Rules of Engagement revolves around two couples and their single friend as they navigate the challenges of dating, commitment and marriage. Adam (Oliver Hudson) and Jennifer Morgan (Bianca Kajlich) are newly engaged sweethearts and Jeff (Patrick Warburton) and Audrey Bingham (Megyn Price) are the long-married couple. Russell Dunbar (Spade) is their shallow and womanizing friend. While he can’t keep a mate, Russell has an assistant from India, Timmy (Adhir Kalyan), who reluctantly helps solves many of his boss’ problems.
The sitcom started out this season on Monday nights, bridging the gap between How I Met Your Mother and Two and a Half Men. CBS then moved it to Thursdays following The Big Bang Theory. Though it had much stronger lead-in support on Thursdays, the ratings have dropped and last week it hit a new series low with a 2.2 demo rating and 7.72 million viewers.
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Still, Rules of Engagement has held up well. CBS ordered 24 episodes this season — nearly double the usual number — and the show has averaged a 2.9 rating in the demo and 8.58 million viewers. That’s just slightly below last season’s 13 episode average.
The show has been on the bubble for renewal and some expected it to be cancelled but it’s now safe for another year. It likely didn’t hurt that CBS is a co-owner of the TV series and another season will help Rules of Engagement’s sales in syndication. There are currently 72 installments and another 13-24 episode season will bring the sitcom closer to the optimum 100 episode mark.
Also, though Two and a Half Men will surely return in some form, CBS doesn’t know how things will work out and it never hurts to have a utility player like Rules as a back-up.
What do you think? Are you glad that Rules of Engagement is coming back for a sixth season? How long should it continue?
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