TV Ratings Explanation

While there aren’t any set numbers that show if a series is performing well or poorly, there are a few guidelines. Generally, ratings should increase every hour for a network. If a show doesn’t hold a good chunk of its lead-in audience, it probably won’t last that long. If the show improves on its lead-in, that is a big plus. Also, 18-49 demographic ratings are generally more important for a network than the overall numbers. “Young” people are much more attractive for advertisers so if a show is great at getting young viewers, it will likely stay for years even if it gets less than spectacular overall numbers.

The overall numbers listed have two numbers in an x/x format. The first number is the household rating or the number of households (in percentage) in the U.S. that watched the show. The second number is the “share” or the percentage of households watching TV at that hour that watched the show. Usually (assuming the show has similar 18-49 numbers), a household rating of a 5 is considered average. Anything below will probably be cancelled unless it is cheap, does great in the 18-49 demographic, is in a tough time slot, or is on a tough night (like Friday or Saturday). However, a 5 household rating or better still doesn’t guarantee the show another season. Variables like cost, 18-49 numbers, the network’s stock of shows (does the network have a schedule packed full of hits?), and the show’s time slot could impact the network’s decision of whether to keep a show or not.