Month: October 2024

Earlier this month, CBS premiered its third hilarious series set within the Big Bang Theory universe, and it’s already generating outstanding buzz and stellar ratings. Officially a spin-off of Young Sheldon, this mid-90s-set multi-cam sitcom follows mismatched couple Georgie and Mandy as they attempt to navigate newlywed life with a baby in tow.

Here’s what you need to know about Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage:

Vault uses index scores to describe the impact a given story/theme/element will have on specific KPIs: 
≤79 Disappointing  80-89 Challenging  90-109 Average  110-119 Promising  120+ Outstanding

Is this series attracting the same audience as its predecessors?
Yes. For Georgie & Mandy, we’re seeing an audience that’s heavily composed of women (67%) and those aged 35+ (92%). This viewership profile is almost identical to both Young Sheldon and The Big Bang Theory as well as creator Chuck Lorre’s other blockbuster sitcoms on CBS (Bob Hearts Abishola, Mom, Two and a Half Men).

How is Georgie & Mandy different from the other Big Bang universe shows? 
It’s a love story. Original series The Big Bang Theory, which focused on a group of nerdy physicists at Caltech, led primarily with its Comedy (132), while prequel story Young Sheldon, depicting the main character’s childhood, injected a heavy dose of Family (129) alongside its humor (Comedy, 123). Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage, in contrast, follows an unconventional married couple and embraces its elements of Romance (118) from the very beginning (without sacrificing the same Comedy (119) that made the other series so successful).

Why have audiences been tuning in?
To see the young couple make a go of it. Fans of Young Sheldon watched Georgie and Mandy hook up, get pregnant, have a baby, and then finally fall in love and get married, and now they’re anxious to watch these characters they’ve come to know and adore (IP Extension, 121) navigate whatever comes next. The newlyweds’ decision to move ahead with their union (Life Changing Decision, 124) and do whatever’s necessary to make things work–including living and Working with Family (125), despite all the conflict that entails–is the hook that’s pulling viewers into the show.

What’s making this series so compulsively watchable? 
Funny tension. Georgie & Mandy incorporates both warmer, Feel-Good Humor (128) and snarkier, more cutting quips (Sarcastic Humor, 121), and viewers appreciate the show’s range of comedic styles alongside its more emotional dramatic heart. The jokes are driven by the sizable Age Gap (148) between 19-year-old goof Georgie and 31-year-old pragmatist Mandy as well as their bickering disagreements, both with each other and with their respective families who have strong opinions on their match (Family Conflict, 117). All are key drivers of bingeability.

How is the show’s social tracking? 
Sky-high–and higher than Young Sheldon. Georgie & Mandy shot to the top of our social buzz meter (to 160) with the ramp-up of its promotional cycle in early October and has remained there ever since. While Young Sheldon also hit an ‘outstanding’ level of online chatter in its first season, it peaked then (to 140) and did not reach the same sustained heights as its new spin-off until its final season this past May.

Introducing Genre DNA™

Redefine your understanding of TV subgenres

Introducing Genre DNA™ – TV subgenres redefined by groundbreaking AI analysis to reveal the true drivers of viewership.

See the insights that others can’t

Genre DNA™ goes beyond traditional TV genre classifications by analyzing over 1,000 scripted and unscripted series on both linear and SVOD platforms from the last 5 years.

Each Vault Genre DNA™ report offers a precise analysis of your chosen TV subgenre, uncovering its unique drivers of viewership.

Next month, Peacock will be premiering a gripping new British cat-and-mouse thriller based on the popular 1971 Frederick Forsyth novel but reimagined and updated for today’s political landscape. The series stars Eddie Redmayne as the titular Jackal, a ruthless and secretive assassin-for-hire, and Lashana Lynch as the intelligence officer hot on his trail.

Here’s what you need to know about The Day of the Jackal:

Vault uses index scores to describe the impact a given story/theme/element will have on specific KPIs: 
≤79 Disappointing  80-89 Challenging  90-109 Average  110-119 Promising  120+ Outstanding

Who will be tuning in for this riveting new series? 
We’re predicting an audience that’s mostly men (61%) and heavily aged 30+ (78%). This viewership profile is much more male-skewing than other British thrillers like Killing Eve, The Fall, The Little Drummer Girl, The Night Manager, and Bodyguard, which tend to have a more gender-balanced appeal.

What’s the show’s most compelling element?
Its dual perspectives. Similar to series like Killing Eve and The Fall, The Day of the Jackal tracks both an elusive killer and a cop determined to stop them, and it is this tense push-pull between two opposing forces that generates the shows’ top overall viewership drivers. In Jackal’s case, a tenacious intelligence officer (Strong Female Protagonist, 134) filled with Ambition & Drive (125) is set against a resourceful Criminal Mastermind (130) on the run across international borders (Being Hunted, 134), and audiences will be on the edge of their seats waiting for their eventual showdown.

Why else will viewers want to watch? 
For the Criminal Investigation (135). At the heart of Jackal are the unknowns swirling around the titular hitman’s identity and motives, and the intelligence officer on his case is determined to Solve The Mystery (133) and take him down, even at great personal and professional risk (Dangerous Mission, 125). Her relentless pursuit not only drives the show’s ratings but also offers a compelling entry point for long-term storytelling. The intelligence officer’s perspective adds depth to the narrative, creating an engaging throughline that could significantly enhance the show’s longevity and pave the way for a compelling second season.

What type of emotional experience will audiences be looking for? 
A contradictory one. Viewers can expect to feel a full range of conflicting emotions toward the hitman known as the Jackal, from Anger (133) and Disapproval (133) at his coldblooded aims to Awe (133) and Amazement (133) at his calculated ingenuity to Apprehension (133) around whether he can ultimately be stopped. Audiences will take this tense roller coaster ride right alongside the officer pursuing him–with both hopefully walking away in Joy (133) and Ecstasy (133) at his eventual capture.

What will make The Day of the Jackal bingeworthy? 
Its exciting depiction of Espionage (118). The series delves into a shadow world of spies and assassins filled with targeted hits and narrow escapes (Action & Violence, 119), all juxtaposed against the bureaucratic inner workings of the British intelligence service (Intelligence Agency, 121) designed to ferret out these killers and bring them to justice. Viewers will want to immerse themselves in this compellingly vivid realm and not look away lest they miss a single thrilling moment.

Introducing Genre DNA™

Redefine your understanding of TV subgenres

Introducing Genre DNA™ – TV subgenres redefined by groundbreaking AI analysis to reveal the true drivers of viewership.

See the insights that others can’t

Genre DNA™ goes beyond traditional TV genre classifications by analyzing over 1,000 scripted and unscripted series on both linear and SVOD platforms from the last 5 years.

Each Vault Genre DNA™ report offers a precise analysis of your chosen TV subgenre, uncovering its unique drivers of viewership.

Two weeks ago, Netflix dropped a sweet new opposites-attract-style rom-com and it immediately took off, premiering at #2 on the streamer’s global Top 10 list and attracting all kinds of social media buzz and editorial think pieces. Starring Kristen Bell and Adam Brody as an agnostic sex podcaster and a newly single rabbi, respectively, the show continues the streamer’s wildly successful run at the romance genre.

Here’s what you need to know about Nobody Wants This:

Vault uses index scores to describe the impact a given story/theme/element will have on specific KPIs: 
≤79 Disappointing  80-89 Challenging  90-109 Average  110-119 Promising  120+ Outstanding

Who’s been causing the show’s ratings boon? 
We’re seeing an audience that’s mostly women (62%) and mostly aged 30+ (60%), the expected sweet spot for a rom-com about 40-something lovebirds. The Bell-Brody series is more gender-balanced than many of Netflix’s other recent entries in the romance genre, such as Emily in Paris, Never Have I Ever, Dash & Lily, Virgin River, and Bridgerton (all 72-83% women). Instead, viewership for Nobody Wants This more closely mirrors steamy sex drama Sex/Life and acerbic rom-com Love.

Why have so many been tuning in? 
The rom. The series chronicles the heady early stages of a brand new relationship, and as magnetically-attracted opposites, the two protagonists generate a sizzling chemistry that’s proving irresistible to audiences. Viewers want to see the pair’s charming meet-cute, their romantic first dates (Dating Life, 160), their inevitable fights and conflicts (Romantic Conflict, 160), and, eventually, their ‘happily ever after’ (Falling in Love, 160).

What’s making the show so bingeworthy? 
The com. In addition to romance, the show leans on a sparkling sense of humor that laces its central love story with an inviting variety of quips and winks. From the Sexual Humor (152) of an overly honest sex podcast, to the sweet and optimistic Feel-Good Humor (149) of a romance, to the truly terrible Romantic Advice (127) offered up by friends and family, to the Awkward & Funny Moments (126) borne of an agnostic and a rabbi attempting to embrace each other’s worlds, the fizzy comedy keeps viewers watching.

What will help push the series into a second season? 
The Family Tension (146). The love story’s most daunting obstacle is the objection of friends and family (Family Relationships, 139) to such an unusual (mis)match, with the rabbi’s very traditional mother particularly determined to end the fledgling romance. These clashes–and the couple’s clumsy attempts to bridge the divide between their two worlds–will continue to provide a compelling story engine for next season and beyond.

How’s the show’s social buzz? 
Stellar. The end-of-August trailer netted a “promising” (though very brief) bump in online chatter (to 119); with the full season episode drop, the show’s social buzz rocketed to the top of our meter (at 160) and has steadfastly remained there ever since.

Introducing Genre DNA™

Redefine your understanding of TV subgenres

Introducing Genre DNA™ – TV subgenres redefined by groundbreaking AI analysis to reveal the true drivers of viewership.

See the insights that others can’t

Genre DNA™ goes beyond traditional TV genre classifications by analyzing over 1,000 scripted and unscripted series on both linear and SVOD platforms from the last 5 years.

Each Vault Genre DNA™ report offers a precise analysis of your chosen TV subgenre, uncovering its unique drivers of viewership.

Two weeks ago, ABC premiered a fun and fizzy new crime procedural that has been increasingly on the case, wooing audiences across platforms and creating a promising new hit for the network. The show stars Kaitlin Olson as a night janitor and single mother whose sky-high IQ and ability to see what the cops have missed–inadvertently discovered after a mishap in the police precinct–lands her a consulting role with LAPD’s Homicide Division.

Here’s what you need to know about High Potential:

Vault uses index scores to describe the impact a given story/theme/element will have on specific KPIs: 
≤79 Disappointing  80-89 Challenging  90-109 Average  110-119 Promising  120+ Outstanding

Who’s been watching this comedy-laced procedural?
We’re seeing a viewership that’s 65% women and 93% ages 35+, the exact same sweet spot hit by other quirky cop shows centered around a genius detective, such as Monk, The Mentalist, Psych, Elementary, and Unforgettable.

What’s driving the show’s ratings surge? 
Its amusing team dynamics. Olson’s character Morgan–an eccentric, unapologetic, marches-to-the-beat-of-her-own-drummer force of nature–is a Fish Out of Water (116) in the staid LAPD, and her irreverent yet insightful perspective (Eccentric Character POV, 119) often clashes with her by-the-book police teammates. The Unlikely Friendship (121) (and likely slow-burn romance) that develops between Morgan and her skeptical detective partner as they learn to work together (Teamwork, 119) is a key reason viewers are tuning in.

What’s making High Potential so bingeworthy? 
Morgan. The show’s Genius (126) protagonist offers a fresh, fun take on crime solving, with her witty, Sarcastic Humor (124) and misguided attempts to follow police protocol (Awkward & Funny Moments, 126) injecting a rich vein of comedy into what can sometimes be a dry genre. Viewers want to follow her Journey of Self Discovery (123) as she realizes her potential and learn more about her personal life as a Single Parent (125) to three lively kids.

How is the show’s social buzz? 
Promising. Our social buzz meter registered only average levels (100) of online chatter when the pilot premiered but started climbing rapidly the next day, finally peaking in “outstanding” territory (at 154, just under the 160 maximum) after the second episode. Online discussions are focusing on Morgan’s dual priorities as she’s pulled between her new LAPD role and her responsibilities at home (Work-Life Balance, 128).

What will help High Potential reach a second season? 
Its procedural framework (Police Procedural, 115). The show’s crime-solving elements offer a built-in, easily repeatable whodunit story engine, with viewers eager to see Morgan and her team (Investigators & Detectives, 121) sift through clues, investigate evidence, leverage forensics (CSI, 134), and finally Solve A Murder (119) every week. This fundamental aspect of the series is what will propel its longevity.

Introducing Genre DNA™

Redefine your understanding of TV subgenres

Introducing Genre DNA™ – TV subgenres redefined by groundbreaking AI analysis to reveal the true drivers of viewership.

See the insights that others can’t

Genre DNA™ goes beyond traditional TV genre classifications by analyzing over 1,000 scripted and unscripted series on both linear and SVOD platforms from the last 5 years.

Each Vault Genre DNA™ report offers a precise analysis of your chosen TV subgenre, uncovering its unique drivers of viewership.