Supergirl just came back from hiatus last week, and its numbers dropped a bit. The same was true for shows like The Flash and Arrow, as well. Unfortunately, this is a trend that seems to be continuing, as Supergirl dropped in the ratings this Monday, as well. This week, Supergirl only did a .7 rating, tying it with lows the show nabbed earlier in the season, on Halloween of all days.
Supergirl kicked off pretty strongly earlier this season, and saw the numbers in November really do well for the series. However, when the show came back, the numbers have continued to dwindle a bit. If it continues next week, this could honestly be a problem for the series. Before you panic, the one benefit Supergirl really has is that the show has already been renewed for Season 3 by The CW. In addition, despite the drops, Supergirl is still doing better than Arrow and Legends of Tomorrow in the ratings.
So, why are these numbers worrisome? Honestly, it mostly has to do with the fact that all of The CW shows seem to be dropping. It wasn't just Supergirl that was down last week, per TV By The Numbers. The Flash had a pretty drastic drop, nabbing only a .9 rating, although that eventually rounded up to a 1.0 after the final numbers came in. The previous episode before the holidays did a 1.2 rating. Arrow and Legends of Tomorrow were a little more on pace with previous episodes, albeit even those shows dropped a tenth from their previous outings. If all of the DC Comics shows are dropping in the ratings, this is worse news for the CW than fans, as it indicates that the network might be finally shuffling out of the ratings success it has been enjoying for the past several TV seasons. This could have an effect on longterm programming goals, as well.
While it's common for shows to drop as the season wears on, frequently audiences are really excited when shows return at midseason. (Just look at Grey's Anatomy ratings for an idea.) Last week, it was difficult to tell if the numbers dropped simply because people weren't aware that the DC Comics lineup was back. If Flash is down again on Tuesday, it could prove the theory that all of The CW shows are dropping, or that at least a slew of viewers are no longer bothering to tune in and watch the shows live.
The DC shows have always done well in second run on platforms like Netflix (previously Hulu) and even the network's own streaming site, where episodes can be viewed after their primetime airing. It's not like any of these shows are doing dismally, either, but the fact that people seem to at least somewhat be losing interest does not bode well. Hopefully, some upcoming crossovers and the new stuff coming up will help audiences to be more excited about their favorite superhero characters again. Tune in for new episodes of Supergirl on Monday nights at 8 p.m. ET.
