very low ratings after their first season and still managed get renewed for a second season? Cheers ranked 74th after it's season and Barney ranked 69th and both were renewed after their 1st season. Normally a show that is ranked that low screams CANCELLED!!

Here's some I've heard about:

The Dick Van Dyke Show

Everybody Loves Raymond

Cagney and Lacey, which I think was brought back via a letter-writing campaign.

Here's some I've heard about:

The Dick Van Dyke Show

Everybody Loves Raymond

Cagney and Lacey, which I think was brought back via a letter-writing campaign.
THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW was cancelled by the sponsor
Procter & Gamble, but Carl Reiner flew to P & Gs headquarters and convinced them to reverse their decision.

WKRP In Cincinnati had such low ratings in the first season, that it was put on hiatus for several months after eight episodes. When it did come back, the 9th episode had to reintroduce the premise to the viewers, and it was retooled to introduce the new "Mama" Carlson. The series only became popular once it entered syndication. Although in Canada it was always popular as it aured on CBC.

Seinfeld had low ratings its first few seasons before hitting it big. The Middle was on shaky ground its first season being stuck with lead-ins from flop Hank and repeats. But ABC was patient with The Middle and it was promoted to the leadoff anchor in season 2. I think The Office started weak.

Didn't the first season of The Facts Of Life have really low ratings? One of the many FOL fanatics that frequent these boards can feel free to verify this.

Seinfeld had low ratings its first few seasons before hitting it big. The Middle was on shaky ground its first season being stuck with lead-ins from flop Hank and repeats. But ABC was patient with The Middle and it was promoted to the leadoff anchor in season 2. I think The Office started weak.

The Office never had good ratings on its original run, although it did better in the 18-49 demo, which probably is what kept it going.

It's having a generational renaissance now.

Re the Middle, I remember its problems. I was recording it every week, since I thought I'd never see it again. IIRC it was up against some hefty competition at times, like Survivor.

The 18-49 demo is what counts to advertisers, not total viewers. The Office became quite strong in the demo after a slow start.

Here's some I've heard about:

The Dick Van Dyke Show

Everybody Loves Raymond

Cagney and Lacey, which I think was brought back via a letter-writing campaign.

The ratings for Dick Van Dyke Show and Everyone Loves Raymond was not available but I was able to see Cagney and Lacey and it was ranked #55th. Still not as low as Barney Miller and Cheers but still low

WKRP In Cincinnati had such low ratings in the first season, that it was put on hiatus for several months after eight episodes. When it did come back, the 9th episode had to reintroduce the premise to the viewers, and it was retooled to introduce the new "Mama" Carlson. The series only became popular once it entered syndication. Although in Canada it was always popular as it aured on CBC.

Not bad after the 1st season it was 35th. Definitely not 69th lol

Didn't the first season of The Facts Of Life have really low ratings? One of the many FOL fanatics that frequent these boards can feel free to verify this.


You are right, it ranked 74th and was NBC lowest rated series of the 1979-80 season. Now that's lower than Barney Miller lol

The Office never had good ratings on its original run, although it did better in the 18-49 demo, which probably is what kept it going.

It's having a generational renaissance now.

Re the Middle, I remember its problems. I was recording it every week, since I thought I'd never see it again. IIRC it was up against some hefty competition at times, like Survivor.


I didnt even discover the Office until 2009. I see after it's 1st season it ranked #102.

Didn't the first season of The Facts Of Life have really low ratings? One of the many FOL fanatics that frequent these boards can feel free to verify this.

I can definitely verify this. The regular Nielsen Ratings from September to April were dismal, and the show was in 74th place at that point. However, after a timeslot change, the show bounced back after April, and the series ended its summer run in the middle of the "new series" pack, #25 out of the new shows that season. This is according to official Nielsen numbers, as reported in Panorama magazine.

During the summer, the timeslot change allowed a new audience to see the show, and it entered the top 20 overall, during the summer run.

Look at all the “new series” that were higher rated that FOL in its first season, such as “Here’s Boomer”, “Hagen”, and “Tenspeed and Brownshoe”. Every new series that rated worse than FOL was cancelled, with the exception of “240 Robert”.

Lucky that NBC was so ratings starved that year and wanted to continue its relationship with Norman Lear (whose production company produced FOL). Otherwise, FOL would have been cancelled.

Designing Women and Family Guy.

Designing Women and Family Guy.

Damm DW was ranked below 82 and still was renewed:eek:

Lucky that NBC was so ratings starved that year and wanted to continue its relationship with Norman Lear (whose production company produced FOL). Otherwise, FOL would have been cancelled.


I remember one of the documentaries I saw on the show mentioned how embarrassed Norman was by the first season of the show and didn't want his name anywhere on the credits. If NBC had canceled The Facts of Life after season 1, I don't think it would have affected Norman's relationship with NBC. After the retool for the start of season 2, you can tell the new writers made sure it resembled a Norman Lear show. It became more serious with the issues shown and not all the fluff from season 1.

I remember one of the documentaries I saw on the show mentioned how embarrassed Norman was by the first season of the show and didn't want his name anywhere on the credits. If NBC had canceled The Facts of Life after season 1, I don't think it would have affected Norman's relationship with NBC. After the retool for the start of season 2, you can tell the new writers made sure it resembled a Norman Lear show. It became more serious with the issues shown and not all the fluff from season 1.


That's too bad. I think Season 1 was the best of all!


If I'm not mistaken, I believe both All In The Family and Happy Days were also suffering from low ratings before they got renewed and rebounded to become #1 hits!

That's too bad. I think Season 1 was the best of all!


If I'm not mistaken, I believe both All In The Family and Happy Days were also suffering from low ratings before they got renewed and rebounded to become #1 hits!


Happy Days wasnt bad at all after its first season as the 16th ranked show. All in the family was well below after its first season but dont know the exact number

That's too bad. I think Season 1 was the best of all!

Same here. It felt more like a real school than in later seasons, when we rarely saw more than four girls.