by Steven Koch

Created on: January 04, 2010

It’s happened to all of us. We start watching a television show, and really start to enjoy it. The characters mean something to us or the story lines work so well we can’t wait for the next episode. Then, sometime around the holidays you read that first report that “your show” is not doing well in the ratings and may be cancelled. You don’t understand. The show has everything – good stories, solid characters, a great cast and besides – you like it. You may even be one of those who writes to the station to let them know you like the show and please don’t cancel it. More often than not, it is not enough.

 Why do some of our “favorite” shows not make it past that crucial first season? Is it simply a matter of numbers? The bottom line is – yes. If the ratings are not high enough there will not be enough ad revenue coming in to justify the expense. “But the show is good,” I can hear you say. That’s when you hope there is another factor in your favor – someone on the production or network side with enough clout to try to make some changes. If you are lucky, your show will see a second season.

 Sometimes a simple change in timeslot or day will make a difference. There are two shows that come to mind that began with awful ratings and were nearly cancelled. Ironically both are comedies and both aired on CBS. Both are acknowledged as classics and we cannot imagine that their long runs were almost cut after their first season.

The first show was All in the Family. All in the Family debuted on Tuesday January 12, 1971 as a mid-season replacement and finished a distant third for the night. The first thirteen episodes running through May, All in the Family did not crack the top 30 in the Neilsen Ratings. In September 1971 in a new time slot and a new night (Saturday), it quickly launched to number one and stayed there for the next five years. All in the Family is considered a classic and groundbreaking television. No one would have predicted its success in June of 1971.

Another show had to move around a bit to find its audience. M*A*S*H debuted on September 17, 1972, a Sunday and did not even make it into the top 40. Over the next two years nights and times were changed again, first to Saturday and then Tuesday. The first change was enough as M*A*S*H reached the top ten in its second season and stayed there until the end of its run. Again M*A*S*H is considered a classic.

Why did these shows make it when our brilliant favorites are too often cancelled? Sometimes it is a matter of patience and finding an audience. All in the Family was helped by word of mouth which gradually raised the number of viewers. Sometimes a different night will bring in the desired audience. Sometimes the competition is too great in the original time slot.

Unfortunately too many times it is not a matter of how good or bad a show is. If it cannot find its audience and there is an executive ready to pull the plug, the dreaded word “cancelled” will be printed next to its name.

If you want your favorites that are languishing in the Neilsen basement to survive – talk about it. Word of mouth saved All in the Family. Maybe it will save your future classic too.

References: http://www.fiftiesweb.com/tv-ratings-70s.htm

http://www.museum.tv/eotvsection.php?entrycode=allin thefa

http://www.museum.tv/eotvsection.php?entrycode=mash

Learn more about this author, Steven Koch.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.