After being renewed in January 2011, it was expected that season three of Cougar Town would debut in the fall. ABC delayed it until November, then put it off until mid-season and then, cut the episode order and delayed it again. When Cougar Town finally returned, fewer fans seemed to care.
While never a big hit for the alphabet network, Cougar Town had been a decent performer. Season one averaged a 2.9 rating in the prized 18-49 demographic with 7.0 million total viewers.
Last season started strong but the numbers began to fall by mid-season — about the same time as ABC’s renewal. The last episode of season two aired on May 23rd and registered a 2.0 in the demo with 5.0 million viewers.
It was nine months before the start of season three and, while total viewership remained about the same, the demo rating continued to drop. The season started with a 1.8 rating and has fallen to a low of a 1.4 demo.
 Loading ... |
This season, Cougar Town has been averaging a 1.6 in the demo with 4.5 million total viewers. On our ABC Ratings Report Card, which measures the network shows’ relative demo performance, the sitcom has a “D” grade. It’s the lowest-rated scripted series on the network and isn’t doing much better than what Charlie’s Angels was getting before it was cancelled.
With ratings like these, Cougar Town would be certain to be cancelled — except for one thing. The show is produced in-house so the company has added incentive to try to keep it going long enough to have enough episodes for syndication. Scrubs, another Bill Lawrence show, was kept alive for two additional seasons because of lucrative syndication deals.
However, at the end of this season, Cougar Town will have just 61 episodes — well short of what’s needed for a syndication package. It seems that ABC would have to renew the show for at least a full season and maybe more. It seems unlikely that they’d do that but it is a possibility.
We’ll know what they’ve decided by mid-May but one thing’s for sure. If Cougar Town is renewed for a fourth season, it will be in spite of the ratings, not because of them.
Wat do you think? Are you still watching Cougar Town or have you given up on it? Do you think that it will be cancelled or renewed for season four?
Image courtesy ABC.
I love Cougar Town. The entire ensemble is WONDERFUL. You have to watch carefully, though, because there are so many funny lines and situations.
Please don’t cancel Cougar Town. I think it is a remarkable show.
I love this show and really hope it stays around.
Please don’t cancel this show! It has the ability to produce tons of money and be as popular as the tv show friends! Give it a better time slot like after modern family! It is one of the funniest shows on television right now! I’m a 23 year old college male and I have to admit that the title of the show made me at first apprehensive but looking past that I’ve found a show that I look forward to seeing it every week! Give it a second chance! AND a better time slot! It will make a world of… Read more »
Please save Cougar Town! It is one of the best shows on television!
I really love this show, I think is one of the best I have seen since Friends, It has been improving and it has so much potential for more seasons. Cast is great and there is such much chemestry between them. I know it would be very difficult ABC will decide to keep it but they weren’t fair postponing to air this season, There are so many mediocre shows out there that are still on air. Please just renew it.
I agree, renew it PLEASE!
I love Cougar Town. Please Please renew Cougar Town. It is one of my favorite t.v. show. It is so funny. I love Bill Lawrence’s t.v. shows. They are different from other t.v. shows out there. If the network wouldn’t have postponed Cougar Town until so far in the season the ratings would be higher. I really hope that Cougar Town is renewed. If it’s not I will be so sad.
I love this show…. but I gre weary of waiting this season and have had to catch up via-demand for the past month because I either forget to watch or DVR it. ABC made a very poor choice moving it…… damn ABC
[…] Should Cougar Town be cancelled? […]
I enjoy the show. I hope they will keep it going. However, they need to schedule the show so it can get better ratings. They can’t program it with family comedies, and they can’t jerk the viewers around by leaving it off the schedule for so long that people forget about it.
I like the show, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it got canceled.
Seriously! Don’t cancel. Wine Time is one of the best shows on television. They gave it a horrible time slot and that’s the only reason why— well except for a horrible name. 😉 PLEASE DON’T CANCEL.
This is my favourite show it’s hilarious love the entire cast including neighbour Dr guy he is so funny trying to force his way into crew. More morning coffee meetings, wine in big glasses, penny can type games, I think we need to see Jules back at work more. Ellie could go back to work. There is no other show like it I live it and would be gutted if it was not renewed!!!!
I love Cougartown, myself and my friends have only just discovered it (We’re English)and we’ve been devoting ourselves to watching several episodes every weekend now via Lovefilm. I hope it comes back for at least one more season.
totally agree with Adam, the schedule is horrible and ABC messed it up by not airing it for 9 months and then moving it to Tuesdays with a much weaker (compared to MF) lead-in, when all that CT needed was for people to notice that it was actually come back and it was NOT a show about cougars.. Anyway, this show has proved to have a faithful core audience. The quality keeps getting better and better (TV critics are constantly praising it). I’m putting all my hopes in Bill Lawrence, he knows how to handle these situations. I’m sure he’ll… Read more »
The current placement of this show is terrible. It doesn’t go well with “Last Man Standing” as a lead-in. LMS is more of a traditional “three camera and laugh track” sit-com (not that there’s anything wrong with that… the awesome “The Big Bang Theory” uses the same techniques, albeit much more effectively) while CougarTown uses the more modern technique of no studio audience and filming things “movie style.” This is very jarring. CougarTown was much better on Wednesday night with similarly-styled shows. Then, of course, you deal with the markedly different tastes to whom each show caters – LMS is… Read more »