2015-03-20

Which one survives? Which ones survived (already)

In the next few months we will know which TV series will get new season. Last season we had 8 TV series of which the fate was yet to be decided. This year there also are 8 TV series which have some or more sci-fi elements but the fate of half of them has already been decided in the last few months. Last year my predictions were very accurate, predicted it almost 100% but I left room for error because I said either The 100 or The Tomorrow People would be renewed and that was true, the latter being cancelled.

Continuum's fate already been decided, last January Showcase announced that they granted the series a shortened 4th and final season, only six episodes but I rather have six extra episodes than no more episodes, so thank you Showcase for giving the fans an ending.

The Flash (CW) has already been renewed for a second season. The also renewed The 100 early on in it's second season which was kind of a surprise. The 100 will return for another 16 episodes, probably in the fall of 2015. Last week Syfy decided not to go forward with the event series Ascension, Syfy wanted to make a regular TV Series of this one but decided not to. They did however announce a season two renewal for 12 Monkeys already.

Last year I began with Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (ABC) and I want to do that again. Last year it's renewal wasn't a guarantee, but because it was renewed, we got to see Agent Carter in mid-season. Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s ratings last year mostly were above the 2.0 rating but this season it mostly is beneath the 2.0. It varies from 2.0 to 1.6 rating, between the 3.6 - 5.5 million viewers. So it's not that high, in fact it's low. On the plus side it's a heavy DVD-R show, so there is still some hope it will be renewed, also because most TV series have the same problem, ratings are eroding below the 2.0 rating. I for one find it a very entertaining TV series, I don't understand people rather watch a standard procedural like NCIS or some kind of reality sh*t. Even though it's not a certainty, I believe Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. will be renewed for a third season.

My prediction: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. will be renewed for season 3

The next one, Marvel's Agent Carter (ABC), which aired from the beginning of this year, only eight episodes in it's first season. It was meant to fill up the winter break of Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. , Agent Carter did not do much better than it's big brother S.H.I.E.L.D. but it certainly was a lot of fun, refreshing TV series. Agent Carter started out okay, no more than okay, ratings wise, it got a 1.93 rating and 6.9 million viewers with the two-hour pilot episode. It went down from their, the last episode got a 1.32 rating with 4.0 million viewers. That's a lot of eroding, in eight episodes and I have to say, I really don't understand, as I said, this was a fun and very refreshing TV Series, with some great characters, a very impressive setting, back in the 1940's. Luckily if Agent Carter will not be renewed, the finale was fairly satisfying, it does not scream "cliff-hanger". Well if Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. gets renewed, Agent Carter will be renewed also, it's fairly certain. So if I believe Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. will be renewed, I also believe Agent Carter will be renewed also. (pray)

My prediction: Agent Carter will be renewed for a second season

The third series was also on the list last year, Syfy's Helix, one of the first series that marked the return to real sci-fi on Syfy. In it's first season, Helix did not do spectacular as well ratings wise, it however, had very good DVD-R numbers. It was renewed last season but I believe it was a close call. This season, it's second season, started in January 2015 but the ratings have gone downhill even further. I personally like the new setting on the island as well as having that huge time difference, most people either DVD-R it, like last year, or there aren't that many viewers left. It's second season started out with a 0.30 rating and a 1.0 million total viewers, which was a decline of 48% from last season and 45% in total million viewers. It went down even further in the following episodes to a 0.10 rating with episode 2x06. That was the series low point because after that it did climb to a 0.19 with episode 2x09. With four more episodes to go I fear we are going to have to say goodbye to Helix, I believe it will be cancelled, no season three I'm afraid.

My prediction: Helix will be cancelled after two seasons

The last one I want to address is Person of Interest (CBS), it's first two seasons it were more or less a procedural but this really has grown into a TV series with sci-fi elements, therefore I want to discuss this one here too. Like many other TV series, Person of Interest also has a stiff decline in viewership. This whole season it did not go above the 1.80 rating and that they got with the first two episodes of the fourth season. After that it dropped even further and further to 1.45 with episode 4x17. It still has a lot of total viewers, between the 8.5 and 10.8 million but it's all about the rating. It's very hard to predict what will happen with this one, it could get a shortened fifth season, perhaps even a whole season but it could just as well be cancelled in May. I think however it will be renewed for another season, season five.

My prediction: Person of Interest will be renewed for season 5.

So that's it, only four series instead of eight we had last year. I predict three of these four will be renewed, I think only Helix will get cancelled. Next month the CW will bring another new sci-fi series called The Messengers (April 17th) and ABC will bring a new series called The Whispers (no airdate yet).