For whatever reason, some media tried to downplay the significance of last week’s 40% ratings decline for “Anger Management.”
Such media argued the drop was expected, forgetting that the show did not premiere to monstrous numbers two weeks ago. Yes, it set the ratings record for a cable sitcom, but this was Charlie Sheen‘s heavily-hyped, long-awaited return to television. He regularly drew in the 15 million viewer ballpark on “Two and a Half Men,” and the buzz stemming from his heated departure drove that show’s most recent season premiere, featuring Ashton Kutcher as the replacement, to viewership of about 30 million.
Had “Anger Management” started in that territory, sure, a 40% decline would be expected. But the fall from a 2.2 with just over 5.5 million viewers to a 1.3 and less than 4 million is nothing if not troublesome.
And the show did not stabilize this week. It fell again, dropping to a mere 1.0 adults 18-49 rating with 2.4 million viewers. While still solid by FX comedy standards, that ratings performance is no longer befitting a “special” series.
Given the downward trajectory associated with the series, one has to think FX’s interest in renewing the series for a whopping 90 episodes, as stipulated by its contract, is at least slightly cooling.
