Episode order cut, but brought back next season

[Sean12]

With the news out that Arrested Development's episode order has been cut from 22 episodes to 18 episodes, it got me thinking. When was the last time a show had its episode order cut in mid-season and was brought back the next season? I'm just curious since I want to know if Arrested Development has been handed their pink slip or if there's a chance it will make it to season 3. Also in your opinion what is worse on Fox, having your episode order cut or being moved to Friday night otherwise known as the "kiss of death" (Bernie Mac, Boston Public)?

[db108108]

American Dreams from last season is a good case where 4 episode were cut, but it came back. The same is happening this year, but the news is probably not going to turn out the same.

As for AD, it's really sad, BUT, it's not drawing an audience and it's got a really good lead-in. If Fox does cancel it, I would be expected from a business POV. It was lucky to get a second season. From my POV, it really sucks because AD is one of my favorite tv series.

[Sean12]

I think Arrested Development deserves to be cancelled if it can't hold the ratings of the Simpsons. I mean it has the freaking Simpsons as a lead-in! That show has been on televesion since 1990, so if it can't keep some of the viewers from that, then it deserves the boot. I don't get how all the critics say it is the next Seinfeld, but nobody watches it. Is this season bad or something? I've only seen one episode, so I can't really be the judge. All I know is that American Dad is going to blow it out of the water along with the return of Family Guy! BTW how can Fox just say that cut 4 episodes? I can't pay for a car and say, wait I only wanted to pay $20,000, not $24,000, now give me back $4000! Seems like highway robbery to me!

[Riff]

With the news out that Arrested Development's episode order has been cut from 22 episodes to 18 episodes, it got me thinking. When was the last time a show had its episode order cut in mid-season and was brought back the next season? I'm just curious since I want to know if Arrested Development has been handed their pink slip or if there's a chance it will make it to season 3.


I didn't even know "Arrested Development's" order had been extended beyond 13. Learn something new every day, huh?

"Boomtown's" a good recent example. The first season was reduced from 22 to 18, and then it was inexplicably renewed. Of course, Mother Zucker made the show even worse than it had been, and I guess he must have caught a whiff of the stench, because he quickly flushed the mess he made down the toilet.

"Star Trek: Enterprise's" initial order was 26 episodes last season, but it was reduced to 24.

"Grounded for Life's" order was reduced from 22 to 20 in its second season, but, IIRC, FOX later gave them the 2 episodes back. And then cancelled the show 2 episodes into its third season...

In one of the most hilariously retarded network decisions of the year, Mother Zucker cut 2 episodes from "Crossing Jordan's" order. What a sweet reward for being their highest-rated show on Sunday. I'm sure the producers pitched a stink -- as well they should have -- and I was told the episodes have been given back to them. And the show's a slam dunk for 2005-2006.

Probably more I'm forgetting. And I omitted strike years, for obvious reasons.

[db108108]

AD doesn't have to hold all of The Simpsons audience, but more than the 60% is now holds.

And I wouldn't be so sure about American Dad- everybody I'ves talked to hates it, along with all the critics. It looked like a lame, weak copy of the original.

The return of TFG will be interesting because we'll get to see the real scope of the series. While it sells alot of DVD, it certainly hasn't sold 10 million of them. and while people watched the repeats, you have to wonder if it was just the same people watching them over and over again (as is the case with the people I know).

Bottom line- I don't think the return of TFG is going to be what Fox expects it to be. It should do respectibly, but I wouldn't expect more than 10mil viewers, especially considering the timeslot and Fox's weak, weak Sunday line-up.

[db108108]

Re: cutting back episodes.

So long as the episodes haven't been produced, the network's contract with the series says that it can cut episodes. This, of course, changes when the series reaches the 5 season mark and then the network is stuck with what it orders- see Drew Carey and Lois & Clark for good examples of network deals gone terribly bad.

[Dean Winchester]

I think Arrested Development deserves to be cancelled if it can't hold the ratings of the Simpsons. I mean it has the freaking Simpsons as a lead-in! That show has been on televesion since 1990, so if it can't keep some of the viewers from that, then it deserves the boot. I don't get how all the critics say it is the next Seinfeld, but nobody watches it. Is this season bad or something? I've only seen one episode, so I can't really be the judge. All I know is that American Dad is going to blow it out of the water along with the return of Family Guy! BTW how can Fox just say that cut 4 episodes? I can't pay for a car and say, wait I only wanted to pay $20,000, not $24,000, now give me back $4000! Seems like highway robbery to me!

oh yea, AD is "crap" because it's not #1 in the ratings.... lemme guess, "American Idol" is the greatest show because it gets good ratings?

Judging a shows quality by ratings is like judging a movies worth by how much it grosses or a CD's quality by how much it sells.

You can have your starstruck karaoke singers... 6 million of us will gladly take the Bluth family. Ever dawn on you that AD might be too sophisticated for a lot of viewers who prefer reality shows?

You know Fox is bringing Family Guy back, right? I wonder if you realize that AD regularly scores better ratings than FG did it's first time around. So that really blows your theory that ratings makes a show good or not.

[Riff]

I think Arrested Development deserves to be cancelled if it can't hold the ratings of the Simpsons. I mean it has the freaking Simpsons as a lead-in!

I agree.

That show has been on televesion since 1990, so if it can't keep some of the viewers from that, then it deserves the boot.

This was the lead-in they wanted, too. "Malcolm in the Middle" just wasn't good enough for them. Of course, all the time change proved is that they can't hold the lead-in of anything.

I don't get how all the critics say it is the next Seinfeld, but nobody watches it. Is this season bad or something?

This show was never really any good. Forced jokes, trying too hard, no chemistry among the cast. None of it is relatable. The timing is bad, too, so that every time they manage to come up with what should be a really funny line, it just gets smothered in the poor direction. A total misfire.

"Seinfeld" performed well for NBC even before it became a monster hit, with WAY less media attention. There's a difference -- and anyone who's seen an episode of "Seinfeld" and an episode of "Arrested Development" should be able to figure it out.

All I know is that American Dad is going to blow it out of the water along with the return of Family Guy!

Well, I don't know about that, but the Queen B. certainly has a "thing" for Seth MacFarlane. At least Mitchell Hurwitz tries new things, such as they are. MacFarlane has made it evident he's a one-trick-pony.

[Dean Winchester]

Riff, do you like any show that is lower than #10 in the ratings? You're always talking about how shows deserve to be cancelled because they don't get AI ratings. I mean, why have so much animosity towards something just because it isn't dumb enough for mass consumption?

I mean, Boomtown? American Dreams? Arrested Development? Scrubs? what do you truly have against these shows besides the fact they don't pull in 25 million a week? Critics loved every one of those shows, but you keep saying "it's crap because not enough people watch it". With that attitude you're missing out on a lot of great movies if you're basing a "it's no good until it grosses $100 million" or great music if you're adhering to "it's awful if it doesn't sell at least 3 million copies".

The only top 10 show that's even halfway decent (IMO of course) is Desperate Housewives.

[Dean Winchester]

I think Fox has gotten way too corporate (damn you Simon Cowell... I don't care if 30 million people watch his show a week.... I hate it.. and a lot of "bomb" shows are better). AD averages 6 million viewers a week... and it's a bomb? Charmed and Buffy were two of the biggest hits the WB ever had, and in their peaks averaged little over 5 million a week... were they ever considered flops? No, they were considered smashes and profitable for the network.

Does Fox realize that many of their beloved shows were never huge ratings hits? Married With Children at it's peak was in the 40's, AND THAT RAN FOR 11 SEASONS.

I don't like what Fox has turned into. And no... just because a show isn't a top 10 ratings hit doesn't make it a bad show. Most people I know would take Scrubs and Arrested Development over American Idol anyday. To say AI is better than those shows because it gets more viewers is like saying Britney Spears is better than R.E.M. or Beck because she sells more records than them. Get the logic?

[ZKS]

Riff, do you like any show that is lower than #10 in the ratings? You're always talking about how shows deserve to be cancelled because they don't get AI ratings. I mean, why have so much animosity towards something just because it isn't dumb enough for mass consumption?

I mean, Boomtown? American Dreams? Arrested Development? Scrubs? what do you truly have against these shows besides the fact they don't pull in 25 million a week? Critics loved every one of those shows, but you keep saying "it's crap because not enough people watch it". With that attitude you're missing out on a lot of great movies if you're basing a "it's no good until it grosses $100 million" or great music if you're adhering to "it's awful if it doesn't sell at least 3 million copies".

The only top 10 show that's even halfway decent (IMO of course) is Desperate Housewives.

Well said I agree. He's missing out on some great TV. It's sad that some have that attitude that because a show gets bad ratings it sucks, I guess those same people must think that Cheers, Seinfeld, and other classic shows must suck too cause their ratings were bad their first few seasons.

Personally I think Arrested Development will find it's audience, they really need to give it time to do so. Scrubs I believe already has a cult following and Arrested Development if it doesn't have a cult following, soon will have :)

[Clint Eastwood Fan]

I think Fox has gotten way too corporate (damn you Simon Cowell... I don't care if 30 million people watch his show a week.... I hate it.. and a lot of "bomb" shows are better). AD averages 6 million viewers a week... and it's a bomb? Charmed and Buffy were two of the biggest hits the WB ever had, and in their peaks averaged little over 5 million a week... were they ever considered flops? No, they were considered smashes and profitable for the network.

Does Fox realize that many of their beloved shows were never huge ratings hits? Married With Children at it's peak was in the 40's, AND THAT RAN FOR 11 SEASONS.

I don't like what Fox has turned into. And no... just because a show isn't a top 10 ratings hit doesn't make it a bad show. Most people I know would take Scrubs and Arrested Development over American Idol anyday. To say AI is better than those shows because it gets more viewers is like saying Britney Spears is better than R.E.M. or Beck because she sells more records than them. Get the logic?

FOX used to be one of my favorite networks but when they canceled Titus and Dark Angel and moved Grounded To Life to the wb I stopped watching most of their show. I'm starting to watch House but I'm hesitant because of what FOX has done in the past. They even moved Boston Public a show I liked to Friday and never gave it a propper final and look what they're doing to Bernie Mac now. :rolleyes:

[Dean Winchester]

FOX used to be one of my favorite networks but when they canceled Titus and Dark Angel and moved Grounded To Life to the wb I stopped watching most of their show. I'm starting to watch House but I'm hesitant because of what FOX has done in the past. They even moved Boston Public a show I liked to Friday and never gave it a propper final and look what they're doing to Bernie Mac now. :rolleyes:

I am stunned how bad they're treating Bernie Mac... I thought the show was a hit, so why are they trying their hardest to murder it?

[db108108]

I would be shocked if Bernie Mack makes it back this fall. It currently draws 4 million viewers on Friday, a direct result of Fox moving it around so damn much in just four seasons.

[Sean12]

So what has a better chance in your opinion of coming back next season: Bernie Mac or Arrested Development? I think it's a hard decision because Bernie Mac has been around for 4 seasons and deserves some respect - hell, Fox is so desperate for programming that they are bringing back That 70's Show for another season even though it should have ended (this is what Boy Meets World would have been like if they made it last 10 seasons); meanwhile Arrested Development isn't getting horrible ratings, but the Sunday schedule is getting packed, so they are going to have to dump one show or at least move it to another night. I think Bernie Mac will get the axe and Arrested Development will come back next year for an abbreviated 13 episode run before being cancelled for good. What do you guys think? BTW why is Friday night such a bad night for shows on Fox? Has any show actually survived on Friday nights? Firefly, Boston Public, Wanda at Large, Wonderfalls... need I say more? Do you think the actors in Bernie Mac know that they show is going to get cancelled? I would be livid on the set and walk out until the show gets moved to a better night.

[Clint Eastwood Fan]

So what has a better chance in your opinion of coming back next season: Bernie Mac or Arrested Development? I think it's a hard decision because Bernie Mac has been around for 4 seasons and deserves some respect - hell, Fox is so desperate for programming that they are bringing back That 70's Show for another season even though it should have ended (this is what Boy Meets World would have been like if they made it last 10 seasons); meanwhile Arrested Development isn't getting horrible ratings, but the Sunday schedule is getting packed, so they are going to have to dump one show or at least move it to another night. I think Bernie Mac will get the axe and Arrested Development will come back next year for an abbreviated 13 episode run before being cancelled for good. What do you guys think? BTW why is Friday night such a bad night for shows on Fox? Has any show actually survived on Friday nights? Firefly, Boston Public, Wanda at Large, Wonderfalls... need I say more? Do you think the actors in Bernie Mac know that they show is going to get cancelled? I would be livid on the set and walk out until the show gets moved to a better night.I think AD has a better chance of coming back then Bernie Mack. I think the last successful FOX show on Friday was the X-Files and it had to move to Sundays before it became a real big hit.

[db108108]

ITA with Sneaky.

Bernie Mack, however, will need about 15 episodes to make to make it to syndication at the end of this season, so I would think that Fox would bring it back next season for a limited run. The show is produced by Fox, and with the very limited prospects that the network has for syndication dollars, I don't think they'll pass this one up.

What exactely do they have in the syndication pipeline anyway? Right now they have KOTH, Malcolm, T7S and The Simpsons in syndication with Bernie being the only other series on the horizon. Their reality obsession has really hurt them.

As for opening up another night of comedy, there are very limited options. Monday's won't go comedy, nor will Tuesdays. Wednesdays are already set for next season, as are Saturdays and Thursdays (except for 9pm). That leaves Friday and Sundays.

I can see AD coming back, but "Malcolm" and/or KOTH getting the hook. Malcolm ranks 87th in viewers (55th in adults) and KOTH is further down at 97th in viewers and 84th in adults. AD falls right in the middle at 94th and 62nd. Both shows are already in syndication, which definitely hurts their prospects.

[Dean Winchester]

ITA with Sneaky.

Bernie Mack, however, will need about 15 episodes to make to make it to syndication at the end of this season, so I would think that Fox would bring it back next season for a limited run. The show is produced by Fox, and with the very limited prospects that the network has for syndication dollars, I don't think they'll pass this one up.

What exactely do they have in the syndication pipeline anyway? Right now they have KOTH, Malcolm, T7S and The Simpsons in syndication with Bernie being the only other series on the horizon. Their reality obsession has really hurt them.

As for opening up another night of comedy, there are very limited options. Monday's won't go comedy, nor will Tuesdays. Wednesdays are already set for next season, as are Saturdays and Thursdays (except for 9pm). That leaves Friday and Sundays.

I can see AD coming back, but "Malcolm" and/or KOTH getting the hook. Malcolm ranks 87th in viewers (55th in adults) and KOTH is further down at 97th in viewers and 84th in adults. AD falls right in the middle at 94th and 62nd. Both shows are already in syndication, which definitely hurts their prospects.


I agree big time about Fox's reality obsession has hurt them.

I had no idea Malcolm had fallen so far, wasn't that a top 20 performer at one time? I guess the saying is true that Frankie Muniz's appearence on MTV's Punkd really hurt his image. It's still a funny show but I do think some of the magic has been lost once the boys went from 12 to 19

[Riff]

So what has a better chance in your opinion of coming back next season: Bernie Mac or Arrested Development?

"Bernie Mac" has zero chance. "AD" has about a 5% chance, unless Queen B. resigns/gets fired/chokes to death on a pretzel. I'm sure there are plenty of people under her who love it, but the people over her hate it.

I think "Bernie's" 17 different time slot changes over the past two seasons have made it readily apparent what Queen B. thinks of it. It's too bad, since it is a better show than "Arrested," but of course it's never going to win 5 Emmys because Ron Howard has nothing to do with it.

What do you guys think? BTW why is Friday night such a bad night for shows on Fox? Has any show actually survived on Friday nights? Firefly, Boston Public, Wanda at Large, Wonderfalls... need I say more?

I don't remember anything surviving for any great length of time since "The X-Files." Viewers are savvy enough to know where FOX puts their lame ducks (in this case, on Friday), so they don't bother to check any of them out, and they unsurprisingly get cancelled for low ratings. It's the chicken and the egg.

In the case of former hits that were dumped on Friday just so Queen B. could have an excuse to cancel them, "Boston Public" was already fading and "Wanda at Large" wasn't on long enough to inspire any viewer loyalty. Neither one received adequate promotion noting the move to a new night. Otherwise, people might have watched, and then how could Queen B. have yanked them both?

Do you think the actors in Bernie Mac know that they show is going to get cancelled? I would be livid on the set and walk out until the show gets moved to a better night.

By all accounts, the "Bernie Mac" set was livid to begin with. That's why it's gone through executive producers like most people go through toilet paper. As already stated, it's only been kept on this long because they have the back-end in mind. And I don't mean Bernie's booty...

[db108108]

Malcolm was the number one show on tv when it first premiered for the first two weeks and grew from its premiere to its second episode, from 22.3mil to 23mil viewers. It was top 20 for its first two seasons, then started dropping. The big drop came when it moved to 9pm two seasons ago, then there was another huge drop this season when it moved to 7:30pm.

I still enjoy the show as it's taken alot of focus off the kids and put it on the parents. However, I think Malcolm's fall is not so much the series fault as Fox's Sunday night line-up in general, which has gone from averaging 15 million viewers to 7 in just 4 seasons. Fox has to make some serious moves here- it was once Fox's advertizing stronghold, but I'd be surprized now if the night even breaks even.

Unfortunately for Fox, in that time ABC had gotten it's act together and is now a young adults vacuum on the night. CBS does well because it caters to older viewers, but NBC, Fox and the WB are all down dramatically on the night because they don't have anything that can compete with ABC. Feels funny to say that....

About ABC, they're having one hell of a season. Mondays is even working now and "Supernanny" broke the top 30 last week in viewers and adults, and will probably do the same this week. That's excellent considering that "CSI Miami" and "Medium," both top 15 shows, air against it. It's kind of like "Wife Swap" on Wednesday where "CSI NY" and "Law & Order" duke it out and ABC comes up the middle to take second in adults.

That's why not all reality series should be called down as garbage. Quality aside, there are just some nights that a network can't program. ABC has wasted so many series on Wednesday at 10pm because the competition was too intense. Same for all of Mondays, which was killing ABC at this point last season. Why would a network spend millions on a new drama in a tough timeslot, when it can do even better with a cheaper reality series? It's not a long term strategy, no, but at the same time, killing a new drama in the same tough timeslot every year isn't, either.

Fox doesn't necessarily need to start programming into 10pm, but keep on it's idea of 2 different seasons. It would do much better in the fall if it didn't realy entirely on reality series, and maybe series like "Malcolm" or "KOTH" or "AD" could do September to December (without repeats), then take a break and let other series come in without repeats.

Fox had the right idea in programming year-round, but it's strategy sucked, which is why it bled viewers all last fall.

[db108108]

Fun fact- Malcolm in syndication draws a 3.6 rating, while original episodes draw only a 3.7 to 4. That's a very bad sign.

[Riff]

I still enjoy the show as it's taken alot of focus off the kids and put it on the parents. However, I think Malcolm's fall is not so much the series fault as Fox's Sunday night line-up in general, which has gone from averaging 15 million viewers to 7 in just 4 seasons.

IMO, the show did a reverse shark jump this season. Last season, it was almost unwatchable at times. But they went in and fixed what wasn't working, and improved the writing, and it's led to some real classics in season 6 (most of which the East Coast saw about 5 minutes of the first time around...)

It's not the show's fault at all. It's hers. That... troll. Since Sandy Grushow "resigned," "Malcolm" has gotten almost no support from her whatsoever - and that's reflected in the ratings. At best, the show gets one more season, but I suspect with her in charge, it won't even get that. What it should have gotten was a Wednesday time slot before or after "Idol."

Just wish Grushow had waited a few months to pack it in. Not only would "Malcolm" still be going strong, but he could have cancelled "Arrested Development" as a going away present.

[Dean Winchester]

Just wish Grushow had waited a few months to pack it in. Not only would "Malcolm" still be going strong, but he could have cancelled "Arrested Development" as a going away present.

what is the true reason why you hate Arrested Development (and Scrubs while we're at that)? And you cannot say "bad ratings" because in the long run, that doesn't mean **** (ever heard of Star Trek?)

[barwars]

I have a feeling AD will come back next year. I'm not sure how many episodes are needed to qualify for Emmy consideration, but I think FOX would rather go the minimum for 2 or 3 more years than a full season in 05-06.

[Sean12]

Do you think there's any chance for Arrested Development or Bernie Mac to move to another station like WB or UPN? That way they could be saved. It happened with Grounded for Life, so why can't it happen for one of those two?

[db108108]

I could see BM on the UPN because the leads are black, but the show would be way too expensive for them by the fifth season.

AD would never move to the UPN because it wouldn't fit in, and the WB only has Fridays, and AD doesn't fit in there either.

I really could see the show moving to HBO, however.

[Vincent Paterno]

I've seen some eps of "Arrested Development," and the concept is great, but the characters for some reason don't appeal to me as much as they should -- and it's not because they aren't inherently likable (hell, I liked Dabney Coleman's vehicles, for crying out loud). Perhaps they're drawn too broadly, sort of like George Costanza in the final season or so of "Seinfeld," when he essentially became a contemptible self-parody due to writers brought in from Harvard who didn't understand his texture.

Another thing: the whole single-camera concept is overrated. A good sitcom depends on the writing (and acting) more so than anything else. "Frasier" or "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" wouldn't improve in a single-camera format (conversely, it wouldn't rescue "Hope & Faith," either). Focus on the writing and characterization, and forget trying to re-invent the wheel.

[barwars]

Another thing: the whole single-camera concept is overrated. A good sitcom depends on the writing (and acting) more so than anything else. "Frasier" or "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" wouldn't improve in a single-camera format (conversely, it wouldn't rescue "Hope & Faith," either). Focus on the writing and characterization, and forget trying to re-invent the wheel.

AD wouldn't work in front of an audience. Frasier and Mary Tyler Moore do because they are written like plays.

AD is written more like a feature film than a play. The single-camera format is needed to execute the story. All the flashbacks used on AD would not work with an audience. And awkward silence does not work in front of an audience.

[Riff]

Do you think there's any chance for Arrested Development or Bernie Mac to move to another station like WB or UPN? That way they could be saved. It happened with Grounded for Life, so why can't it happen for one of those two?

"Bernie Mac," doubt it. They'll probably try to make "AD" work on FX after FOX dumps it, but with the show's high budget, I don't see it happening. And Les Moonves has no interest in single-camera comedies. When they do manage to make the air, they last 2 weeks, like "As If" and "Danny."

"Grounded for Life" was a personal favorite of a network executive who wanted to put his job on the line to rescue it from cancellation. Most network executives with high-paying jobs don't wish to put their jobs on their line. Especially not now that that particular network executive no longer has his job...

I've seen some eps of "Arrested Development," and the concept is great, but the characters for some reason don't appeal to me as much as they should -- and it's not because they aren't inherently likable (hell, I liked Dabney Coleman's vehicles, for crying out loud).

Dabney Coleman had a way of making the most unlikable characters seem likable. "Arrested Development" could only benefit from having nine Dabneys on it.

Another thing: the whole single-camera concept is overrated. A good sitcom depends on the writing (and acting) more so than anything else. "Frasier" or "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" wouldn't improve in a single-camera format (conversely, it wouldn't rescue "Hope & Faith," either). Focus on the writing and characterization, and forget trying to re-invent the wheel.

You go with the format that fits the show. Since you mentioned "Seinfeld," I'll mention Larry David's current series, "Curb Your Enthusiasm." One was done with a bunch of cameras in front of a studio audience. The other isn't. I can't even begin to picture what "Seinfeld" would look like if it were shot with one camera. Just as I can't even begin to picture what "Curb Your Enthusiasm" would look like if you threw in a live audience and a laugh track. Probably they'd be about as entertaining as the second season of "Watching Ellie"...

"Arrested Development" is an overrated show that doesn't work (mostly because it isn't true to life like Larry David's stuff), but it's been tailored to the single-camera format, and this ridiculous suggestion would only end up making the show even more of a failure than it already is.

Not that network executives don't love ridiculous suggestions that make shows bigger failures than they already are.

[Dean Winchester]

if AD is overrated, it's all your opinion. You like Raymond, I happen to think you don't get more overrated than that. What makes your opinion more valid than mine?

Also, what does Ron Howard have to do with the show winning Emmys? I mean... I don't recall Happy Days ever winning Emmys? Ron was part of that show as well.

Just because >YOU< don't like AD doesn't mean there aren't a lot of people who are. I've come to accept a lot of people love American Idol even though I would rather watch paint dry, but you know, those who watch it enjoy it, same thing goes with Arrested Development.

If AD suddenly vaulted to the top of the ratings (stranger things have happened... Seinfeld and Cheers did worse when they started than AD does now), would you suddenly revise your opinion because suddenly 20 million watch it?

[db108108]

I don't agree with you about AD (I love it), but I'll agree with you about the second season of Watching Ellie. The show wasn't overly funny in its first season, but was unique enough to keep me coming back every week. NBC totally blew that in the second season. I watched the first 5 minutes of the premiere and shut it off.

[Dean Winchester]

thought of an example, but was due to pregnancy and not low ratings.

Crossing Jordon had a short season last year, and is back for a full one this time.

HBO also reduced the fifth season of Sex And The City from the standard 18 episodes to just 8 to accomidate Sarah Jessica Parker's pregnancy, and then came back for one more full season.

[AngeFaitore]

Am I the only person in the world that likes American Dad?
Am I the only one who liked Keen Eddie (Which got replaced with The frickin' OC for that matter)?

[Riff]

Am I the only one who liked Keen Eddie (Which got replaced with The frickin' OC for that matter)?

Loved it. Lost it.

Am I the only person in the world that likes American Dad?

If that gets "Arrested Development" canned, I'll learn to love it. If it doesn't, it will probably be forever entrenched in "big disappointment" territory. We already have "Family Guy." What did we need a cheap knock-off for?

[Storywriter]

Reality Tv is hurting alot of shows and maybe all the Reality Tv should just die a painful death now.People out there rather watch something told to them is Reality Tv when it is fake than all the great dramas and sitcoms we have on.

Alot of sitcoms finish their run and it replaced with Untrue not real Reality Tv crap.If it wasn't for the few dramas and sitcoms I like that is on.I'd be given my DVD's the playout.I already watch DVD's more than tv.But I do watch a few dramas and sitcoms that are good I hope Aressted Development returns next fall for it's fan.You'll know by May Probably.. Mel :cool:

[Dean Winchester]

Loved it. Lost it.

:::spits soda out of nose::: I didn't realize Keen Eddie was such a huge hit in the ratings, since that's the standard of what makes a show good or bad, right?


If that gets "Arrested Development" canned, I'll learn to love it. If it doesn't, it will probably be forever entrenched in "big disappointment" territory. We already have "Family Guy." What did we need a cheap knock-off for?

why are you such a big ass about AD? You don't like it, don't watch it!!! You know the show has this huge fanbase here, so why not at least try to show respect to it's fans instead of acting like you're opinion is the only valid one. I know you are a Raymond fan... I personally think "good riddance" to the fact that the overrated show is going off the air after this season. But... unlike you, I understand the fact there's actually a lot of fans out there who are going to miss it when it leaves. But you act like because YOU don't like AD that the rest of us who do should suffer.

Seriously (and do respond to me, don't ignore it), if you seriously were stranded on an island for eternity and HAD to choose between two tv shows to watch for the rest of time... Arrested Development OR American Idol... would you seriously choose AI over AD? And if so, please tell me why (and you cannot use the word "ratings" anywhere in your answer).