Ratings Report: ‘Magnum P.I.’ Finds Fans On New Network And ‘Blue Eye Samurai’ Satisfies The Critics
Broadcast: After taking several months off, Magnum P.I. is back to close out the back half of its fifth and final season. Originally premiering on CBS in 2018, Magnum P.I. was canceled after four seasons before NBC resurrected it in June of 2022. On November 1st, Magnum P.I. brought in 3.073 million viewers in the P2+ demographic, with a rating of 0.97, and 362,000 viewers in the P18-49 demographic, with a rating of 0.27. When the following episode aired on November 15th, viewership in the P2+ group rose to 3.317, with a rating of 1.05, while the P18-49 group fell to 308,000 viewers, with a rating 0.23. Overall, this marks strong viewership for this NBC revival, currently ranking amongst the network’s top ten series.
Magnum P.I. is a reboot of the hit 1980s series of the same name starring Tom Selleck (Blue Bloods, Three Men and a Baby, In & Out). Sticking with the same general premise, Magnum P.I. centers around a former United States Navy Seal who moves to Hawaii to work as a private investigator. Each episode will see Thomas Magnum, played by Jay Hernandez (Hostel, Suicide Squad, Takers), utilize his unique skill set as he solves different cases across the Hawaiian islands. Former MI:6 agent Juliet Higgins, played by Perdita Weeks (Ready Player One, As Above, So Below, Penny Dreadful), assists Magnum on his various investigations, in addition to managing the estate where he lives. Other members of the cast include Amy Hill (The Cat in the Hat, 50 First Dates, Next Friday) as Kumu, the curator for the estate’s cultural center, and Stephen Hill (Dead Man Down, Draft Day, Widows) as TC, a retired marine and pilot who runs a helicopter tour company.
Cable: Back for a fifth season, The Oval is yet another series from legendary writer, director, and producer Tyler Perry. Episode four aired on November 7th to an audience of 583,000 in the P2+ group, with a rating of 0.18, while the P18-49 group had 131,000 viewers, with a rating of 0.10. The following week, episode five saw these numbers drop slightly. The P2+ demographic contained 553,000 viewers, with a rating of 0.18, while the P18-49 group contained 105,000, with a rating of 0.08.
Unlike the comedic content Perry is known for, The Oval is a political drama and soap opera. The series follows the newly elected President of the United States, Hunter Franklin, played by Ed Quinn (2 Broke Girls, True Blood, One Day at a Time). The series deals with the political struggles inherent as the leader of the free world while also focusing on the dynamics and drama of being the first family. The cast includes Kron Moore (Star Girl, Beast Beast, Them), Ptosha Storey (Empire, Key and Peele, If Loving You is Wrong), and Travis Cure (Tough Love, Deadly Sexy, David Movie).
Streaming: Blue Eye Samurai is Netflix’s latest original animated series. This violent and stylized action series quickly gained praise and recognition since its release on November 3rd. Blue Eye Samurai currently holds a perfect 100% on Rotten Tomatoes and a near perfect audience score of 96%. The series received praise for its well-developed characters and consistently dazzling fight scenes. Between November 6th and 12th it ranked No. 6 on the Netflix Global Top Ten list for TV. During that week, Blue Eye Samurai streamed 18.100 million hours and received 2.900 million views.
Blue Eye Samurai is an original action animated series set during the Edo period of Japan. It centers around Mizu, a half-white half-Japanese swordsman on a quest for vengeance. Voiced by Maya Erskine (PEN15, Man Seeking Woman, Plus One), Mizu sets out to find and kill the four white men present in Japan at the time of her birth. Mizu’s mixed heritage made her feel like an outcast since birth, motivating her to seek out the men she holds responsible. As Mizu progresses towards her goal, she leaves a bloody trail, cutting down anyone standing in her way. On her journey, Mizu encounters a variety of characters, some who admire her while others oppose her. The cast includes Masi Oka (Heroes, The Meg, Get Smart), Brenda Song (The Social Network, Dollface, Secret Obsession), and George Takei (Star Trek, Hit-Monkey, Futurama).
South Korea: On KBS, South Korea’s free-to-watch network, audiences can tune into the new romcom period drama The Matchmakers. Episodes three and four aired November 6th and 7th to an average of 1.817 million viewers. Episodes five and six aired the following week to slightly lower viewership, averaging an audience of 1.656 million. Set during the Joseon period of Korea, The Matchmakers tells the tale of a widow and widower who team up to play cupid with the eligible men and women of their kingdom. This series stars Rowoon (Destined With You, The King’s Affection, Extraordinary You) and Cho Yi-hyun (How to Buy a Friend, Hospital Playlist, Less Than Evil) as the titular matchmakers.
The pay-to-watch network ENA hosts the new fantasy romance series Moon in the Day. Episodes three and four of this debut season aired on November 8th and 9th to an average audience of 588,000 viewers. This number declined the following week, with episodes five and six dropping to 487,200 viewers. This new series regales a love story that transcends time, alternating focus between two characters living in modern times and their historical counterparts living during the Silla Kingdom of Korea. Moon in the Day stars Kim Young-dae (The Forbidden Marriage, True Beauty, Extraordinary You) and Pyo Ye-jin (Our Blooming Youth, Hotel del Luna, Love Returns).
South Africa: In October, the SABC1 drama Uzalo reached impressive new heights in viewership. One of South Africa’s most popular series, Uzalo averaged 6.178 million viewers per episode, over a million more than its viewership in September. Generations: The Legacy surpassed Skeem Saam to become SABC1’s second most popular drama, averaging 4.786 million viewers an episode, while Skeem Saam averaged 4.200 million viewers per episode. SABC2 experienced an increase in viewership for its dramas as well, with the average viewership for Muvhango rising to 1.613 million viewers and 7de Laan to 1.019 million viewers. On eTV, both Scandal and House of Zwide saw significant increases in viewership, reaching an average viewership of 5.604 million and 5.116 million respectively. The viewership for DSTV also increased, with Gomora averaging 714,000 viewers and The River averaging 706,000 viewers.
United Kingdom: Coronation Street continues to tower over its competition with another two weeks of impressive ratings. Between October 30th and November 5th, this ITV1 drama garnered an average viewership of 4.680 million across its three new episodes. Fellow ITV1 drama Emmerdale averaged 4.309 million viewers across its five episodes that same week. During this time, BBC1’s EastEnders averaged 3.832 million viewers across its four new episodes. The following week Coronation Street pulled in nearly identical viewership, averaging 4.679 million viewers. Emmerdale experienced a small decline, with its average viewership dropping to 4.152 million viewers. EastEnders also lost viewers, falling to an average of 3.539 million viewers. During this same week, the less popular Hollyoaks, found on E4, averaged 357,000 viewers across its five new episodes. Hollyoaks continues its trend of rising viewership demonstrated over the last several weeks.