NEW YORK (AP) – After the coronavirus pandemic sidelined creators and led to a delayed start of the traditional fall television season, scripted shows are beginning to return to network schedules.
Not all of them, not yet. But the return was most apparent the week after the election, and already there are winners and losers.
Dick Wolf’s Chicago-based trilogy of dramas is back, and all three shows finished among the Nielsen company’s 20 most-watched programs last week.
CBS’ “Young Sheldon” led the path for comedies. ABC’s “Station 19” and “Grey’s Anatomy” were strong performers, along with CBS’ “NCIS: Los Angeles.”
But there are signs that viewers aren’t immediately returning to old habits. A CBS double-header of “S.W.A.T.” episodes on Wednesday fell flat, with neither episode reaching 3 million viewers.