US REPORT – MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2021: BIG BROTHER’S COOKOUT, NFL THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL

BROADCAST RATINGS:

Broadcast Primetime Live + Same Day – Thursday, September 16, 2021

BROADCAST RATINGS REPORT:

• ABC’S WHEN NATURE CALLS WITH HELEN MIRREN held steady at .2. Fans have been buzzing with excitement this week following the announcement that Mirren will be hosting the upcoming Harry Potter special competition show with Warner Bros, with audiences branding Oscar-winning Mirren “the queen.”
• CBS’ BIG BROTHER ticked up from .8 to .9. This week the conversation around Big Brother has centered on the fact that there has never been a Black winner of the show in over 21 seasons… but audiences are anticipating that this season will be different. The six Black contestants this season have formed a squad they call “The Cookout,” which fans are putting their bets on as to who is winning this season of the show. Regardless of the show’s racial dynamics as they mirror the tensions of America today—audiences are impressed that such a large alliance of contestants has survived on the show for this long.
• NBC’S BROOKLYN NINE-NINE aired to .5/.5 this week. Social media has been swirling with talk of how the show will bid audiences goodbye after this current season ends… with the show’s creators hinting they are aiming to make it the “perfect goodbye.”
• CW’S THE OUTPOST, which the network recently announced will not be continuing for another season, held this week at .1. CORONER aired to .1.

CABLE RATINGS:

Top 25 Original Programs on Cable– Thursday, September 16, 2021

CABLE RATINGS REPORT:

• NFL had the solo national THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL game, and it easily took the night at 2.38.
• FOX’S TUCKER CARLSON TONIGHT ticked up from .24 to .25, HANNITY ticked up .21 to .22, and THE INGRAHAM ANGLE ticked down to .18 from .23.
• HGTV’S HOUSE HUNTERS INTERNATIONAL was at 0.17/0.15 compared to last week’s 0.1. FLIPPING 101 was at 0.24/0.2.
• MTV’S DOUBLE SHOT AT LOVE returned to air at 0.18 and FLORIBAMA SHORE was at 0.17.
• BRAVO’S MILLION DOLLAR LISTINGS edged up 0.02 to 0.16 this week.
• ADULT SWIM’S ROBOT CHICKEN ticked up to 0.15 compared to last week’s
• USA’S CHRISLEY KNOWS BEST held steady at .19.

OTHER NEWS:

STREAMING UPDATES:

• PEACOCK is developing a five-episode adaptation series of an Alex Scarrow Thriller novel titled LAST NIGHT.
•  HBOMAX is developing a humanoid spy fantasy series titled DARK MATERIALS.
• MACRO TELEVISION STUDIOS has teamed up with Nigerian-American filmmaker and activist Nneka Onuorah on TRUTH BE TOLD, a limited docu-series about the Black church.

TV UPDATES:

• FX, beginning today on September 20, officially has the entire catalogue of all nineteen seasons of FAMILY GUY, although HULU is still the streaming home for the animated series. The network also scored nonexclusive rights to the animated series FUTURAMA, which will join in November.
• DANCING WITH THE STARS season 30 airs on ABC tonight, September 20, at 8:00 pm PST.
• HEARST TELEVISION is officially launching its free-to-watch collection of programming VERY LOCAL, which is a platform of over-the-top streaming channels, spanning across all 26 U.S media markets it operates in. Very Local is another bid by a legacy media company looking to reach younger viewers who aren’t watching TV the way Americans used to. The debut of “Very Local” comes after several months of Hearst TV quietly piloting the free, ad-supported service. The channels — which include a national version, as well as those for local TV markets — are centered on newscasts from its stations.

Renewed:

• NETFLIX confirmed at the Emmy’s that there will be no season two for THE QUEEN’S GAMBIT, but they are looking to reteam with Anya Taylor-Joy for future projects.
• APPLE is super-sizing Emmy winner TED LASSO for a third season.

Ordered:

• BET ordered AMPLIFIED WITH AISHA MILLS, a show that will feature the political strategist examining policies affecting Black America and LGBTQ+ communities. The series airs tonight, September 20, at 7:00 pm PST.

Cancelled:

• NETFLIX unveiled the trailer for season four of ON MY BLOCK as the last installment of the young-adult comedy series.

INDUSTRY NEWS:

• The 73rd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards were handed out on Sunday, in a CBS ceremony hosted by “The Neighborhood” star Cedric the Entertainer from the L.A. Live deck. (“Lock the doors, we’re not leaving till we find a new host for ‘Jeopardy,’” said Cedric.”) Netflix’s THE CROWN took home the trophy for Outstanding Drama Series, while Apple TV+’s TED LASSO landed the prize for Comedy Series. In Lead Actor categories, Josh O'Connor (THE CROWN) and Olivia Coleman (also THE CROWN) won for drama series, while Jason Sudekis (TED LASSO) and Jean Smart (HACKS) were comedy winners. On the other hand, Marvel’s WANDAVISION was completely shut out, despite being a frontrunner for the industry’s predictions on winners. The Emmy’s have improved in this department, but it was notable how few winners of color were present at the Emmys; #EmmysSoWhite was trending following the awards. THE HANDMAIDS TALE broke the record for most Emmy losses in one season after going into last night with 21 nominations and winning in none of the categories. The Brits and streaming platforms dominated last night, with more than half of the primetime awards given to UK series and talent, and Apple and Netflix proving to us all that it’s a streamer’s world at the moment.
• Continuing the Emmy’s takeaways… the trades are adamant today that the time limits on last night’s speeches should officially serve as an example as to why these time limitations do nothing but annoy everyone in the room. Multiple stars last night declared they would be speaking until they were finished with their speeches—which has become more common in recent years at awards shows as stars include crucial mention of integral issues in Hollywood that have not become centerpieces to social dialogue until recent, such as sexual assault and harassment, under-appreciated writers, etc. We want to hear what these winners have to say, because a lot of times it does turn out to be something of substance… so maybe we should give them a chance to say what they want to say without the bizarre interruption of the orchestra? It’s a tough line to walk, because we all know celebrities could also listen to their own voices for a long, long time, but where do we find the balance of fostering real conversations at these awards shows?
• VIACOMCBS is the first major television and film company to set January as the return to office date for employees. Everyone headed back to the office during round one of return will have to be fully vaccinated.
• SAG-AFTRA filed a complaint against the producers of the TV and theatrical productions of Warner Bros.’ DC Universe seeking compensation for their reuse of clips from shows on Warner Bros. Television’s web series DC DAILY.
• A possible strike is looming at IATSE if the organization can’t come to terms with the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers for a new TV and film contract. The union’s current contract was set to expire July 31 but was extended through September 10. IATSE has made brutally long workdays a key safety issue in its negotiations for a new film and TV contract, and says that between January and July of 2021 it “received well over 50 reports of workdays 14 hours or longer, and it is likely that is just the tip of the iceberg. Nobody should accept or defend 14-hour days as an industry standard.”
• FOX is attempting to overhaul its primetime lineup, opting to drop opinion-centric shows for reality and docu-series programming. More one-time TV viewers are moving to streaming outlets for entertainment and information, and the business-news category isn’t immune from the trends. In response, Fox is consciously studying data as to what Americans want to watch and when and shifting their scheduling to better include elements of relatability, comfort, and escapism to balance out the politics of the network. As of right now, From Monday to Thursday, Fox Business’ primetime hours will be stocked with programs about house hunting and “hard work,” and Tuesdays will be devoted to real estate.