Primetime Wednesday seems to be the toughest night of all for TV programmers. There's not one network that seems to do particularly well in the 8-9 p.m. time slot, and the juggling has begun. Fox yanked Do Not Disturb weeks ago, admitting it was a dud. Now the Brad Garrett-Joely Fisher sitcom Til Death will be off the air for two weeks, effective immediately. In that time slot, instead, we'll be seeing more House, albeit repeats. Still, you watch, those reruns will do markedly better than the sitcoms did.
Til Death, to be frank, has regressed this year. I defended the renewal of the show when Fox gave it a third season, based on the episodes I watched last spring. But the comedy has really strained since its season premiere in September. There's no other way to put it -- Death is in the death throes and should be put out of its misery. This two week hiatus should be the end of the series.
Does that seem like cruel and unusual punishment for a blue collar comedy? It's not. Til Death has had time to get better. Good and talented people are involved, both in front of the camera and behind it. The comedy is as vulgar as Two and a Half Men, without any of the yucks. Fox has a history of great, uncouth comedy -- Married... with Children -- but Til Death doesn't meet that quality of crass and classlessness.
Fox is saying that Til Death will return after the November sweeps. But the translation of that statement is this: Til Death is not good enough to compete in sweeps. Sounds like the start of an obituary to me.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
10-30-2008 @ 12:32PM
CygnusTM said...
I enjoyed this show until they abandoned the original premise and changed the focus to Brad Garret's buddy adventures and Joely Fisher's boobs. I left with the neighbors.
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10-30-2008 @ 12:49PM
JJ Forde said...
I completely agree.
10-30-2008 @ 12:57PM
DaveTehWave said...
I agree wholeheartedly. I was wondering why the neighbors weren't being featured as much, since that was the initial premise - the older couple feeling old because of all the fun that the newer couple are having.
I think it's time to start writing them back in, kick the 'little brother' out, and get back to the funny.
10-30-2008 @ 3:01PM
Cyantre said...
I agree as well, I was glad to see the Woodcocks in a few episodes this season, but it's just not the same when they aren't apart of the main dynamic of the show anymore. The Kenny thing was funny for one episode, but why they made him a regular is beyond me.
10-30-2008 @ 3:39PM
am_hollitz said...
Are you listening, 'Til Death writers? The comments above mirror the exact same reason I stopped watching.
As soon as the show featured less of the Woodcocks (what I refer to as the How I Met Your Mother Element) and more "Kenny", your 18-34 year-old male viewer stopped watching.
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10-30-2008 @ 4:59PM
Basketcase456 said...
This is a show that was not very good from the beginning. It has just taken Fox this long to realize it. I tried to watch a few episodes when the show started and found the jokes to be the usual stereotypical marriage jokes. Fox should take this Wed. 8-9 time slot and fill it with Terminator: SCC, since it can maybe compete in that time slot.
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10-30-2008 @ 5:47PM
Arc|Angel said...
I love this show, but have to admit this year is weak. I like Kenny to, but perhaps that story is just being over done and we need more of a balance between the old and new. I vote for more of Jolie Fisher's boobs though.
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10-30-2008 @ 9:27PM
Ian said...
I also agree with the statements regarding the Woodcocks.
It was the generational gap that was the backbone of the entire comedic tone of the show.
When it was turned into a Brat Garrett buddy comedy, the premise was completely abandoned.
I went from a fan to a hater when the Woodcocks left... can't wait to see the show off the air!
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10-31-2008 @ 11:43AM
Eddie said...
Me too too too... too?
Woodcocks made the show pop. Kenny makes the show an also ran and not a very good one, at that. I agree that either the woodcocks should come back (brad garrett and jolie fisher are doing a great job, disserviced by their writers) or they should try Sarah Connor in that spot. Mondays are way too crowded for me as it is, and if you moved even one of those strong Monday shows to Wednesday (HIMYM, SConnor, Gossip Girl, Chuck, etc), you could build a whole night around them with new / other shows.
Actually, do you just want to hire me, Fox? I'll guarantee double the ratings within one year or I'll pay back double my salary.
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