How in the world did this show have better ratings than..

[LittleRickyII]

Originally Posted by biffbronson

I used to watch Carter Country back then. If I remember correctly, it seemed well-promoted by the network -- for what was a new series without a mega-star to pull in viewers.

It was well promoted. And it seemed to be one of those water-cooler conversation shows at the beginning. I remember being on vacation and a couple walked by and I heard the woman ask the man if she'd seen Carter Country, and went on to talk about how funny it was. I wasn't a big fan, but I did like it better than Good Times at that point. I had been a fan of Good Times earlier on, but thought it had gone downhill by that time. The basic premise was gone and it seemed very contrived: three kids living in the projects without parents, and this new kid (Penny) that suddenly shows up in their lives. Whenever a new kid shows up on a sitcom out of the blue, it's a clear sign the show has jumped the shark (think Dodie on My Three Sons, the neighborhood kid on The Partridge Family, Stepanie on All in the Family, Gabriel on Chico and the Man, Cousin Oliver).