This was posted on Sunday, May 21, 2017 by Rodney Ho/rho@ajc.com from his AJC Radio & TV Talk blog
Last week, the broadcast networks laid out their new 2017-18 seasons. Six scripted shows on three of those networks were shot in metro Atlanta this past year and three survived to live another year. Several TV pilots for the upcoming season including a new version of "Dynasty" on the CW were shot locally. I will post another story once I know which ones that made the cut will stay in Atlanta.
The survivors
Credit: Rodney Ho
Credit: Rodney Ho
"The Originals," The CW
This spinoff of "The Vampire Diaries" will live past its source material and get a fifth season in 2018.
The show, which follows the world’s first vampires reclaiming New Orleans, never reached the heights of the original. Overnight ratings are now about 1 million viewers. For the CW, that's enough to get by.
"MacGyver" CBS
The revival of the 1980s/90s hit was a light-hearted drama perfect for a Friday evening CBS audience. It stars Marietta's Lucas Till as ingenious Angus "Mac" MacGyver, who with "CSI" star George Eads' character helps save the U.S. government from sticky situations.
The show averaged 7.7 million viewers season one, which for CBS is decent and the second most popular show shot in the metro area after "The Walking Dead." Counting DVR usage, it was closer to 10 million. CBS gave it an early pickup in March.
Credit: Rodney Ho
Credit: Rodney Ho
"Star" Fox
Lee Daniels tried to capture the magic of "Empire" with a grittier Atlanta-based story focused on three ambitious young women trying to create a hit R&B group. The show averaged a so-so 4.3 million but passable 1.3 rating 18-49 in the overnights. With DVR usage, it was more like 6 million viewers. In other words, it pulled in enough people (if not that much buzz) to survive a second season.
The three that didn't make it
"Vampire Diaries" CW
This fantasy series was the first broadcast show to shoot in metro Atlanta in 2009 and became a dominant hit for the CW for many years, averaging 4 million viewers its first season in overnights. It closed shop recently more or less on its own accord after eight seasons, with overnight ratings closer to 1 million.
Credit: Rodney Ho
Credit: Rodney Ho
"24: Legacy" Fox
It was probably a close call for Fox whether to renew this revival of "24" starring Corey Hawkins. Ratings were actually stronger than "Star" with 5.1 million viewers and a 1.4 18-49 overnight rating average. But those were a bit misleading since the first episode aired after the Super Bowl. In the end, a "24" without Jack Bauer was not enough to bring them back in the fold. But Fox has intimated it might bring it back in the future. (At Fox, nothing that was a hit is ever truly dead.)
Credit: Rodney Ho
Credit: Rodney Ho
"Sleepy Hollow" Fox
This quirky drama opened strong in 2013 but saw its ratings fortunes waned steadily. Seasons 3 and 4 were shot locally after North Carolina trimmed its tax credits. Despite the departure of one of its key cast members season 3, Fox gave the show a surprise fourth season this year. Unfortunately, a fictional setting change to D.C. failed to ignite viewer interest this year. The last episode drew just 1.7 million overnight viewers, a far cry from its debut of 10.1 million.
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