The Return of Jezebel James

Fox is known for canceling shows that don’t perform. That’s why I was depressed with the TV ratings for last night. The Return of Jezebel James came in last place, with only 3.25 million viewers (for the 8:30 timeslot) and an A18-49 1.0 rating/4 share. Marc Berman introduced it thusly: “In series-premiere news, the cancellation clock is now officially ticking on the two-episode launch of Fox sitcom The Return of Jezebel James.”

Gagh.

Then I did a little research.

Marc Berman wasn’t around when the Fox comedy ’Til Death premiered last year. (Or at least his archives don’t go back that far.) But when the fourth episode aired on September 28, 2006, it garnered only 5.75 million viewers (A18-49: 2.4/7) on Thursday night, prompting Marc’s epithet, “Fox’s dead-in-the-water ’Til Death.” That was a year and a half ago. ’Til Death is still on the air, returning on the 25’th for its 32’nd episode. (As of Wednesday, November 14, 2007 (before the WGA strike), it was doing 7.36 million viewers, A18-49 2.7/7.)

I choose ’Til Death as an example, because it’s on Fox, it’s recent enough to get meaningful numbers on, and it started with a whimper. For a counterexample, look up Fox’s other sitcom Back to You, which premiered in first place, but settled down to the same #3 or #4 as ’Til Death. Both of these are also multi-camera comedies, with laugh tracks. I actually don’t understand what attraction Fox has for the multi-camera comedy, but whatever it is, it gives us hope.

Don’t get me wrong, The Return of Jezebel James probably only has until April 18 to improve its numbers. If it can’t settle into a reasonable groove with a reasonable viewership, Fox will no doubt cancel it, and we’ll never get to see Coco get pregnant. I do not expect Fox to let it struggle for 3 years, like the CW did Gilmore Girls, before it becomes a world-wide sensation.

Still developing…

-TimK