A recent episode of High Potential set another impressive viewership record for the ABC series. Created by Drew Goddard, the drama follows Morgan Gillory (portrayed by Kaitlin Olson), a single mother who, using her remarkable perception and intellect, advises the Los Angeles Police Department on numerous cases. Along with Olson, the cast includes Daniel Sunjata, Javicia Leslie, Deniz Akdeniz, Taran Killam, and Judy Reyes. After premiering in September, High Potential quickly gained popularity and became one of the most-watched shows on broadcast television, as evidenced by its growing weekly ratings.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, High Potential season 1, episode 9, which released on January 14, registered the highest audience yet, amassing 13.19 million viewers for the week, across various platforms, and a demo rating of 2.44 among adults 18-49. On Nielsen, the episode, “The RAMs,” also reached 9.14 million, something an ABC drama had not done since Grey’s Anatomy in 2020, and streaming accounted for more than 30% overall.
What This Means For High Potential
The ABC Drama Continues To Charm Audiences
This update comes shortly after High Potential season 1, episode 8 recorded 12.9 million viewers in the span of a week. By surpassing that milestone, the crime show proves that it can maintain balanced numbers, a hopeful sign for any remaining episodes and the already-confirmed High Potential season 2. Presently, the series could benefit from airing behind Will Trent on ABC’s Tuesday night lineup, and competing primarily against CBS’ FBI: International and Fox’s Doc, both of which draw lower ratings. At the same time, streaming gives it a notable boost and has likely helped to further expand the audience.
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High Potential’s latest win bodes well for the future of ABC’s hit police procedural compared to its medical drama timeslot predecessor.
Part of what makes High Potential so charming, and may separate it from similar procedural-type shows, is its ability to incorporate comedy. The likable cast, led by Olson (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and Hacks) make the humorous elements feel natural as Morgan continues to navigate being a LAPD consultant, because it wasn’t long ago that she was merely cleaning their offices. The potential romance between her and Adam Karadec (Sunjata), after previously budding heads, and ongoing questions surrounding Roman’s disappearance have kept viewers engaged as well.
Our Take On High Potential’s Viewership Record
The Series Could Have Long Legs
If these steadily growing viewership totals are any indication, High Potential may outperform itself again before the season 1 finale. Poised to become an even bigger hit for ABC in the future, especially as the popularity on streaming continues, the series could eventually last a long time, potentially maintaining the same release schedule for season 2. Now that multiple records have been set, and so close together too, it will be interesting to see what the ratings for episode 10 and beyond look like.
Source: THR