A couple weeks ago, the peacock network finally started airing their new Friends with Benefits sitcom. The pilot for the TV show was developed for ABC but they passed on the series and NBC picked it up. Now that the show’s debuted, is the alphabet network regretting their decision or will the sitcom flop and be quickly cancelled?
Friends with Benefits revolves around a group of friends who live in Chicago and their relationships are complicated to say the least. Ben Lewis (Ryan Hansen) is on the hunt for the perfect woman who can meet his impossibly high standards. His best friend, Doctor Sara Maxwell (Danneel Harris), just wants a compatible man and to raise a family with him. They end up turning to each other for both moral and physical support as they wait for their mates to come along. Others in the cast include Zach Cregger, Andre Holland, and Jessica Lucas.
The NBC sitcom debuted with a pair of episodes on August 5th. The first one brought a terrible 0.7 rating in the 18-49 demographic and only 2.34 million viewers. It was third in the timeslot, tying with a repeat of Bones on FOX. The episode that followed at 8:30 dropped 14% to an even worse 0.6 demo rating and 1.96 million total viewers.
The following week’s installments fell again to a 0.5 rating and an average of 1.84 million. They were in fourth place in the timeslot, only beating a repeat of The CW’s Nikita. Last Friday’s episodes didn’t do any better.
Friends with Benefits is easily the worst performing original series on NBC. To put it in perspective, Minute to Win It is doing terribly but still gets about twice the ratings of Friends with Benefits. The peacock network execs obviously didn’t have much faith in Friends with Benefits which is why they delayed it until summer. Still, just how badly the show is actually doing is likely still a shock.
There is absolutely no way that NBC will be renewing this sitcom for a second season. If anything, they’ll pull it before all of the episodes have aired. For right now, episodes 11 and 12 are scheduled to air on September 9th. That will leave one remaining installment but, with ratings like these, the network hardly has any incentive to want to find a spot for the season/series finale.
But what do you think? Do you like Friends with Benefits? Would you like to see it renewed for a second season or just quickly cancelled?
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Image courtesy NBC.
I really like this show. It has a lot of charm and I really hope it stays on air!
Friends with Benefits is just really, really dull. Each minute I spent watching the pilot shrank my brain cells exponentially. Tried to watch it again a couple more times thinking it might improve but, no, it was beyond terrible. Even pretty people aren’t very entertaining when the lines are bad and the actors can’t act.
Considering that NBC has not advertised this show at all, from what I have seen I think its doing OK. I think the show is a bit dry at times but overall funny. If they gave it a good time slot I think the show would be a hit
It’s way funnier (especially the newer episodes) than Perfect Couples and has a lot of charm. It is by no means a groundbreaking sitcom but its enjoyable enough and deserves better ratings.
NBC couldn’t have expected anything higher, though, for a show that they did no advertising for and are burning off friday nights in august.
NBC cancelled Perfect Couples for this? Really…?
I accidentally found it on “on-demand” a week ago. I’m watching it now. I think it gets funnier as you get to know the characters. I like it.
The show is vulgar, crass and stupid with slimy, promiscuous characters. NBC should cancel it immediately.
Did anyone watch the first episodes of Cheers, or Growing Pains, or Full House, or Family Ties, or Cosby, or…well the list goes on forever. They were absolutely terrible, but for a couple of well placed (and obviouse) jokes. But back then the networks let shows ride and find their full potential. I mean all of the shows I just listed aired for years, and are iconic in most ppl’s eyes today. (My 10 year old son is addicted to Full House even now, and I think some of the child actors from the show have kids older than he… Read more »
Regards to Tha Critic… Reality shows are on Networks… ABC, NBC, CBS and FOX are all Networks, anything else is considered cable or satellite channels… Anyways, to my point. NBC is not giving Friends with Benefits a shot. I have been watching AGT and several other shows this summer and I have not even seen it advertised. I happened to have a lazy day and I turned to On Demand and there it was. I have watched all 6 episodes and find it very funny and entertaining. I know the ratings are looking terrible, but I think if NBC would… Read more »
I watched the pilot. There were some funny moments, but I don’t think I will watch it again. The casting of the male actors is bad. The female characters are unusually desparate. For example, the lead female character is a beautiful doctor, and she spends that whole time talking about needing to settle. Great guys would be all over her. Same with the female bartender.
I think it’s a decent show, but they doomed it to failure by waiting until August to air it. Nobody is looking for new shows that time of year.
Unless Reality TV gets knocked out of the way, network shows really don’t seem to have a chance.
Sad I think people just do not give shows a chance
I say keep it, but that’s never going to happen–hope we at least get to see all 13 eps, but I doubt it. Doubt we’d even get a burn-off via NBC.com.
Well it sounds like it’s already dead. They delayed it and put it on Fridays? Yeah, it’s dead.