The McCarthys is pretty much your generic family-focused comedy, filled with mostly selfish characters that I have a few giggles at during a half-hour span. But safe isn't always good for TV. So will the new CBS sitcom The McCarthys be canceled or renewed for more episodes? TV by the Numbers, on zap2it, predicts that The McCarthys will be canceled, based on its series premiere ratings. Is The McCarthys groundbreaking? Not in the least. But I'm not sure it deserves the ax so quickly.
The reasoning behind TV by the Numbers' prediction is based on the number of viewers the premiere received on Oct. 30. Deadline explained just how bad the ratings were, saying,"The McCarthys slipped two tenths to a 1.7 rating in 18-49 and is now the lowest rated in-season CBS comedy premiere ever by a wide margin, three tenths below the previous low water mark of We Are Men (2.0)."
These ratings never make tons of sense to me (I'm more of a literary person than a numbers person, go figure), but the point is that networks — particularly the major broadcast networks — have no sympathy when it comes to cutting their new shows. If a show doesn't perform well, they won't shy away to pull it off the air — despite the shrieks of newly formed fans.
Now, The McCarthys is not the kind of show that I would fight for, but maybe it's my crush on New Kids on the Block's Joey McIntyre that wants to see it just have a baby bit of a chance. But I would've rather seen the adorable and hipper A to Z , which was already canceled, survive more than the standard fare of The McCarthys.
Another interesting note about the fate of the show is its time slot. CBS was airing Thursday Night Football, but the deal was for only seven games. Now if you turn to CBS to see some football on Thursday night, you'll get The McCarthys at 9:30 p.m. (you'll have to turn to the NFL Network for your damned sport). I can't even begin to comprehend the mass appeal of football, but the ratings are huge. The last Thursday Night Football game on CBS had a 13.2 rating — which helps put The McCarthys 1.7 rating into a harsh perspective.
Although, The Big Bang Theory (another ratings head-scratcher to me) is also back on Thursday nights, it may not be enough to draw people to The McCarthys. The Big Bang Theory airs at 8, so viewers are expected to watch that, followed by Mom and Two and a Half Men, before seeing the freshman sitcom. Since this is Two and a Half Men's final season, I'm sure CBS is looking for another sitcom to replace it, but The McCarthys' low ratings do not make it look like it will be the next in line. Which is a shame, since I'd rather watch Joey McIntyre and likable Tyler Ritter than Jon Cryer and Ashton Kutcher any day.
Images: Patrick McElhenney/CBS; Giphy (2)
