While High Potential is obviously a hit on ABC, what level of hit is something else entirely. ABC has not just said it’s the fall’s #1 broadcast entertainment series in live+7 day viewing, but it’s set a literal record that has stood for 26 years.
High Potential season 2 represents the first time that a 10 PM drama has led these rankings since 1999, when ER did the same. It squeezed this record in before CBS is launches a bunch of shows this month, but hey, it counts.
High Potential has a stunning 98% Rotten Tomatoes score across 2 seasons now, and the first half of season 2 ends in just a few days on October 28. It’s currently up 29% in viewers year over year as word of mouth has spread about the crime-solving series starring It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’s Kaitlin Olson. Here’s the synopsis:
“Morgan, a single mom with three kids and an exceptional mind, helps solve an unsolvable crime when she rearranges some evidence during her shift as a cleaner for the police department. When they discover she has a knack for putting things in order because of her high intellectual potential, she is brought on as a consultant to work with a by-the-book seasoned detective, Karadec. Together they form an unusual and unstoppable team.”
Sure, smart detective notices things other people don’t is not the newest concept, here with Olson it works better than most of the rest, hence the high scores and big viewership numbers. It feels like a show shooting for at least five seasons or more already, even with season 2 only halfway over.
While these records are about ABC network viewing, High Potential also airs on Hulu and Disney+, where it’s currently the #1 show on both services. High Potential is also a flashback to “normal TV,” where the two seasons aired exactly a year apart. Season 1 had 13 episodes, and season 2 had 18. This is, no doubt, because it’s a broadcast show, but we see neither of these things in the streaming space practically ever, and I have to believe it’s another aspect that’s helped it catch on. I cannot find when season 2, part 2 airs, as I don’t think that it’s been announced yet. Season 1 indicates it may be in January 2026.
So, if you’ve missed out on the show so far, it may be time to catch up. My wife has been watching it for a while now, and so I’ve only been vaguely aware of it, as I haven’t been paying attention. Maybe it’s time to start.
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Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy.