NBC sees a bright future for Found and The Irrational.
TV Fanatic can confirm that both series have been renewed following decent ratings on the network.
While other networks have buckled under the pressure without much original programming this season due to the strikes, NBC’s decision to hold these two dramas for the fall is paying off… big time.
The Irrational kicked off in September and stars Jesse L. Martin (The Flash) as Professor Alec Mercer, who uses his skills in human behavior to help cops solve cases.
They’re not your typical cases, which has helped the series stand out in a sea of procedurals.
The cast includes Maahra Hill as Alec’s ex-wife Marisa, Travina Springer as his sister Kylie and Molly Kunz, and Arash DeMaxi as his grad student assistants Phoebe and Rizwan.
Airing Mondays at 10 p.m. E.T./P.T., The Irrational Season 1 is averaging 6.3 million total viewers and a 0.5 rating in the demo.
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NBC recently confirmed that one episode had been added to The Irrational’s freshman season, with the series set to return on Monday, January 29, 2024, to begin its final four episodes of the season.
The Irrational has also been a big performer in delayed viewing, with the series premiere reaching over 12 million viewers in 15 days.
As for Found, the procedural has emerged as a TV Fanatic favorite thanks to its compelling cases and solid acting from Shanola Hampton and Mark-Paul Gosselaar.
It’s rare for a TV show to be able to deliver chilling twists that make you question everything you thought you knew about the characters.
Hampton plays Gabi Mosley, a former kidnapping victim who helps find people who have been abducted.
Gosselaar plays Sir, the man who abudcted her all those years ago, whom she uses for assistance on cases.
The cast is rounded out by Kelli Williams as Gabi’s lead investigator, Margaret Reed, and Brett Dalton as police liaison Mark Trent.
Found Season 1 has been averaging 5.2 million viewers and a 0.6 rating in the demo.
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The series premiere reached 10.5 million multi-platform viewers in its first week, signaling the show is a strong performer both linearly and on-demand.
“These shows are a testament to the incredibly passionate work of our showrunners Nkechi Okoro Carroll (Found) and Arika Lisanne Mittman (The Irrational), both of whom have executed their visions flawlessly,” NBC’s president of scripted content Lisa Katz said in a statement.
“A huge thank you to the talented cast, producers and crews for their tireless commitment and dedication, which has clearly paid off with audiences making these series must-see television on both NBC and next day on Peacock.”
The renewals mark NBC’s first pickups for the 2024-25 season following the cancellation of Magnum P.I.
La Brea was recently announced to be wrapping with an abbreviated third season, set to premiere at midseason.
NBC will likely make decisions on its returning shows in the One Chicago and Law and Order Universe in the coming weeks as production gets back underway.
The only other network that has been making big decisions is CBS, which has recently announced Blue Bloods, Bob Hearts Abishola, and Young Sheldon will wrap with their upcoming seasons.
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There were reports that studios wanted renewal decisions quicker to film two seasons back-to-back because the current seasons are looking at 13 episodes maximum due to the late starts.
What are your thoughts on Found and The Irrational being renewed?
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Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on X.