Strong time-shifted viewing has helped new NBC drama Shades of Blue, starring Jennifer Lopez, to land a second-season renewal five episodes into its freshman run.
The pickup underscore how less and less relevant Live+same dayTV ratings are in networks’ renewal decisions, also illustrated by NBC’s second-season pickup of Aquarius and Fox’s of Scream Queens — both soft in linear TV but strong in digital ratings performance.
While Shades of Blue slipped another two tenths to a new low of a 1.1 Live+same day adults 18-49 rating last night, in Live+3, the cop drama has averaged a 2.5 demo rating and 11.2 million viewers overall. It is one of the most time-shifted shows on television, with its most recent L+7 data available indicating a +95% lift in 18-49 vs. L+SD (from a 1.32 to a 2.57) and by +4.7 million viewers overall (6.6 million to 11.3 million). Shades of Blue has delivered NBC’s first time period wins in the Thursday 10 PM hour with in-season regular programming over original competition on ABC and CBS since March 2010 in 18-49 and since March 2008 in total viewers.
“We want to thank Jennifer, who is the hardest working woman we know, for her incredible efforts as both the star and producer of this show, as well as well as our other amazing producers and cast for all their tireless work in creating one of the most compelling dramas on television today,” said NBC’s entertainment president Jennifer Salke.
Created by Adi Hasak, Shades of Blue stars Jennifer Lopez as Harlee Santos, a charismatic single mother and resourceful detective at the heart of a tight-knit crew of Brooklyn detectives, led by enigmatic Lt. Matt Wozniak (Ray Liotta). The FBI catches Harlee in the act and pits her against her own unit. As a newly turned informant, Harlee struggles to safeguard her on-the-job family and avoid arrest in order to stay with her daughter. Co-starring in the series are Drea de Matteo, Warren Kole, Dayo Okeniyi, Vincent Laresca, Hampton Fluker and Sarah Jeffery.
Hasak, showrunner Jack Orman, Lopez, Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas, Benny Medina, Ryan Seacrest and Nina Wass serve as executive producers for Universal TV.. Barry Levinson directed the first two episodes.
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