Posted Wednesday, May 2, 2018 by RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com on his AJC Radio & TV Talk blog
NBC's "Good Girls," shot out of Third Rail Studios in Doraville but set in Michigan, just concluded its 10-episode first season. The network has not decided yet whether it will get a second season but there are several positive factors in play before NBC makes an announcement, probably next week.
RATINGS: First of all, overnight ratings have averaged about 4.5 million with a boost to 6 million-plus including DVR usage. That isn't gangbusters but it isn't half bad either in 2018. Ratings have been steady for weeks, another sign that it found its fan base and they like what they see. Sure, it loses half of the audience from lead-in "The Voice" but it generally beats drama competitors on CBS and ABC. TVByTheNumbers, which gives shows on the fence a "cancel bear" rating from 1 to 5 (with 5 being good), graces "Good Girls" with four out of five for "likely renewal." Its numbers are comparable to "The Good Place," which was already renewed.
CONNECTIONS: "Good Girls" is produced by NBC's sister studio and if there's a close call like this, networks will often place take that type of financial connection into consideration.
CREATOR'S FEELINGS: Creator Jenna Bans recently told TV Line that "we just pitched Season 2 to [NBC's] Powers That Be on Friday [April 26] and everyone seemed really engaged and enthusiastic about it." This past Monday's season finale featured a cliffhanger, something Bens did to help build up excitement for a second season.
COSTS: The show, though it features "Mad Men" star Christina Hendricks, is probably not the priciest on the NBC line up. It's about three regular women who decide to rob a grocery store and get caught up with a crime syndicate.
COMPETITION WITHIN NBC: Outside of the revamped "Will & Grace," NBC did not find any real hits from its freshmen line up. That certainly helps the cause of "Good Girls" relatively speaking.
CRITICAL PRAISE: While the show didn't get "This is Us"-level love from critics, most who saw the first few episodes liked the show and it gets a respectable 7.5 out of 10 among viewers on imdb.com. TV Guide's Sadie Gennis wrote Monday in favor of renewal. Her full-throated defense includes this: "This female-fronted series, both on-camera and off, has been repeatedly praised for the timeliness of its subject matter. Without ever saying the phrase #MeToo onscreen, the themes Good Girls explores embody the best parts of the movement, from women raising each other up to fighting back against the system that previously held them down."
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