Hit Shows That Ended Badly in the Ratings - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Jerryt · 03-21-2011, 10:20 AM

As long tv been around there also been hit shows. Some shows end while on top in the ratings (Cheers,M*A*S*H).But this thread is for hit shows that ended so bad in the ratings. An example would be The Jeffersons last season ranking 78th in the ratings.

Regulus · 03-21-2011, 11:06 AM

LEGIONS of shows have finished with a "Whimper". When a TV Series is past it's peak, it is said to have "Jumped the Shark" in referance to an episode of Happy Days where Fonzie (Henry Winkler) Jumps over a Shark while waterskiing.

rjt100 · 03-21-2011, 11:33 AM

finished its' seventh and last season out of the Top 30. I believe it finished in 35th place.

Mr. Television · 03-21-2011, 11:50 AM

The Drew Carey Show finished bad. It had gotten an early 2 season renewal and ABC ran those episodes off during the summer twice. Some of the shows weren't even in order.

Regulus · 03-21-2011, 12:24 PM

The Original Hawaii Five-O finished with it's ratings going down the drain. The fact that CBS would frequently pre-empt the show for as long as a month for some kind of "Special" didn't help either. I'm certain there where those who, not seeing the show on it's scheduled slot, decided the show was already cancelled and went on to watch something else.

ryan423 · 03-21-2011, 03:00 PM

Scrubs. Its second season saw an average of close to 15 million. Season 9's average was in the 3-4 million range.

yankeesrj12 · 03-22-2011, 10:04 PM

Roseanne

From season one to seven, it ranked anywhere from #1 to #9.

Season eight - 16th place
Season nine - 32nd place

It basically went from an average of 21 million in season one to an average of 9.80 million in season nine.

JulieSomoski · 03-23-2011, 04:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yankeesrj12

Roseanne

From season one to seven, it ranked anywhere from #1 to #9.

Season eight - 16th place
Season nine - 32nd place

It basically went from an average of 21 million in season one to an average of 9.80 million in season nine.

Where did you find these rankings at? Just wondering

I believe Roseanne was hitting 30-35 million viewers for some episodes in its first 3 seasons, and peaked a couple times at 40 million. From ratings I've seen, it was really all over the place from week to week back in the day; one week it would hit 35 million, the next it would be down to 25 million.

benjamoon · 03-23-2011, 06:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by delaford321

But in the years between season 2 and 9 was when people stopped watching as much network tv. 4 mil is what good sitcoms get now if they're lucky.

Um what?

Yes, network tv has declined but the sitcoms that get more than "4 mil" are:

ABC: The Middle, Better With You, Modern Family, Mr. Sunshine, Cougar Town
CBS: How I Met Your Mother, Rules of Engagement, Two and a Half Men, Mike & Molly, The Big Bang Theory, $#*! My Dad Says, Mad Love
NBC: Community (usually), 30 Rock, The Office, Parks and Recreation
FOX: Raising Hope

Please note that's pretty much all the current sitcoms on broadcast networks except for a few that are cancelled or nearly cancelled....

yankeesrj12 · 03-23-2011, 08:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JulieSomoski

Where did you find these rankings at? Just wondering

I believe Roseanne was hitting 30-35 million viewers for some episodes in its first 3 seasons, and peaked a couple times at 40 million. From ratings I've seen, it was really all over the place from week to week back in the day; one week it would hit 35 million, the next it would be down to 25 million.

Sorry, I misread the wikipedia article, those were households.

Heres a source for ratings (in viewers): http://www.tv.com/roseanne/roseanne-...4769/msgs.html

factsoflife · 03-24-2011, 03:33 AM

The Facts Of Life. By the time season 8 rolled around the series was starting to decline in the ratings and it's averages were shrinking; it was pulling down averages for all of NBC's other Saturday night shows. It's a miracle really they lived to even see a season 9.

Ditto with 227, I'll never understand how it wasn't canceled after season 3.

Season 2: #14 18.90 Rating
Season 3: #28 16.44 Rating
Season 4: #60 11.53 rating

Look how dramatically it declined.

James28 · 03-27-2011, 01:57 AM

The western drama Bonanza was a Top 20 show from 1960 until 1972. In the final season, it was moved from Sundays to Tuesdays. The schedule change (as well as the death of one of its stars, Dan Blocker) resulted in a ratings burial for the show, and in January 1973, it became the longest-running series to be cancelled at midseason.

factsoflife · 03-27-2011, 03:35 AM

I was going to cite "Melrose Place" because i thought it was an example of this, but looking at the ratings, It was actually didn't lose that many viewers. It still had more than 8 million viewers its last season (8.40 million), down from 10.something at it's peak. Not a huge decline. Although it's season ranking did drop to 95 from 50-something at it's peak.

MickeyMac · 03-27-2011, 02:50 PM

Dallas for sure. From 1980 to 1985 it never dropped lower than #2 in the ratings. Then things changed, and in 1991 in its last season, the show finished around the #60's in the ratings.

steevo · 03-27-2011, 03:49 PM

Dynasty, too. I believe it was #1 in season 5, then started to drop after that. By season 9, (despite being one of the best, IMHO), it had dropped into the 50's and was canceled.

03-21-2011, 11:33 AM	#3
rjt100 Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Nov 13, 2006 Location: Elmsford, New York Posts: 87	The Mary Tyler Moore Show finished its' seventh and last season out of the Top 30. I believe it finished in 35th place.

03-21-2011, 11:50 AM	#4
Mr. Television 22 Years at Sitcoms Online Forum Icon Join Date: Jun 06, 2003 Location: Somewhere you're Not Posts: 62,129	The Drew Carey Show finished bad. It had gotten an early 2 season renewal and ABC ran those episodes off during the summer twice. Some of the shows weren't even in order.
	__________________ Sonny

03-24-2011, 03:33 AM	#11
factsoflife Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Sep 11, 2000 Posts: 8,744	The Facts Of Life. By the time season 8 rolled around the series was starting to decline in the ratings and it's averages were shrinking; it was pulling down averages for all of NBC's other Saturday night shows. It's a miracle really they lived to even see a season 9. Ditto with 227, I'll never understand how it wasn't canceled after season 3. Season 2: #14 18.90 Rating Season 3: #28 16.44 Rating Season 4: #60 11.53 rating Look how dramatically it declined.
	__________________ "and to the fans. I was only supposed to be on every other Tuesday. But, thanks to you, I'm here, and I promise! I will try my best never to let you down. I am going back into that studio on Monday, and I'm going to play Erica Kane for all she's worth!"-- Susan Lucci, May 1999 Daytime Emmy Speech.

03-27-2011, 01:57 AM	#12
James28 Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Apr 14, 2007 Posts: 3,976	The western drama Bonanza was a Top 20 show from 1960 until 1972. In the final season, it was moved from Sundays to Tuesdays. The schedule change (as well as the death of one of its stars, Dan Blocker) resulted in a ratings burial for the show, and in January 1973, it became the longest-running series to be cancelled at midseason.
	__________________ "When the run of a network TV show has ended, some go out with a bang, some with a whimper, but all are...Future Endeavored." "Stay Safe"? More like "Stay Sad". #2020Hurts

03-27-2011, 03:49 PM	#15
steevo It is Green Senior Member Join Date: Dec 28, 2008 Location: Connecticut Posts: 1,474	Dynasty, too. I believe it was #1 in season 5, then started to drop after that. By season 9, (despite being one of the best, IMHO), it had dropped into the 50's and was canceled.
	__________________ "God be gracious to us and bless us..." Psalm 67:1

03-21-2011, 10:20 AM	#1
Jerryt Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Jul 27, 2010 Posts: 62	Hit Shows That Ended Badly in the Ratings As long tv been around there also been hit shows. Some shows end while on top in the ratings (Cheers,MAS*H).But this thread is for hit shows that ended so bad in the ratings. An example would be The Jeffersons last season ranking 78th in the ratings.

03-21-2011, 11:06 AM	#2
Regulus Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Feb 07, 2011 Location: Port Orange, Florida Avatar - Poiuyt Posts: 3,374	LEGIONS of shows have finished with a "Whimper". When a TV Series is past it's peak, it is said to have "Jumped the Shark" in referance to an episode of Happy Days where Fonzie (Henry Winkler) Jumps over a Shark while waterskiing.
	__________________ Grail Shows: *Doc Elliot, Owen Marshall-Counselor of Law, Here's Boomer, Three for the Road, Holmes and YoYo* Bucket List Shows: *Hot Wheels, Skyhawks, Run Joe Run, Westwood*

03-21-2011, 12:24 PM	#5
Regulus Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Feb 07, 2011 Location: Port Orange, Florida Avatar - Poiuyt Posts: 3,374	The Original Hawaii Five-O finished with it's ratings going down the drain. The fact that CBS would frequently pre-empt the show for as long as a month for some kind of "Special" didn't help either. I'm certain there where those who, not seeing the show on it's scheduled slot, decided the show was already cancelled and went on to watch something else.

03-21-2011, 03:00 PM	#6
ryan423 Member Senior Member Join Date: Oct 15, 2007 Posts: 1,829	Scrubs. Its second season saw an average of close to 15 million. Season 9's average was in the 3-4 million range.

03-22-2011, 10:04 PM	#7
yankeesrj12 Member Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Oct 09, 2008 Posts: 4,335	Roseanne From season one to seven, it ranked anywhere from #1 to #9. Season eight - 16th place Season nine - 32nd place It basically went from an average of 21 million in season one to an average of 9.80 million in season nine.

03-27-2011, 03:35 AM	#13
factsoflife Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Sep 11, 2000 Posts: 8,744	I was going to cite "Melrose Place" because i thought it was an example of this, but looking at the ratings, It was actually didn't lose that many viewers. It still had more than 8 million viewers its last season (8.40 million), down from 10.something at it's peak. Not a huge decline. Although it's season ranking did drop to 95 from 50-something at it's peak.

03-27-2011, 02:50 PM	#14
MickeyMac Member Forum Star Join Date: Jun 18, 2008 Location: Kalamazoo, Michigan Posts: 19,004	Dallas for sure. From 1980 to 1985 it never dropped lower than #2 in the ratings. Then things changed, and in 1991 in its last season, the show finished around the #60's in the ratings.