There is some encouraging news for a couple of critically acclaimed yet ratings challenged ABC shows today. Kevin (Probably) Saves The World has been given 3 additional episodes (although not a full back order) and The Mayor has received an order for more scripts to determine its future.
The additional order for Kevin will bring its season one order to 15 episodes. This is short of the network standard of 22 episodes but networks are showing a bit more flexibility with orders and season lengths as the network TV landscape has changed a lot over the years. ABC’s own breakout hit, The Good Doctor, received an order for 18 episodes despite ranking as its top drama this season.
Ratings play another factor in the shorter order. While Kevin has been well received by critics, its ratings are a bit lukewarm. The Tuesday at 10PM timeslot has been tough for ABC and Kevin premiered to a 1.0 18-49 demo rating and has since been steady in the 0.6 range. Apparently it only receives small lifts from DVR playback as well.
Ratings for The Mayor have also been soft in recent weeks. It premiered decently to a 1.2 demo rating things to a strong lead-in from Black-ish but it has since settled in the 0.6 demo range as well. The 0.6 for The Mayor is more concerning than the one for Kevin because it has the benefit of a stronger lead-in that it is basically squandering. This could be why it’s getting a script order and not an order for additional episodes just yet. It also only sees small lifts from DVR playback as well.
The benefit for both shows is that they’re owned in house by ABC so there is incentive to see them succeed as it brings in more revenue for the network.