High Potential Season 2 Just Dethroned George Clooney’s 25-Year TV Record
Kaitlin Olson’s High Potential just vaulted to the top of broadcast primetime, pulling off a millennials milestone no rival has matched in years. The comedy-drama follows Morgan, a brilliant single mom whose uncanny instincts turn her into an unexpected crime-solving force.
Well, this is not how 10 p.m. network shows are supposed to behave. Kaitlin Olson's 'High Potential' just muscled its way to the top of broadcast TV in total viewers this fall, the kind of feat we have not seen since 'ER' was busy breaking hearts and records in the late '90s. Yes, that 'ER'.
The stat that turned heads
Variety says the show is currently the No. 1 entertainment series in broadcast primetime this fall, based on ABC's Live+7 metric. Translation: add a week of delayed viewing to the live audience and 'High Potential' jumps ahead of everyone else. ABC's research flags two big milestones here: it is the first 10 p.m. drama to lead this ranking since the 1999-2000 season, and the last series to pull that off was 'ER', back in George Clooney's County General days.
- Per ABC's numbers cited by Variety, Season 2 is on top in broadcast primetime entertainment this fall via Live+7.
- First time a 10 p.m. drama has led that chart since 1999-2000, when 'ER' did it on NBC.
- Episode doing the heavy lifting: Season 2, Episode 4, 'Behind the Music'.
- Total viewership for that hour: about 12.5 million.
- Linear Nielsen for the same episode: 8.09 million viewers and a 0.71 rating with adults 18-49.
- ABC says that episode also set a season high by traditional Nielsen measurement.
- Year-over-year, the show's rating is up roughly 29% compared to last fall, the biggest improvement for any broadcast drama this season.
- Those multiplatform totals come from ABC plus streaming on Hulu, Hulu on Disney+, and other digital platforms.
Worth noting: the surge comes with only about a third of Season 2 aired. As the show heads into its fall finale, it is still climbing. That is... unusual for a 10 p.m. broadcast drama in 2024.
Quick refresher: what is this show?
Olson plays Morgan, a single mom with three kids and a brain wired for patterns and puzzle-solving. She starts out cleaning at the police department, then basically solves a case by instinct and deduction, and suddenly she is their not-so-secret weapon. It is a comedy-drama hybrid adapted from the French hit 'Haut Potentiel Intellectuel' ('HPI').
The ensemble around Olson includes Javicia Leslie, Deniz Akdeniz, Amirah J, and Matthew Lamb.
Fall finale setup
The first half of Season 2 is about to close with a classic 'steal something priceless, let the chaos bloom' case. Here is the official synopsis:
"When a priceless painting is stolen in a museum heist, Morgan and Karadec team up with an art-recovery expert to unravel a tangled case and fierce ownership battle; Soto is determined to uncover the secrets hidden inside Roman's backpack."
Expect at least one cliffhanger designed to keep you twitchy until the back half returns. Whether that is Morgan in a tight spot or a big reveal with those backpack secrets is the fun of this kind of midseason pause.
How the ratings brag compares
If you like a quick scorecard: 'High Potential' currently sits at 7.6/10 on IMDb and 98% on Rotten Tomatoes. 'ER' checks in at 7.9/10 on IMDb and 87% on Rotten Tomatoes. Different eras, different ecosystems, but the point stands: Olson's show just took a crown that used to belong to a juggernaut.
Who is steering this thing
'High Potential' comes from Drew Goddard and Sarah Esberg at Goddard Textiles, with Todd Harthan as showrunner. Kaitlin Olson and Marc Halsey are among the executive producers.
Where to watch
'High Potential' airs Tuesdays at 10/9c on ABC and streams the next day on Hulu.