas would be cancelled:
Hart of Dixie
Law and Order: SVU
Nashville
Revenge
The Mentalist
Success rate: 3/5 (20%)

Analysis: For the second year in a row, I really thought it was the end of the line for Law and Order: SVU.  Maybe it is time to stop predicting a cancellation?  I was also off about Nashville, which ABC seems to really love.

Overall success rate for dramas: 29/33 (88%)

Overall success rate for comedies and dramas:  38/44 (86%)

Chances of New Series: 2014-15 Results

Over the course of television season, I predicted the fate of nearly every new series (I forgot all about Secrets and Lies).  After yet another television season, the results of my predictions are finally here!  If a show was cancelled, it is colored RED and if a show was renewed, it is colored GREEN.

Here is the scale I used throughout the season:
Breakout (5) – Strong out of the gate; one of the highest rated new series
Hit (4) – Ratings are high, but not one of the highest rated new series
Solid (3) – Neither strong nor weak, simply puts up average numbers
Weak (2) – Not a bomb, but puts up consistently low numbers
Bomb (1) – Fails to catch on; one of the lowest rated new series

For the results, I placed each series into the respective category I initially predicted it would fall in.  The Breakout and Hit categories were a prediction for renewal, while Weak and Bomb categories were a prediction for cancellation.  A Solid title was a prediction for a toss-up, although I did make a call in favor of renewal or cancellation.

I predicted the following series would be Breakouts:
The Flash
How to Get Away with Murder

Success rate: 2/2 (100%)

I predicted the following series would be Hits:
Black-ish
NCIS: New Orleans

Success rate: 2/2 (100%)

I predicted the following series would be Solid performers, but still be renewed (unless noted):
Agent Carter
American Crime (predicted cancellation)
Constantine
Cristela
CSI: Cyber
Gotham
iZombie
Marry Me
Madam Secretary
Stalker
The Odd Couple
Success rate: 6/11 (55%)

I predicted the following series would be Weak  performers:
A to Z
Allegiance
American Odyssey
Bad Judge
Battle Creek
Empire
Fresh off the Boat
Gracepoint
Jane the Virgin
Mulaney
Red Band Society
Scorpion
State of Affairs
The Last Man on Earth
The McCarthys
Success rate: 10/15 (67%)

I predicted the following series would Bomb:
Backstrom
Forever
Galavant
Manhattan Love Story
One Big Happy
Selfie
The Messengers
The Mysteries of Laura
Weird Loners
Success rate: 7/9 (78%)

Overall success rate: 27/39 (69%) (last season was 61%)

Chances of New Series: April 2015

Here is the NEW scale that will be used this season:
Breakout (5) – Strong out of the gate; one of the highest rated new series
Hit (4) – Ratings are high, but not one of the highest rated new series
Solid (3) – Neither strong nor weak, simply puts up average numbers
Weak (2) – Not a bomb, but puts up consistently low numbers
Bomb (1) – Fails to catch on; one of the lowest rated new series

american odysseyQuick Premise: International military conspiracy centers around a stranded female solider.
Timeslot: Sundays at 10/9c
Lead in: A.D.: After the Bible
Competition: Battle Creek, Revenge

Analysis: If you don’t recognize American Odyssey, it’s because NBC changed the title from Odyssey just a few weeks prior to its scheduled debut.  In either event, a title change won’t help this series breakout.  The ads for American Odyssey have been weak and the critics have been “meh” toward the series.  While I have no doubt lead in A.D.: After the Bible will attract a substantial audience (at least for its premiere), American Odyssey will ultimately struggle.  Winning its timelsot will not be difficult, but if it wins with a 1.0, it is still only a 1.0.
Prediction: WEAK (2)

the messengersQuick Premise: A group of strangers are responsible for preventing an impending apocalypse.
Timeslot: Fridays at 9/8c
Lead in: Whose Line is it Anyway?
Competition: Dateline NBC, Hawaii Five-0, and Shark Tank

Analysis: The CW has been quite lucky with its new series this season:  The Flash debuted huge, Jane the Virgin received critical acclaim, and iZombie has been solid through three weeks.  The Messengers, on the other hand, will struggle from the start.  Airing on Friday nights will be of no help for The Messengers even with Whose Line is it Anyway? as a lead in.  The entire concept is boring and maybe even slightly odd.  I do not think there is any audience asking for this kind of series and The CW’s late start spells doom.
Prediction: BOMB (1)

Chances of New Series: Late March 2015

Here is the NEW scale that will be used this season:
Breakout (5) – Strong out of the gate; one of the highest rated new series
Hit (4) – Ratings are high, but not one of the highest rated new series
Solid (3) – Neither strong nor weak, simply puts up average numbers
Weak (2) – Not a bomb, but puts up consistently low numbers
Bomb (1) – Fails to catch on; one of the lowest rated new series

one big happyQuick Premise: A man marries one woman, while his lesbian best friend is having his baby.
Timeslot: Tuesdays at 930/830c
Lead in: Undateable
Competition: Agents of SHIELD, iZombie, NCIS: New Orleans, and Weird Loners

Analysis: NBC is giving the multi-camera comedy genre another chance to succeed on their network.  From Ellen DeGeneres, NBC has been pushing One Big Happy for a couple of months now.  Unfortunately, most of the ads have been painfully unfunny.  One Big Happy may receive some help from The Voice airing 30 minutes prior, although most of the audience may flee during last summers low-rated Undateable.  Luckily, however, the competition in the hour is pretty weak as nothing else in the timeslot is similar to One Big Happy.  In the end, the weak lead in, as well as weak premise, will lead to the demise of yet another comedy on NBC.
Prediction: BOMB (1)

izombieQuick Premise: Based on the comic book, a medical student eats the brains of the dead to help solve their murder.
Timeslot: Tuesdays at 9/8c
Lead in: The Flash
Competition: Agents of SHIELD, NCIS: New Orleans, New Girl, One Big Happy, Undateable, and Weird Loners

Analysis: Hoping to cash in on the zombie craze, The CW brings us iZombie from Rob Thomas.  The network gave iZombie the best chance possible to succeed, placing it behind The Flash, one of the strongest new series of the season.  The premise is a bit odd, but I do believe there are enough people interested to give this a solid preview.  Like One Big Happy, there is nothing else on in the hour that will drain viewers from iZombie.  Once viewers settle in, I am predicting iZombie will be another The 100: nothing special, but a stable 0.5-0.6 performer.
Prediction: SOLID (3) – renewed for second season

weird lonersQuick Premise: Four single friends live in a townhouse together.
Timeslot: Tuesdays at 930/830c
Lead in: New Girl
Competition: Agents of SHIELD, iZombie, NCIS: New Orleans, and One Big Happy

Analysis: No other comedy will have a harder time launching than Weird Loners.  FOX is burying it behind low-rated New Girl, at the end of March, with a six episode order.  All of these strikes against Weird Loners make me very wary on the chances of success for the new comedy.  In addition, the premise is very outdated, and I have not seen many ads for the show.  Weird Loners feels like a major bomb.  It will be interesting to see if all six episodes even air.
Prediction: BOMB (1)