ABC has some successful sitcoms on their Wednesday night schedule. Unfortunately, Better with You wasn’t popular enough for the network. The comedy has been cancelled after one season on the air.
Better with You revolves around the Putney family and their significant others. Maddie and Ben have been happily dating for a long time and aren’t in a rush to get married. They begin to question their choice when Maddie’s sister gets pregnant by her new boyfriend and they announce their plans for nuptials. The girls’ parents approve of the idea, having taken on a carpe diem approach to life. The sitcom stars Debra Jo Rupp, Jake Lacy, Jennifer Finnigan, Joanna Garcia, Josh Cooke, and Kurt Fuller.
The TV series debuted back in September to a 2.5 rating in the 18-49 demographic and 7.86 million viewers. In week two, the ratings slide to a 2.2 rating and 6.99 million. Those aren’t terrible numbers but they aren’t great either, especially considering the series was sandwiched between two already established sitcoms, The Middle and Modern Family. Both of those consistently performed much better so it would seem that some viewers were making a conscious to tune out when Better with You came on.
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The ratings for Better with You slowly declined over the course of the season, hitting a season low a couple weeks ago with a 1.5 demo rating and 4.64 million viewers. While the sitcom now airs up against American Idol, The Middle does too, has a tougher timeslot, and performs significantly better.
With ABC considering starting a second night of comedy, Better with You was on the bubble for a potential renewal. ABC has now decided to cancel it, likely believing that they can get better ratings with a new sitcom.
All 22 episodes have aired and the series finale, “Better with Baby,” aired a few nights ago.
What do you think? Are you sorry that better with You isn’t getting a second season? Why do you think the sitcom didn’t attract a bigger audience?
Image courtesy ABC.
Seriously …. to take such a funny show off the air before it’s really had a chance to catch on is a shame! Once you get to know these characters, you can’t wait to see them each week…great blend of comedy. There aren’t many shows that can make me laugh right out loud, but this one does every week! Sooooo sad to see it not come back. Perhaps another network might be smart enough to pick it up ….. fingers crossed!
[…] TV show dates: September 22, 2010 – May 11, 2011 Series status: Cancelled […]
I thought it was great, and romantic comedies are a very tough sell for me. Jennifer Finnegan in particular was hilarious, as was the guy who played the father. The show was against Survivor and Idol, was consistently jerked around in the lineup (once getting three or four weeks off in a row in favor of reruns of The Middle) and wasn’t given a real chance. No replacement show is going to do better and this one was growing. A bad decision and a disappointing one, too.
Very disappointing! This show was extremely funny and my whole family looked forward to every new weekly episode…
I thought this show was great! All 3 couples were so funny. I could relate so much with all the characters in one way or another. I don’t understand why these wonderful shows get canceled….give them a chance!! Its no wonder that people go to cable to watch shows!
I’m so upset to hear this!! It was one of my favourite new comedies this season! One of the few new ones to actually make me laugh out loud.
I am really disappointed that it was canceled; the show was very cute. I think that it wasn’t properly promoted by the network.
“Better With You” has been cancelled. To help save this show, please join the movement to get it back! Join the “Save Better With You” page on Facebook here: http://www.facebook.com/SaveBetterWithYou and sign the petition here: http://www.petitionbuzz.com/petitions/betterwithyou. Let’s not let this hilarious sitcom go without a fight!
Hugely disappointed. Only ABC show either me or my girlfriend watched.
Sorry to see this cancelled. It has gotten funnier as the season progressed. Networks cancel shows too quickly and don’t give them a chance to “gel”.
If ABC had aired it consistantly instead of not airing it or showing repeats it would have done better. I hated when I tried to tune in and episodes of the middle were on. They did the same thing to Eastwick. Also, they canceled V. I now have no reason to watch ABC anymore. Mess with the fans too much and you loose viewers.
I don’t think this show was all that great. I really only watched it for Casey and the Mom (from that 70s show). The dad was cool too. Other then that it was alright. I could of seen it having a second season but I’m okay with out it also
FAVORITE COMEDY.. 🙁
I really enjoyed this show. The parents were hilarious. The differences that were compared between the couple and how they reacted to the same situations was spot on. Plus newly married Mrs Swisher is one hell of a hottie.
Complete Bulls**t
that show was the ****