CBS orders more
'Accidentally on Purpose'
Network orders five more episodes of Monday sitcom
By Louisa Ada Seltzer
Nov 4, 2009
It’s not a full-season order, but it’s not a cancellation, either.
CBS has picked up five more episodes of the new sitcom “Accidentally on Purpose,” about an older woman (Jenna Elfman) who gets pregnant by a younger guy following a one-night stand.
The show has a plum spot in the heart of CBS’s highly rated Monday lineup, but it’s been the weakest link in its four-sitcom chain, averaging a 3.1 adults 18-49 rating.
The network may have seen some potential in ratings for the latest episode two days ago. “Purpose” averaged a 3.2 rating, but more importantly, it retained 91 percent of lead-in “How I Met Your Mother’s” audience, higher than it has been averaging.
“Purpose” received lukewarm reviews, and media buyers dismissed it as a show likely headed for cancellation in a Media Life poll earlier this year.
Still, CBS has the luxury of being patient with its new shows and seeing what works. The network is second to baseball-fueled Fox this fall among 18-49s, and it has a healthy lead among households and total viewers.
CBS already gave full-season orders to “NCIS: Los Angeles” and “The Good Wife.” Its fourth new show, “Three Rivers,” is struggling on Sunday and not expected to receive an order for more episodes after it completes its initial 13-episode run.
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