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.
DONT CANCEL IT!!!!! PLEASE!!!! BRING ON SEASON TWO!!!
I watched the whole first season, loved it, and then found out there is no second season!!!! I love this show, don’t cancel it!!!!!
Loved the show. Bring it back… or better yet, Netflix should pick it up as an original series!
Absolutely loved it! I will be super bummed if there isn’t another season. So bummed that I might just boycott NBC.
I really don’t get it… they keep shows that are not as good and cancel a show like this. But as we’ve seen this is not the only good show to be canceled. I guess it wasn’t dark and negative enough.
Just got done watching the whole first season on Netflix. It was as funny as New Girl! I think they should keep airing it and give it another chance!!!
Such an addicting show. It’s really nice to see the way the cast has such good chemistry with each other. With all due respect, NBC has horrendous shows and when they finally get a good one, they decide to cancel it? Doesn’t make sense. PLEASE bring this show back and actually give it a chance!
Watched the first season , got sooo into it , searched for season two , couldnt find it , found out the show was cancelled >.< #Sick. Please bring it back.
I just watched the entire season 1 of Friends with Benefits on a Sunday and I absolutely loved it so much I went directly to nbc’s website to see what night it comes on or if there is further seasons and episodes. I really think you should give the show another shot, it is great and funny. I prefer this over all the reality tv crap that is on now anyways, hence the reason I can spend a whole day on Netflix.
Once I watched the pilot, I was hooked and had to finish the whole series on Netflix. It would be a shame to cancel this show. Plus the actors have great chemistry with each other that makes this show believable.
Are you kidding me why cancel a great show like this ? That’s pathetic…this show I wasn’t even planning on seeing it but it came out of no where in mY Netflix channel so I decided to watch it…than I got addicted to it that i watched all 13 episodes. I hope you guys put it back on…it’s a funny and great show to watch. I woudnt want to miss more of it. You should not cancel it.
I loved this show! I watched the whole season on Netflix in 3 days as well. I can see how the adult humor my have thrown off the prime time television watching crowd, but I love the cast and the humor. I work in a bar, and I think that the characters are very relatable in some ways. I really hope they make a second season available on Netflix!
I love this show, i found it on Netflix. I don’t get why it didn’t stay on.. I think they should give it another try!!
I loved it! Just finished watching the first season on netflix. It took me three days. I had never heard of it before either but am glad I found it. The script is funny and the characters are great. I hope there is a second season. DO NOT CANCEL!
I absolutely loved it and i never heard of it on TV either. I sat and watched all 13 episodes and looked to see if it was still on TV, when i found this. I think if it was properly advertised a lot of people would keep watching