The ratings for Elementary fell quite a bit last year but CBS still renewed it. Is it essentially guaranteed to be renewed for a fourth season because that will give the series enough episodes for a syndication package? If the ratings drop low enough, could it be cancelled instead? Stay tuned.
A contemporary update on the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle characters, Elementary follows eccentric detective Sherlock Holmes (Jonny Lee Miller) and Doctor Joan Watson (Lucy Liu) as they help solve crimes in New York. Aidan Quinn and Jon Michael Hill co-star.
The ratings are typically the best indication of a show’s likelihood of staying on the air. The higher the ratings (particularly the 18-49 demo), the better the chances for survival. This chart will be updated as new ratings data becomes available — usually the next day, around 11:30am EST/8:30am PST. Refresh to see the latest.
5/11 update: CBS has renewed Elementary for a fourth season.
Final season averages: 1.28 rating in the 18-49 demographic with 7.42 million total viewers.
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For comparisons: The second season of Elementary averaged a 1.7 rating in the 18-49 demographic with 8.79 million total viewers.
Note: Note: These are the Live + Same Day Ratings which include “live” viewing plus delayed DVR viewing, up until 3am local time that same night. Ratings marked with an “*” are the fast affiliate ratings and will be updated with the Live+SD numbers when they are made available. Typically, networks get paid for C+3 ratings which includes DVR viewing within three days of the original airing when commercials are watched. Those numbers are rarely released to the press.
What do you think? Do you still like the Elementary TV show? Do you think it should be cancelled or be renewed for a fourth season?
A considerable rarity, that uncompromisingly intelligent a show on network t.v. A good reason to begin to believe CBS again when it pitches itself as the Tiffany Network. I hope they factor that in when they make the call.
We LOVE Elementary! Definitely need to keep it for at least another season.
My feeling is we need to see more story lines with Adian Qunn – there was a strong relationship there in the beginning but that seems to have been dropped in season two and nearly non existent in season 3. The writers should bring that back. I also miss Rhys Ifans and Sean Pertwee and would like to see more of them. My least favorite is Marcus Bell’s character and I have never have seen much of dynamic there. Maybe it’s just the actor or the part – I don’t know but whatever it is it just isn’t that interesting.
Renew it for season 4. Let is grow ! Looking forward to more .
Give it a chance! The Kitty story line took the show away from the tension and repartee between Holmes and Watson. Give the writers a chance to bring the viewers back.
Dan is right on! I think they need to revisit the Holmes/Watson relationship. I do like the chemistry there .
Exactly! I could not have stated my thoughts better myself! Therefore, I will not even try!
To clarify…this was meant to be a reply to plusafdotcom’s comment dated Feb 11, 2015.
i love this show its awesome pairing it just gets better and better long may it continue into series 4 and above
This is an excellent show adult program. it should be given the opportunity to allow its audience to grow just as was done with NCIS. NCIS increased its audience after putting the reruns on cable. The public was given the opportunity to gain a familiarity with the characters. Then the ratings increased.. I suggest the same for, “Elementary.”
I love this show, and the Beebs’ Sherlock too. It nonsense to compare them….Sherlock is Dr Who without the Tardis, Elementary is Justified with a British hero. We’re it not for the Sherlock Holmes, J. Watson names no one would even think of comparing these two shows. The BBC Sherlock is indeed a ‘high functoning sociopath’, played brilliantly by Cumberbatch aided by the excellent Martin Freeman. Sherlock as played just as brilliantly by Jonny Lee Miller can break your heart…you get to feel the pain of his life…Lucy Liu is wonderful as Joan Watson. But in the end these are… Read more »
Love this show! Please renew it for a fourth season!
This is one of the better show and one of the very few that I bother to watch. I also buy the CD’s when they come out to watch the shows again without the interruption of ads – the whole family watches.
I live in Australia and waited a long time for season three to start. It started at beginning of March with little to no advertising and was put in the 10pm time slot – so annoyed.
I enjoy this show so much, but I wish Lucy Liu were not such a goody-two-shoes.
Elementary in my mind is one of the better shows on the air, in part because the stories themselves are interesting, but at the same time because the characters are also interesting and about as flawed as the rest of us. Sherlock’s incredible mental powers team up with some incredibly huge social lapses, and makes him way more real than most shows would ever allow a character to be. I will say that the ratings for season three show what I think of as the “Kitty Effect”. Plain and simple, the added character of Kitty didn’t add anything to the… Read more »
Elementary, like a lot of US television shows, is great for syndication. However, as often happens, shows are cut off in their growth period. There are so many examples of it that it seems childish to list them. However, Stargate SGU (was just getting interesting when it was cut), Tomorrow People (ditto) and many others are clear examples of excellent shows that were just becoming interesting when they are cut. Elementary easily has 5 seasons in its guts, and I hope that the show continues to run for at least this length of time. I want to see the dynamic… Read more »
I agree with your premise, Louis. I believe the networks also tend to continue a series for the minimum number of years necessary to enter syndication where residuals become possible. They also give a reason for cancellation that after a few years, cost of production (salaries) make the margin of profit questionable.. Either way, the viewers lose.
Great writing, variety of subjects addressed and, of course, excellent acting by the entire cast. Lots of twists and character and situational developments and arcs. Not boring like some renewed shows have become; should be good for at least another 2-3 seasons unless (hope not!) some better opportunities turn up for key cast members.