Which CW TV series will be renewed or cancelled for the 2011-12 season? In large part this depends on a series’ ratings for the 18-49 demographic. The CW also puts a particular lot of weight on the 18-34 female demographic. The lower a show’s ratings, the more likely it is to be cancelled.
Before we get to the season-to-date averages, here are the winners and losers from February 25th until March 3rd — based on the 18-34 female demographic, as measured against the last original episode.
Week-to-Week Gains: Smallville 0.7/3 (+16.7%) and Hellcats 1.0/3 (+11.1%).
No Change: 90210 1.0/3
Week-to-Week Losses: Supernatural 0.9/3 (-10.0%), Gossip Girl 1.4/4 (-6.7%), One Tree Hill 1.3/4 (-18.8%), America’s Next Top Model 1.6/5 (-15.8%), and Shedding for the Wedding 0.8/2 (-20.0%).
Wonder if your favorite FOX show’s been renewed or cancelled? Check out our comprehensive list. We’ll keep updating it as new info becomes available.
Below is a list of the regular CW TV shows and their 2010-11 season average ratings to date. It only incorporates the ratings for original episodes that have aired this season (no repeats). The data is sorted by the 18-34 female demographic averages, the group that the CW focuses on attracting and selling to advertisers. The “compared to” column reflects whether the demo average has gone up, down, or stayed the same.
| W 18-34 demo rank |
TV Shows | Average viewership (in millions) |
Average 18-49 demo rating |
Average women 18-34 demo |
Compared to last week |
|
| 1 | The Vampire Diaries | 3.30 | 1.5 | 2.4 | --- | |
| 2 | Gossip Girl | 1.73 | 0.9 | 2.1 | --- | |
| 3 | One Tree Hill | 1.89 | 0.9 | 1.7 | down | |
| 4 | 90210 | 1.80 | 0.9 | 1.6 | down | |
| 5 | Hellcats | 2.03 | 0.9 | 1.5 | --- | |
| 6 | Life Unexpected (cancelled) | 1.52 | 0.7 | 1.3 | --- | |
| 7 | Nikita | 2.51 | 0.9 | 1.1 | --- | |
| 7 | Supernatural | 2.32 | 1.0 | 1.1 | --- | |
| 9 | Smallville (ending) | 2.62 | 1.1 | 0.9 | --- | |
| 1 | America's Next Top Model (fall) | 2.87 | 1.3 | 2.1 | --- | |
| 2 | America's NT Model (spring) | 2.10 | 1.0 | 1.8 | down | |
| 3 | Shedding for the Wedding | 1.07 | 0.5 | 0.9 | down | |
The closer a show is to the bottom of the list, the closer it is to being cancelled (if it hasn’t been cancelled already like Life Unexpected). If it’s closer to the top of the list, it’s more likely to be renewed. Shows that are in the middle (“on the bubble”) can be a little tougher to call. Their future typically comes down to other factors like overall costs, contracts, who produces the show, and what new shows are on the horizon.
It should be noted that Friday nights are one of the least watched evenings of television so ratings for shows on that night are lower. The network understands this and takes it into account. However, regardless of when a show is aired, its production costs remain the same. Ultimately, it must still be profitable enough for the network to keep ordering more episodes.
Raw data: © The Nielsen Company via Media Week.
What do you think? Any surprises? Which shows do you think won’t survive to see a new season?
Image courtesy The CW.
Firstly how do we know that life unexpected is cancelled, I’m seeing it everywhere but can’t find any proof, the initial ratings look low but shedding for the wedding doesn’t exactly seem successful either ? why don’t they cancel a fluffy show like that and keep decent family tv like LUX ? What would they fill the void with anyway what with smallville going as well ?
Exactly! The CW has not made any official announcement yet about Life Unexpected as far as I know…and we likely won’t get our answers until May. It’s ridiculous. If a decision has been made to cancel, I truly hope the CW reconsiders. I love LUX so much, and it still has so much potential. I understand that it’s a ratings game and a business, but 2 short seasons of 13 episodes does not seem like a fair chance for a show to grow and develop. Considering how GG is struggling (along with Shedding for the Wedding – just awful), and… Read more »
I would hate to see SUPERNATURAL cancelled. Just when the plot is really getting interesting I would hate to have the upper management leave us blowing in the wind. If your writers would only pick up the Holy Bible with a good study guide & read the book of REVELATION they could get alot of real material to write their scripts. Your last episode was o.k. but not very realistic. I mean come on writers have you lost your mojo. A show is only good as it writers. If you need help there are plenty of us out there that… Read more »
Bring on OTH Season 9! <3
So frustrating to see Gossip Girl struggle in the ratings. Thankfully it’s still 2nd in it’s Target Demo! It must make alot of money via ITunes and DVD sales. Was No 1 on iTunes when I last checked! Bring on Season 5