The popular Full House sitcom left ABC in 1995 after eight seasons. Flash forward 14 years later and House star Bob Saget has returned to the world of sitcoms and the alphabet network. Surviving Suburbia has certainly had a rocky journey to primetime but now that it’s here, will it stick around?
Surviving Suburbia revolves around the Pattersons, Steve (Bob Saget) and Anne (Cynthia Stevenson), a normal couple that has been married for 20 years, have two children and live in a typical suburb. Unlike the sitcom dads of the past, Steve has a cynical view of everything around him. Others in the cast include Jared Kusnitz, G. Hannelius, Jere Burns, Dan Cortese, and Lorna Scott.
The sitcom was originally slated to start airing on Sunday nights last Fall, as part of Media Rights Capital’s deal to lease the CW’s Sunday night airtime. During the Summer, MRC made some changes and decided to hold Suburbia until midseason. While that didn’t seem like good news for the sitcom at the time, the delay ultimately turned out to be a good thing. Few people knew or cared about the MRC shows (In Harm’s Way, Valentine, and Easy Money) once they started airing, the shows tanked in the ratings, and the CW network took back Sunday nights.
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Early this year, ABC was looking for some inexpensive programming and decided to pick up the series. Then, they gave it the enviable post-Dancing with the Stars timeslot. That stroke of luck gave Suburbia far more exposure than it ever would have gotten on the CW.
Last week, Suburbia debuted to 12.16 million viewers and a 3.2/8 rating/share of the 18-49 demographic. While that seems impressive, it’s less so when you consider that the ratings for its lead-in (the last half hour of Stars) was 21.37 million and a 5.2/12. That means that Suburbia lost 43% of its lead-in in total viewers and 38% in the demo.
Last night, the final half hour of Stars attracted 20.56 million viewers and a 5/12 in the demographic. Suburbia’s numbers were lower than last week with 11.25 million viewers and a 3/7 in the demo. That represents a 44% drop off in both total viewers and those who are 18-49.
If you watch television ratings, this scenario likely sounds a little familiar. Suburbia’s performance is essentially a repeat of last year’s Samantha Who?. This year, Samantha is airing on Thursday nights and has been tanking. Without the Stars lead-in, will Suburbia suffer the same fate?
We’ll find out in May when Stars has completed its run. The sitcom is scheduled to move to Wednesdays at 9pm starting May 27th. The 13 episode season is scheduled to conclude on July 1st.
If all goes as expected and Suburbia’s ratings significantly drop off, it seems doubtful that ABC will order a second season of the sitcom. However, if Suburbia performs well on Wednesday nights and/or the production of new episodes is cost effective, anything can happen.
What do you think? Is the sitcom worth keeping or should it be cancelled?
Image courtesy ABC.
This show SUCKS Bob Saget or ***** is more of a DORK here than he was on Full House(which was full **** by the way) the sooner this piece of garbage goes up in flames the better.
I’d give it another chance, but please…get rid of Jere Burns.
I love it too! I don’t understand ABC though. Why didn’t they show the pilot? It is going to pick up steam and the actors are great especially the 2 kids. I was so interested in Henry, I looked him up and went out and rented the movies he was in. Both leads and loved him so much. It won’t be long before the likes of Woody Allen, The Coen brothers and Judd Apatow find him. Courtney is adorable though sometimes a little over the top, love the fact that she is not typical hollywood looks though. Bob and Cynthia… Read more »
No! Keep it I love it its so not typical Bob Saget he’s so much better in this than his character in Full House, I thought he was to serious in Full House. BUt KEEP IT! The fist time i saw I laughed my butt off.!
I love it! I find myself laughing out loud. Why are people who nothing nice to say always the ones who comment. It gets better every week and I read that ABC did not air the pilot which would have been great as it supposedly introduced all of the characters. Why did you do that ABC? Give the show a flying start, don’t let all of the naysayers attack. Also give it some hype. If you don’t stand behind it why should anyone else? Anyway, love the characters, especially the kids who need more air time especially maybe have more… Read more »
I’m in love with Jared Kusnitz. . He’s gorgeous. Let’s see more of him
i love this show. Especialy jared Kusnitz. He is the best new talent I have seen in many years.He plays Henry.the son. He’s ,handsom, funny& definately a star
I tried to watch the whole thing several times the acting is stiff not funny Bob Saggott is not acting he is saying his lines his heart is not in the show his wife doesn’t know what to respond to because she doesn’t know how to carry a show nor should she. The little girl isn’t funny but rude&cocky.The actors & writers aren’t funny not at all. Its a alwful show . I’m an avid t.v. watcher & seriously let this one go get on with actors who care & are acting not just saying there lines. K Howey
Whether Surviving Suburbia catches on or fizzles out will have mostly to do with ABC’s programming geniuses. To people who haven’t liked what you’ve seen, you might have felt differently if you had seen the actual pilot – it hasn’t aired yet and it was very funny. And the young girl who plays the daughter may be the most talented and naturally funniest kid actor since Spanky and Our Gang.
I just saw it for the first time today at a friends house and let me tell you I was laughing my butt off. It was soooo funny. and so not typical bob saget. I love it. Definitely a keeper!
Keep it! We haven’t found a sitcom we could laugh with in quite a while. Either writers have no sense of what’s funny or Americans won’t tune in if its not reality T.V. As much as we didn’t want to like this one (Bob Saget) the writers made a story line we could relate to. That’s when sitcoms get funny! Where have all the sitcoms gone? This is the only new one we’ve seen worth watching again…
No, it should deffently stick around. i just first started watching it this week, and it was very good, once i got into it and understood all the charictors. i want to see this show stick around and be a sucuess!!!!!!
bring back life on mars
it definitely should be cancelled. I do not see in it anything worth watching and spending time on it. To my mind it is just a waste of time. No wonder that it the ratings are going lower both in viewers and the demo. I do not like what is shown on Tv in primetime. I`m sure something should be done…otherwise the nation is going to degrade!
The problem with all these websites is a show is on for one minute and the keep it or cancel article comes out. So many good shows have been canceled because people have to much free time on there hands and they trash good ideas. Get a job you idiots!