“The Conners” to premiere October 16th 2018 on ABC

I wonder how much time he's interested in spending on The Conners ... he's just spent twelve years playing the same kind of beta male character on another sitcom, it wouldn't surprise me if he wants to do something else (and after a decade on the #1 sitcom he doesn't need the money). It's hard not to think of his other character now -- I half expected the Big Bang Theory theme to play after the opening scene.

 

7.9 million viewers last night (down from 10.5 for the season premiere). That's a notable drop, but 7.9 is still a respectable audience. If the ratings stabilize there they are in good shape. But if it continues dropping at that rate they are obviously in trouble.

 

For what it’s worth, ABC notes it was their best ratings against World Series Game 1 since 2013.

 

I liked episode 2. I think the Dan, Darlene, Becky and Jackie characters are strong enough to carry a show. Darlene carries on with the sarcasm. Surprisingly, I don’t miss the Roseanne character as much as I thought I would.

 

John Goodman looks sickly.

 

You're just used to seeing him overweight. He looks healthy to me. He's just old(er) now.

 

Despite ratings dip, 'Roseanne' spinoff 'The Conners' gets an additional episode order

 

Here's a different take on that "one episode".

https://www.showbiz411.com/2018/10/...rs-and-demo-as-abc-orders-only-1-more-episode

 

'The Conners' get good news: Ratings up for third episode

 

Hmm....your first article and mine both say ratings dip. Wonder why the discrepancy?

 

Poor reporting. The third episode declined slightly in total viewers and increased slightly in the key 18-49 demo. The article you linked is incorrect in saying that The Conners declined in the key demo, and it is also incorrect in saying it was beaten by NCIS and The Voice in the demo. The Conners was beaten in total viewers by both of those series, but had a higher rating than either of them in the demo. And the demo is what matters most to the networks.

Here's a breakdown of the ratings for The Conners so far:
10/16: 10.6 million total viewers, 2.4 rating in the key demo
10/23: 7.9 million total viewers, 1.7 rating in the key demo
10/30: 7.7 million total viewers, 1.8 rating in the key demo

by way of comparison, the show's direct competition last night was rated thus:
The Voice: 8.8 million total viewers, 1.6 in the demo
NCIS: 12.1 million viewers, 1.3 in the demo

The fact that the ratings remained more or less stable this week is very good news for them. It makes it seem more likely the decline after the first episode was a one-time thing and that the ratings have plateaued. 7.7 and a 1.8 is a very decent rating, and if they can maintain that they will be fine. The rating of 1.7 last week was enough to make them the 15th highest-rated show, and this week's 1.8 will likely put them slightly higher. My guess is that ABC is holding off on ordering more episodes until they see if the ratings continue at this level. If they do, they almost certainly will order more than the one additional one they've already bought.

 

He looks good now.Same with Al Roker...we were so use to seeing him a bit heavier....it just took a while to get use to his current look

 

I agree with the first part but people keep trying to read too much into it. Analysis tries to get to deep and misses the point. People watched Roseanne because of her. She was "a bull in a china shop" and it was like watching a train wreck over and over again. The politics were just part of the vehicle in the wreck. Agreeing or disagreeing with the politics didn't change the wreck or the bull.

Removing the bull(y) from the train wreck of a show is not appealing to me. Similar to Two & A Half Men after removing Charlie Sheen. It also was not the same show and I was out after one episode.

 

Politics or not, at the end of the day the main character for which the show was based is no longer on the show. Happy Days without Ron Howard was not a great success. Lavern and Shirley without Penny Marshall flopped. Mayberry RFD post Any Griffith was not a ratings king. The fact that The Conners has the ratings it does is actually quite impressive. I think ABC knows that and may keep it around as long as the ratings do not dive too much. I'm not certain if one would call this a "spinoff" or just renaming a show in current production.

 

Some people may have watched for that reason, but I didn't, and the ratings for The Conners suggest there are others like me. I watched the original series when the writing was good (particularly seasons 4 and 5) and stopped watching when the writing declined (around season 7). The writing on the new series has been sharp enough that I've maintained interest so far, regardless of the non-presence of Roseanne.

Mayberry RFD was more successful than you give it credit for. It was the #4 show for its first two seasons, which was a slight decline from the final season of The Andy Griffith Show (which was the #1 show its final year) but matched the overall performance of The Andy Griffith Show over the course of its life (that series ranged from being the #1 show to the #7 show over its eight seasons). Mayberry RFD might be the closest analogy to The Conners, in that the title character is gone but supporting cast remains. For that matter, Happy Days also didn't seem to have a ratings decline because of Ron Howard's departure (it was the #17 show his final season, and the #15 and #18 show the first two seasons without him). Archie Bunker's Place is also analogous, though an opposite situation (in that the main character remained but all the supporting cast was gone). And of course Cheers remained hugely successful without Shelley Long. If The Conners survives it will be impressive, but not totally unprecedented.

 

I was unaware of RFD. I never really liked it so i assumed it was a goner. Thanks for the info. I agree, RFD is probably the closest.

 

The other reason I think they might keep it around is that those sets had to be expensive to build and they probably want to get as much use out of them as they can.

 

I think you mean Cindy Williams?

 

yes

 

What if instead the Connors had to go into witness protection, and try and keep touch with, say, only one Becky, or keep getting moved if Roseanne actually located them. I'm saying, sometimes taking the "bull" out of the mix isn't the only idea. Focusing on The Ropers, instead of Janet, Chrissy and Jack's old apartment, for instance. Or moving Frazier Crane out of Boston, and discovering the comedy goldmine in the interplay between him and his equally-stuffy brother. Or my favorite, "downsizing" Station Manager Lou Grant into another journalistic function, and changing the entire tone of the character, while keeping what was always special about him when he was in Minneapolis. Two and a Half Men was just Chuck Lorre's way of rubbing Charlie Sheen's successful show in his face, nothing to do with realizing the chemistry was too far gone to keep the show like it was from the start.

Maybe they could have just taken the opportunity to instead re-orient the show around Officer Jackie, and keep whatever cast members would have contributed to that orbit.

 

IMHO, I don’t understand how watching the antics of a bully is entertaining, at all.

It sounds as appealing as watching a roadside disaster...while in action.

I’m glad they cut the bull(y) out.

 

Couldn't get through last night's episode. Wanted to really like the show, big fan of Goodman and Metcalf. Thought the first 2 episodes were ok, but last night's just was not good. The writing was really lame and predictable. Might be me, but nobody seems like they're enjoying themselves. The whole thing seems really tired and second rate, like most American sitcoms. It's a shame.

 

Did you like the series last year when Roseanne was on it?

 

More or less. Not nearly as much as I did the original run. But I watched it all. I think the new series could be a lot better then it is, and I don't know if it's not because Roseanne isn't there, or because the writing is just lame and they've run out of ideas.

Or maybe it's just me.