Rapid Insights: High Potential Gives Crime Solvers a Fresh Take on Whodunits

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.

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