Not surprising, it was just a question of when…
CBS has ordered 5 more episodes of freshman sitcom Accidentally on Purpose. While not quite the vote of support a full-season pick-up of nine episodes would be, more episodes is still at least a bit of a vote of confidence.
Last night’s episode notched the show’s best performance with adults 18-34 and it also had its largest audience since the premiere.
“more episodes is still at least a bit of a vote of confidence.”
A full season would be. This is just filling the schedule until Rules of Engagement can take over, and means the show is done. See The Class, Worst Week, etc.
It’s a decent performer in the ratings but it’s the lowest among the four so no wonder it’s not getting a full season pick up yet
Accidentally on purpose is much funnier than cougar town and IMHO recently funnier than HIMYM. Rules of engagement is absolutely hilarious I can’t wait for it to come back
forg – Accidentally seems reminicent to 2006’s The Class which got 19 episodes and did satisfactorily compared with the other 3 comedies. Accidentally will have to make room for Rules around March, like last years Worst Week but I did expect the order to be between 4 and 7 more new episodes.
Dan, I think AoP’s chances for 2nd season will depend on how Rules will perform. I’m assuming Rules will takeover the 8:30pm slot since I don’t think CBS will break the 2.5 Men/TBBT combo
Forg – They wont break the Chuck Lorre duo, which means Rules will liekly return to Mondays at 8:30 and may air additional episodes wednesdays in place of Gary repeats. CBS should give Rules a fifth season to air 8:00 wednesdays next season. Id say its really between Accidentally and Gary and which ever retains better will return in 2010-2011. With so many comedies, its likely that Old Christine will end (its at syndication needs) and Accidentally could be axed. Two and a Half Men, The Big Bang Theory and How I Met Your Mother are the only 3 comedies safe to return in 2010-2011. That means Old Christine, Rules of Engagement, Gay Unmarried, and Accidentally on Purpose are considered bubble series.
Two and Half Men has three more seasons for CBS while Big Bang Theory has two. Both are safe for quite ahwile.
From a critical standpoint, I think Accidentally on Purpose is far from a home run, but still a solid show considering how exhausted multicamera is…maybe a single with the legs second. It’s still quirky, cute and somewhat funny, though, and should have a consistent audience.
As for the ratings, I’d expect that once the show finds its groove and the writing smooths out a bit their loyal base will increase a little, and should be enough to get it renewed for a season two.
Would I say the same four years from now? Probably not.
And while not confirmed HIMYM is returning for a sixth year so it seems all other comedies are in the bubble status.
Barring any huge drop next year (hopefully not!) HIMYM is pretty much safe, pulling a 3.5 for an 8pm sitcom is really good considering the how the other 8PM sitcoms (Christine, Hank, and Community) are struggling to get 2.0
AoP is a cute show, it’s not bad as I thought it would be. IMO, I think , content wise, it’s a good transition show from HIMYM to 2.5 Men.
This is a complete vote of confidence. There was never a chance for 22 episodes because of Rules of Engagement. This is as big as the order was ever going to get this year.
Trent, Worst Week got 16 episodes last season, and it was cancelled. I don’t attach any particular significance to the difference between 18 episodes total (for AoP) and 16 (for WW).
Worst Week did relatively better for the full season (Index of 1.00) than AoP has done so far this season (Index of 0.92), but the repeat last week distorts AoP’s Index downwards.
I wouldn’t be too confident just yet, there is still a lot of season to go.
Trent – Thats true, but if the series had done really well out of Mother it could have gotten a full 22 episode yeatr and then CBS would need to have done some shuffling (like double up on Rules at some point). However it seems this year may turn out like last year. I really wish Rules had been given a fall timeslot but CBS just uses the series to replace underperforming comedies. Hopefully Rules gets the fall wednesday slot in 2010 and somehow makes it to syndication.
Bill – Worst Week did better than a lot of CBS’s other comedies, the problem was its retention wasnt great. This year is all about retention for the comedies and while Accidentally’s retention out of Mother is better than Week’s out of Men I still dont see AOP getting a second year. CBS’s problem is that in the past 2 seasons they havent axed a veteran comedy (their last was The King of Queens). Theyve let go of freshman single camera comedies the past two years (Welcome to the Captain and Worst Week). Now CBS has too many veteran comedies as well as relatively new comedies. Three of these shows (Two and a Half Men, The Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother) are safe for 2010-2011 (though HIMYM hasnt been given another year, its safe) That leaves two veterans (Old Christine, Rules of Engagement) as well as two relatively new sitcoms (Gary Unmarried and Accidentally on Purpose) My best guess is that AOP gets axed due to low retention and if Rules has better retention out of Mother, when it returns midseason, it will get a fifth year. As for Wednesdays current comedy duo, my guess is that it maybe time for CBS to let Christine go in May and let Gary Unmarried contine the night. Gary has good retention and may be counted on to help the night in the future. This is all speculation however but since CBS doesnt have any comedies that are definitely ending, nor do they have any that are doing to horrible its hard to guess what CBS will let go in May.
I don’t think we have to worry about Rules. It does fairly well wherever CBS puts it. I don’t know how much of it’s performance from last year was due to having the post 2 &1/2 men slot though. It still has a good ways to go to get to syndication since it only has 35 episodes as of the end of season 3, and if it gets another 13 episode season that will bring it to 48. That being said, it’s a good pinch hitter for CBS. AoP does ok, but it’s the weak link on Mondays, and will go down just like Worst Week did last year.
Tommy – Rules will have 48 episodes total by May 2010 and 2 more 22 episode seasons will fulfill syndication needs with 92 episodes total. However Im getting increasingly worried that a fifth season may not happen. Its a good pinch hitter but despite the fact that the series will do better than AOP airing out of HIMYM, the series still doesnt have that good of a lead in. being used for midseason this year and last year, Rules hasnt had time to grow. I believe if CBS puts it on its struggling wednesday night block 2010-2011, Rules should hold up well. Maybe for 2010 comedy wise the sched could look like this
Mondays
8:00 How I Met Your Mother
8:30 New Comedy (Something that could last a while)
9:00 Two and a Half Men
9:30 The Big Bang Theory
Wednesdays
8:00 Rules of Engagement
8:30 Gary Unmarried
Don’t you think that it would be riskier to move Rules to Wednesdays considering it hasn’t been the best night for CBS comedies? Old Christine may go, but that will have more to do with how cheaply Warner Brothers lets CBS have it for. If it has 22 episodes this season it will have a total of 89 which is ok for syndication. With that said I’m sure Warner Bros will want more. Warner Bros could be stingy about the price considering ABC has been pretty clear that they would pick it up if CBS cancels it. So it’s really hard to judge the fate of the show at this time.
I agree. The order of only 5 seems to suggest this show is over after one season. I actually don’t think that’s the right call. It has been holding most of HIMYM’s lead-in lately. It also outrates both New Christine and Gary Unmarried which seem to be immune to cancelation somehow. I think Purpose deserves another shot.
I think the 5 instead of 9 episodes order is just because of Jenna Elfman’s pregnancy and Midseason’s “Rules of Engagement”. AoP is doing fine right now and slowly improving in ratings and quality. And as a positive example, “The Big Bang Theory” had comparable ratings in it’s first season (and 8.31 million viewers) and had also only 17 episodes.
I think Christine will be renewed for at least another 13 eps to get them to 102 for Syndication, 89 isn’t really enough. ABC would probably still take it next year so CBS will keep it. Personally I must be the only one that can’t stand Rules and so I hope it gets canned. AoP is improving and hope it will stick around. Christine and Gary are a good combo on Wednesday if they want to build that block. The real gamble would be to move Big Bang to Wednesdays next year to really solidify that.
BBT only had 17 episodes in its 1st year,i think AOP will get renewed for a 2nd season.
I enjoyed this show a lot, for the first few episodes. When it became clear that it was going to be another lame “will they/won’t they” plot between the two main characters, I dropped it from my viewing list. Apparently.. a whole LOT of other viewers share at least a somewhat similar view.
The Big Bang Theory had a full season order in its first season of 22 episodes. BBT only produced 17 episodes due to the writers strike. BBT built on HIMYM when it was at 8:30, and was much stronger than Accidentally on Purpose. AOP barely maintains HIMYM’s numbers.
Tommy – It may be risky to move ROE to wednesdays but thats the only way to test the series for a season to see if it can survive on its own. Rules has been riding Two and a Half Men for so long that no one has ever looked at the series starting its own night. I believe it can hold up wednesdays and if its retention out of Mother is any better this spring it will be a good determination of whether or not it gets another year. If it does land on the fall sched for 2010-2011 theres no way its going to monday. CBS uses veterans to anchor wednesday and besides the monday night trio Old Christine and Rules are the only to veterans CBS has. While I think pairing the two may work i think its also likely that CBS lets Christine go instead of Gary Unmarried. It hasnt improved that much on wednesdays, where as Gary has improved a bit. I hope ABC takes Christine so CBS will have room to develop other comedies and ABC actually has a well rated comedy on their sched. If anything for next season, CBS should have a HIMYM, a new comedy, TAAHM, and TBBT airing mondays. ROE and Gary Unmarried airing wednesdays and a 6-7 episode new comedy for midseason so their wont be a big hassle on ending a series early so a new one can begin.
First, it isn’t really fair to compare Worst Week’s index to AOP’s. WW was coming out of 2.5 Men and only retaining 2/3 of the audience. AOP is coming out of HIMYM and holding 9/10 of the audience.
Also, TBBT first season was only 17 episodes because of the writers strike.
Isn’t it funny how at one point (First After Season 2, then durring 3 or 4) CBS looked like they were going to drop HIMYM (Supposedly one of the key CBS Execs didn’t like the show)but decided to hold onto it.
Then look what happened – between the show starting to improve and Neil Patrick Harris becoming pop-culture cool, it became more popular.
CBS needs another sitcom to hold onto and build like that,so perhaps Accidently on Purpose it that sitcom.
It will be interesting to see how Rules performs in AoP’s spot come March (assuming that is what happens). Id hazard a guess it will on avaerage build slightly in total viewers (it’ll be the spring after all) and probably hold all or drop by 0.1 or 0.2 from HIYM in the demo.
That should be enough to see renewed and presumably sent to Wed @8 next year. How it’d do there is debateable but I think it’d probably do slightly better than Christine, maybe the 2.2-2.5 sort of range… It would also be a better fit with GU than Christine is too, so it might help that show out slightly too.
If they actually want to make something of a Wed 8-9 comedy hour they will really have to move one of HIYM, BBT or 2.5 men. And i really cant see that happening…
Ron – They would never move HIMYM to wednesday nor Men or Theory. CBS still needs Mother for 2010-2011 in the series sixth (and likely final season) Hopefully during that season Mother can actually help a new 8:30 series to develop. Men and Theory have been renewed for a while so expect those two to stay put in 9 and 9:30 respectively. With Rules my guess is that the familiar sitcom will retain a better amount of Mother than AOP. It seems more compatible to both Mother and Men as well. While Rules wont get as many viewers as airing after Mother, its good retention will hopefully convince CBS to give the series a fifth (yes fifth) season. It will be going into its fifth year with 48 episodes which is the amount most series have after the start of their third seasons. I personally think Rules can hold up Wednesdays at 8 and its up to CBS to make that decision.
MattStephens – I dont think Mother was ever in danger. It may have looked like it after Season 3 but it was still a key player for CBS. If anything Old Christine was in danger after Season 2 and 3.
Trent – Yeah, everyone knows hat by now about TBBT. But its interesting that no new fall CBS comedy has managed to get a full 22 episodes since HIMYM and Out of Practice in 2005 and Mother had all episodes aired
The Class – 19 episodes
The Big Bang Theory – 17 episodes
Worst Week – 16 episodes
Gary Unmarried – 20 episodes
Accidentally on Purpose – 18 episodes
Ironically Worst Week was the highest rated but got the least episodes probably due to bad retention.
My guess for 2010-2011
Definitely Returning
Two and a Half Men
How I Met Your Mother
The Big Bang Theory
Likely Returning
Rules of Engagement
Gary Unmarried
Not likely to Return
Old Christine
Accidentally on Purpose
I agree with your next season prediction Dan. I dont think CBS should move one of BBT/HIYM/2.5 Men to a wed – i was just saying thats the only way they would be able to really get a strong comedy hour going there.
I do disagree that HIMYM will finish after next season though. I can see it running for several more seasons… it is a strong demo perfomer – especially for the 8pm hour (av a 3.5) and i dont see CBS dropping such a decently rated (and youngest skewing show). What currently on air regularly performs higher in the 8-8.30 half hour on any network? Megahits House & NCIS. Survivor usually. Dancing & Simpsons sometimes. Nothing else though. Certainly no sitcom even comes close.
Ron – I only think Mother will end at Season 6 not because of ratings but because its a series with a set story line. A beginning, middle and end. I felt around the end of Season 3 and beginning of 4 it was the middle so My guess is Season 6 could be the end. It would seem that we are at the point in the series where we are close to finding out the Mother. CBS could really continue the series as long as it does well but hey may want to give the show a good ending and find a replacement. I hope the show they air in the 8:30 monday slot for next season will be a comedy that I could see lasting. TBBT as that kind of comedy and AOP didnt seem like a lasting series. Unlike Lost, where ABC could announce an end date, comedies are different but hopefully CBS gives Mother a chance to get a finale ahead of time.
I highly doubt HIMYM will get dropped after Season 6; it is a solid show and it still has the creative legs to keep moving past a 6th season.
I love Old Christine alot so I hope it doesn’t get dropped but its ratings aren’t all that good; lets just hope Warner let it go at a cheap price ala Til’ Death and it survives another season.
I agree with the move of a Tuesday sitcom to Wednesday; especially if CBS are so intent on building a wednesday comedy block; though I don’t see it happening so prehaps Christine and Gary are safe if CBS want to build that night and show viewers they are committed to it.
I just hope ABC is still willing to pick up Old Christine if CBS cancels it
I was worried at first when it was announced that HIMYM will go back at 8 but I’m pretty confident now since its doing well in the ratings. I think the show could last until season 7 or more if they could find a way to introduce the mother and include in the sitcom.
Let’s see