Melissa & Joey: New ABC Family Show; Cancel or Keep It?

Starring a pair of sitcom veterans, Melissa & Joey revolves around Mel Burke (Melissa Joan Hart) and Joe Longo (Joey Lawrence). She’s a young politico who must take in her sister’s two teenage kids (Taylor Spreitler and Nick Robinson). She hires Joe, an out-of-work commodities trader, to be the family’s new “manny” and mishaps ensue.

If the premise of Melissa & Joey seems familiar, it’s probably because it sounds a lot like Who’s the Boss?, the sitcom that ran for eight seasons on ABC. But, how will this new TV show fare? As well as its predecessor or will it be cancelled after just one season, like so many other ABC Family sitcoms?

Melissa & Joey debuted on August 17th to a 1.0 rating in the 18-49 demographic and 2.15 million total viewers. That marked a record for an ABC Family premiere in both total viewership and the key demo. The second half-hour performed about as well, with a 0.9 rating and 2.18 million viewers.

But, can those numbers hold up? The answer is “yes” if the second week’s numbers are any indication. In week two, the numbers held steady in the all-important demo rating. Total viewership declined a bit, to 1.92 million.

If viewership can stay at these levels, it’s a safe bet that Melissa & Joey will be renewed for a second season.

But, what do you think? Is Melissa & Joey worth watching? Would you keep it on the air or just cancel it?