The FOX sitcom ‘Til Death beat the odds and survived for three seasons. Has the TV show’s luck finally run out?
‘Til Death debuted on September 7, 2006. The sitcom stars Brad Garrett and Joely Fisher as Eddie and Joy Stark, a couple whose 20+ year marriage has grown stale and bitter. In contrast, their recently married neighbors, the Woodcocks (played by Eddie Kaye Thomas and Kat Foster), are still enjoying newlywed euphoria. For season three of Til Death, the Woodcocks were sent packing and were replaced by Kenny (J.B. Smoove), a divorced friend of Eddie’s who helps to pull him down all the wrong paths.
In its first season, ‘Til Death averaged 7.1 million viewers and ranked #82 on the season’s list of primetime shows. In year two, viewership dropped and averaged a viewership of only 6.1 million.
Despite the sinking numbers, FOX renewed the series for a third season and ordered 13 episodes. Four season two episodes were held over due to the writers strike. Unfortunately, the numbers for season three have been worse than the previous year’s. This season’s episodes have averaged only 4.54 million. The freshman comedy Do Not Disturb drew similar numbers and was cancelled after just three episodes aired.
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FOX has pulled ‘Til Death from primetime for the foreseeable future. With such dismal numbers, it comes as no surprise that the sitcom is absent from the schedule for the November sweeps period. Repeats of House will fill the timeslot for at least the next several weeks.
Of the 17 season three episodes, only seven have aired. The network may leave the remaining 10 on the shelf indefinitely but will more likely air them at some point in the future, possibly to fill in half-hour gaps around American Idol. Either way, based on the numbers, it looks like ‘Til Death is a lame duck with no chance for a fourth year. Stay tuned! 
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Actually, it wouldn’t hurt to bring back the Woodcocks, but have you people NOT seen “Curb Your Enthusiasm?”.It was a positive move for Kenny to join the cast, there was just too much change at once.I think the Ritter girl played the best daughter, for example.It’s not Goldsmith and Yuspah’s fault that some of the casting changed, though.This show could easily be kept on the air because it’s one of the few with original writing rather than that “reality show” rubbish.
I think Til Death is one of the funniest shows ever!
Where the hell has the sense of humor in the viewers gone?
I’m so sad that Til Death coming to an end
The truth is Fox probably didn’t have anything to do with the Woodcocks departure. You can probably blame the writers strike for that.
TV scheduling has become extremely fragmented these past few years. It has become increasingly difficult to follow a program when it’s on one week and gone the next only to return the week after. And it’s all of the networks doing it, not just Fox. Try following NASCAR one time. It jumps from channel to channel, day to day and you never know what time it’s going to come on.
The “Kenny” character has been the down fall of the show. The Woodcocks need to be brought back!!!! There are still plenty of “situations” that two married couples in different stages of life can experience together or even of each couple has their own experiences and then the couples only interact “occasionally” Really this dumb Kenny got old after the first couple of episodes!!!!
This started off as a great show, the contrast between newlyweds and a 20 year marriage…once they brought in Kenny, it really took away from the show…BRING BACK THE WOODCOCKS…the contrast between the families made the show. Put this on after your 20 hours of American Idol, and your ratings will rise. Good call on cancelling DO NOT DISTURB, Jerry O’Connell deserves better.
It figures that Fox would consider canceling this show!! It is the only sitcom on Fox that I watch. Oh, by the way…there is WAY too much of that Kenny guy. And where have the Woodcock’s been?? Bring them back and your ratings WILL go up!!
IT FIGURES THAT A GOOD SHOW WOULD JUST BE TAKEN OFF THE AIR LIKE THEY ALWAYS DO WITH EVERYTHING. THE NEW CHARACTERS WERE GREAT. I GUESS PEOPLE NOW A DAYS HAVE NO SENSE OF HUMOR. THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THIS SHOW.
INSTEAD LETS WATCH ‘SMARTER THAN A FIFTH GRADER’ OR ‘DEAL OR NO DEAL’
I loved this show and it was on a great night and time, until Fox was dumb and changed it. Quit swapping shows around and adding stupid reality shows and you might have some happy viewers! When people can’t keep up with what times their favorite shows are on, they just quit watching! Oh and BRING BACK THE WOODCOCKS!! The chemistry of the Woodcocks and the Starks was what made the show so funny.
Fox you have to be the worst run television company. You have a funny sitcom and a bunch of dumb reality shows. You need to put it on a better night and time. The show is funny and I love it, but it needs another show to make it stronger..I hope CBS picks this show up if Fox cancels it…It would be great on Monday night to lead off all the other funny comedies….
Thanks FOX for shelving one of the only funny shows on air. Bring back the neighbors and keep it on a solid schedule and this show will do fine.
The series is not as good without the Woodcocks, it could still be funny if they brougt them back. Mainly I only watch because Joely Fisher is a goddess!
Well, at the end of season 2 they did say what Happened to the Woodcocks. They found a new couple to hang around they liked better.
Looks like ‘too much Kenney’ was the formula that killed the show. Just can’t leave well enough alone can you. Maybe we needed a black, but sooooo much Kennry? Good God.
Ok. I have been a fan of this series since the beginning and after this third season with the newlywed couple off the show, it seems like it’s missing something. I love Brad Garrett (even though I wasn’t when he was on Everybody Loves Raymond). if the series get cancelled, I’ll miss it but in order to win back ratings, it needs something to get it going again. I love Joely Fisher as his wife as they are a perfect match. I’ve said my peace but time will tell..and if it comes to an end, then the title says it all…Til Death’ (one more thing, I think Brad is very hot, sexy and hairy guy!)
You want to know why the ratings fell for ‘Til Death? They did away with the successful combination of the Starks’ and Woodcocks’ . Without any explanation, they just changed the whole formula of the show. I could do a better job of script management in my sleep, and I’m just an uneducated truck driver.
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