FOX hasn’t hit a home run with a half-hour sitcom in years. Even though Raising Hope’s already been renewed for a second season, it’s hardly a big success. Running Wilde didn’t even get to air all 13 episodes before it was cancelled. Will FOX have better luck with Traffic Light?
Traffic Light follows the changing lives of five thirty-somethings. Mike (David Denman), Adam (Nelson Franklin), and Ethan (Kris Marshall) have been friends since college and have seen each other through both highs and lows. They now find themselves in different places in their lives. Mike’s a lawyer who’s married to Lisa (Liza Lapira) and they have a young child together. He’s trying to carve out a little space for himself. Adam recently moved in with his girlfriend, Callie (Aya Cash), and is discovering how this change impacts his life. Meanwhile, Ethan is the perpetual bachelor who loves women is only committed to his pet bulldog, Carl.
The sitcom debuted on February 8th to a disappointing 1.9 rating in the 18-49 demographic and 4.59 million viewers. The next week, the show’s ratings dropped by 36% in the demo to a 1.4 and 3.49 million viewers. In week three, they popped back up a bit, to a still-disappointing 1.6 in the demo and 3.99 million viewers.
For the fourth showing, FOX gave Traffic Light a special timeslot, leading out of a 90 minute edition of American Idol. With that great lead-in, the sitcom scored a 2.8 rating and 7.32 million viewers. That was a much more positive sampling and FOX was surely hoping that more viewers would then tune in on the following Tuesday night. They didn’t. Last week’s episode attracted a 1.5 demo rating and 3.82 million viewers.
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Thus far, Traffic Light is averaging a 1.8 rating in the demo and 4.64 million viewers — essentially tied with Fringe, one of the lowest-rated scripted series on the network. If you remove the special post-American Idol ratings from Traffic Light’s average, the sitcom falls to a 1.6 in the demo, matching the average of now-cancelled Running Wilde. That’s terrible.
It’s inconceivable that FOX would renew Traffic Light for another season. What’s more, at some point they may start replacing Traffic Light with something else. Will FOX air the eight remaining episodes? We’ll have to wait and see.
But, what do you think? Is Traffic Light worth watching? Is it funny? Would you keep it or just cancel it now?
Image courtesy FOX.
Never understood why would networks debut a show in the middle of january/february surrounded with reruns and expect to have great ratings? this is a great show that if helped with correct advertising should improve its ratings tremendously.
Consider keeping it and doing more press. No one really knows about the show. It is funny and bright! Let it shine by showing it off in commercials and in press. Keep it, Keep it, Keep it!!
Keep it on! Good actors and good writing. Funny stuff. Cut something lame for change.
Of all the couple comedies, this one is the best written this season. If both “Mad Love” and “Perfect Couples” got cancelled, I wouldn’t miss it. TRAFFIC LIGHT, better represents real relationships with significant others and friends in different stages with a more humorous take. Please, keep it.
This show is is actually funny – and that’s unusual for most sitcoms. Give it a better time slot and it will find its audience.
This is a good show! Keep it!
Cancel it! Raising Hope deserves to be paired with a better comedy.
I say give it a chance. And I don’t understand why people have such a hard time these days keeping up with shows with the invention of the dvr. You just hit record series and voila! You don’t have to worry about missing an episode even if there’s a break between episodes.
It’s funny to see that Mike and Lisa on the show is like looking into the mirror on my relationship with my fiance. Not only funny, but true to form. She’s always right and steals my pants. While I love to play sports and rub it in her face when I am right. OH, and she’s asain and I’m white.
love it !
Watched one episode, laughed exactly zero times. Could not find anything to like about this show. Fox can do better.
I say keep it. Let it grow. The writing is very smart and pulls things together at the end.
Give shows a chance to find the audience. This one will.
Liza Lapira is the only thing I enjoy about this sitcom. The rest of the cast is made up of actors and characters who are not interesting and rarely funny. I would almost rather watch reality TV.
I actually like the show and make sure to record it when it is on, I say keep it! I don’t know why shows have such a hard time finding viewers, I think it may have something to do with hundreds of channels and the way they chop up seasons now. You watch a show for three weeks and then it’s off for four weeks then comes back for a few weeks then off for a few months. Makes it kind of hard to follow my favorites!
I said the same thing on Facebook a minute ago when this post appeared: Keep it! I know this show is in trouble due to ratings, but of all the shows about two or more couples (Mad Love, Perfect Couples, Better With You) THIS is the best comedy of all of them! 2nd would be Mad Love. The other two could go away, I won’t care. Save Traffic Light!