There’s mixed news for fans of The Real O’Neals TV show on ABC. The network has ordered additional episodes for the current second season but they’ve only asked for three more. This brings the season two tally to 16 installments instead of a typical full season of 22 episodes. Is cancellation next for this series?
A single-camera comedy series, The Real O’Neals revolves around an Irish Catholic family that seems to be living an idyllic life. Their lives are turned upside down when the middle son comes out of the closet and the rest of the family members come clean with their own secrets. They then start to live their lives more authentically. The show stars Martha Plimpton, Jay R. Ferguson, Noah Galvin, Matt Shively, Bebe Wood, and Mary Hollis Inboden.
The first season of The Real O’Neals averaged a 1.12 rating in the 18-49 demographic with 3.94 million viewers and could easily have been cancelled last May. The second season has been averaging a 0.97 rating in the demo with 3.14 million.
The sitcom is currently the 13th highest rated scripted series on ABC out of the 19 scripted series that have aired during the 2016-17 season. It’s the lowest-rated ABC comedy on Tuesdays. As a sidenote, fellow Tuesday night comedy American Housewife was recently given a full season order.
This three episode backorder for Real O’Neals echos what ABC did last season with The Muppets TV show. That comedy had just 16 episodes, finished airing in March, and was cancelled in May.
Unless the ratings for The Real O’Neals improve, it seems certain that it will be cancelled as well. ABC has comedies Imaginary Mary and Downward Dog waiting in the wings. These additional episodes of Real O’Neals may have been ordered just to help the network fill the timeslot until ABC is ready to launch one of them. The network has already cut the order for Imaginary Mary to nine episodes.
What do you think? Do you like The Real O’Neals TV show on ABC? Do you think the network should order more episodes or, should it be cancelled instead?
this is such a good and funny show! i honestly laugh so much and i think it is personally so relatable. it shows a great way for families to cope with situations that arent always “normal” but that is reality. love the name, love the characters, and love the development. I know the ratings have not been super great, but for the ones that actually do watch, we LOVE it.
We really like the O’Neals family. Really like the entire cast. Please keep it. So nice to see a positive storyline.
This show is honestly one of the only things that keeps me going. As the closeted gay child of a family that does not accept me, the show is one of my only hopes that life might not be so bad. Seeing everything that Kenny goes through makes me feel like I actually have a chance to be happy and have my family accept me even if it might be rough at first. I’m sure the show has helped many other gay kids in my situation as well. While the show itself might not be perfect, it is so important… Read more »
I enjoy the show, especially the sister! Keep it
My boyfriend and I watch every week and laugh hysterically. We watch mostly for the endearing nature of the family portrayed and because the chemistry amongst the actors on the show is fantastic. Why mess or cancel a good thing when there is endless amounts of mindless crap on tv that could be given the ax instead.
The Real O’Neal’s is hilarious and should NOT be cancelled. Great cast and great scripts! Please keep this very fresh and funny sitcom on the air!!
ABC please do not cancel this show. This show is funny and real. Love the cast. Great team
I love the show and would hate to see it cancelled.
Real O’Neals is my favorite show on TV. It is wonderfully written and acted and quite original. It is an honest show with an odd but very loving family and I will be heart-broken if it is cancelled. There is so much garbage on TV and this is such a great show – if it stays on, I am sure the audience will increase. I know a lot of people who watch it. Please, please, ABC!!!!!
How the show lasted this long is beyond me. as the ratings show, tired stereotypes and cliched Catholic bashing don’t pass as comedy anymore.
They would be a fool to cancel the show. Other than Modern Family, it’s the only other comedy show on ABC I tune into.
Please don’t cancel The Real O’Neals. It is my favorite TV show. It’s so refreshing to watch something with a story that doesn’t depend on buckets of blood to hold an audience. Also, it shows real family dynamics, not just made-up problems light years away from reality. ABC has become my favorite TV network, largely because of this wonderful program.
No the real”o Neal is one my favourite sitcom on television it”s one of the tuesday”s sitcom I watch sides American housewives please do not cancelled please renew it for another year I don”t care if a shorter season/Midseason like say January 2018 nor summer I don”t care a least it”s on some freaky Shecdule so please do not cancel.
Finally ABC gives us a gutt wrenching very funny show and now you want to take it off the air. I love comedy! All the shows CHARACTERS are funny, interesting and the comic timing couldn’t be better. There are to many murder, detective, talk shows, cooking shows and dumb reality shows. The Real O”Neils is just the greatest, breath of fresh entertainment, and if you at ABC TV are not reading and reaching your “Real”, audience. Looking for a third season to keep the laughter going in my home. Thank you, Donald Haggerty, New Haven, Ct.
I love this show! It’s especially great when the whole family is involved in the episode!
Noooo!! This show is hilarious!!