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?
Image courtesy NBC.
I found the show recently on Netflix. I think it’s hilarious. I say keep it.
My boyfriend and I absolutly love this show! I vote to Keep it. They always want to cancel the good shows and keep the horrible ones!!!
KEEP THE SHOW!!!!!!!!!!!!
The show is hilarious, I mean laugh out loud! I have so much shook work to do but instead I’m watching Netflix!
I hope they do season two. I found the show on Netflix, and have watched 9 episodes in the last week, and OMG, its the funniest show ever! Great cast and great writing. NBC is crazy not to do season two. There is nothing good on that network except for Friends with Benefits.
I love this show so much and I’ve been waiting for this show to come back on and i hope you don’t cancel it. It is one of my favorites and it is so funny and you need to air it soon.
Please do not cancel this show. I watched the whole season this weekend through Netflix. I love the characters. It’s fresh. It would be a shame to have it cancelled.
It should be continued. I watched all the episodes on Netflix in two days. It was awesome.
This show is amazing! I randomly found it the other night on Netflix and fell in love with it. I could of watched the entire episodes in one night, however, decided to split them up into a 2 night event in order to let the fun last longer. Wish season 2 was coming along because I would be in front of my television every episode. Loved all the characters and story line. The show is funny, clever, sexy, and has charm. I never heard of the show when it aired in the summer of 2011 which means NBC did a… Read more »
Just stayed up and finished all 13 episodes in ONE night! Lovedd it. I really wish they’d give this show some more time because it’s honestly a shame to see such a good show go to waste. Once it picks up you’ll get get hooked on the characters and storylines. I really hope NBC at least considersss picking up another season and does a better job at promoting it because I’ve never heard of this show until Netflix.
Tks Netflix this show is amassing , more more more pls continued more advertising just continued
Tks Netflix this show is amassing pls continued more advertising just continued
There is so many other shows that are aired and suck terribly! This show is like a young “Sex and the City” only better because it haves a man’s perspective I truly want to see more seasons advertise it like they did big bang theory which suck!!!!!
Please keep this show or I will protest a boycott outside of NBC studios!!!!!! Love this show!!!!!
This show is amazing, funny and actually get you to think if you had a friendship like they do, Found it on Netflix and i have no regrets ***** Five Star – please bring season II