Thursday nights have always been must-see television nights in my home. From watching Friends and Will & Grace when I was a little too young to be watching either to Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal, Thursday is my television night. Don’t call me, don’t text me, don’t bother me, unless you’re doing so to tell me you grabbed wine and a snack and you’re coming over. Notorious is the newest addition to the Thursday-night block on ABC, and I have to say, I’m not hating it. I was a little worried about this fill-in for Scandal, mostly because it’s not produced by Shonda Rhimes, but I like it! It’s a nice way to fill the night. But will Notorious get a Season 2?
Well, I’m not sure. No one is really sure. TV Line reported in October that Notorious’ first season order (aka how many episodes the network wants) was cut from 13 episodes to 10 episodes, and that’s usually the first sign that a show is getting the axe. However, TV Line reports that their source says “all 10 episodes will air and the show remains in consideration for a second season.” Interesting. Notorious doesn’t have the best ratings on Thursday night. On one Thursday in October, it kept only half of its lead-in audience from Grey’s Anatomy, but it had only a smidgen less viewers than How To Get Away With Murder, which airs right after it. It’s no smash, but it’s not a complete loss, either.
Even though Notorious got its episode order shaved down, it was never going to air in January, anyway. Because Kerry Washington was pregnant, Season 6 of Scandal got pushed back to premiere on Jan. 19, and it will fill Notorious’ spot. People can speculate all they want, but just because Notorious isn’t showing up until possibly next year doesn’t mean we’ll never see it again.
One thing I think that Notorious struggles with is the balance of the “case of the week” with the more long-term storylines, and that’s something that happened to shows like Scandal, How To Get Away With Murder, and Revenge in the beginning, too. When you try to stuff so much into one show, the narrative falls off and viewers may, too, because they don’t always understand what’s going on. All three aforementioned shows combatted this by just sort of drifting away from the “crime of the week” trope. Who needs a random, different famous person to co-star every week? Isn’t that what we have Law & Order: Special Victims Unit for?
If Notorious does get a second season, my expert television watching opinion is that they double down on the important stuff. I’m fine with stunt television (I mean, hello, I still watch Grey’s Anatomy and Empire), but viewers need something they can hold onto. With so many streaming and channel options available, it’s harder to keep viewers than ever before (they can just Hulu old episodes of The O.C. if they can’t stand you), so keeping it simple is probably Notorious’ best bet.
Images: Richard Cartwright/ABC; Kelsey McNeal/ABC (2)
