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Why '8 Simple
Rules' is still around
Adding James Garner to the cast leads
the list
By Ed Robertson
Remember last November when “8 Simple Rules”
was the talk of television and the fall sweeps?
The ABC comedy had been the center of controversy after the network decided
to continue production, despite the death of John Ritter. In choosing to write
Ritter’s death into the series, ABC was attempting to transition “Rules”
from a lighthearted, semi-racy Ritter vehicle to a seriocomic, more traditional family
ensemble anchored by Katey Sagal.
There were lots of doubts. Few believed Sagal alone could pull it off, even
though she'd clearly proven herself a capable lead on “Married With
Children.” "Rules" was Ritter, and surely his devoted audience would
abandon the series in droves. Or so went all the talk.
History was also against it working. No network television series had ever
survived the death of a central lead actor.
“Rules” began its transformation one year ago last week,
acknowledging Ritter’s death in a special hour-long episode (“Goodbye”)
that also established the show’s new direction. James Garner began appearing as
Sagal’s father, Jim, who would help his suddenly widowed daughter shoulder the burden
of raising three children alone.
Given the buildup following the decision to press on without Ritter,
it’s no surprise that “Rules” drew a record 20 million viewers that night,
winning its time slot handily with an 8.1 household rating and leading ABC to an outright
win on the first Tuesday of sweeps.
What is surprising is the fact that one year later “Rules” is still
around. And while it may have nowhere near the cachet of “Lost” or
“Desperate Housewives,” it is surviving. After holding its own last spring
against “American Idol” on Tuesdays, the show now leads off the network’s
TGIF block of Friday night family comedies.
“Rules” has not only survived, in its modest way it has
thrived.
This is so for several reasons, and foremost is the casting of James Garner
as Grandpa Jim.
Because Ritter was such an energetic force, it was especially critical that
“Rules” handle the change in format without diminishing his memory or losing any
of the show’s core audience. Adding Garner to the cast was a masterstroke.
Garner’s role on “Rules” is atypical in that he is clearly a
secondary character: by design, most of the heavy lifting is by Sagal (and to some extent
David Spade, who plays Sagal's cousin). Yet Garner’s avuncular presence stabilized
the show, enabling “Rules” to find its footing in the aftermath of Ritter’s
death.
Garner is one of those performers whose stature lends instant gravitas to a
project by virtue of his participation. Television writers especially revere him, knowing
that Garner can make even standard sitcom material sound that much better simply because
the words are coming out of his mouth.
Garner could not prevent “Rules'” drop in audience in the weeks
immediately following the “Goodbye” episode. ABC knew it would lose some viewers
post-Ritter.
The issue was rather whether the show could steady its audience and remain
competitive in its Tuesday 8 p.m. slot.
It was in fact able to. In the weeks following, “Rules” averaged a
still-strong rating among adults 18-49, comparable to what the show averaged in that same
demographic throughout 2002-2003, the season prior to Ritter’s death.
Once again, the casting of Garner played a contributing factor. While
“Rules” may have lost viewers who were attached to Ritter, it also attracted
viewers who were attached to Garner, whose own vast audience spans three generations.
Bottom line, “Rules” performed well enough throughout the balance
of last season for ABC to renew it this season.
But luck also played a role.
Last year at this time, ABC was scuffling. Of all the new shows it launched,
all but one (“Hope & Faith”) tanked. “Rules” was one of the few
successful shows on the schedule. Despite the risks involved in continuing the show
without Ritter, the network felt it had little choice but to try. That “Rules”
performed as well as it did made renewal a no-brainer. |
Nov. 19,
2004 © 2004 Media Life
-Ed Robertson is a television
historian and a regular contributor to Media Life.
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