It looks like the new Martin Lawrence and Kelsey Grammer show titled Partners that debuted on FX several weeks ago is hitting some turbulent times after starting out with some great numbers, despite some stiff competition at the time.
Now, since the debut of ESPN’s Monday Night Football and several other shows, it seems that the show may have some rough waters ahead. Here’s hoping that FX switches the show to a different night so it can stay on TV.
Check out the article from Deadline that was just posted:
Facing formidable preseason Monday Night Football on ESPN and a rising Hotel Hell on Fox last night, FX’s Partners fell to its lowest result yet last night. Make that limbo lows for the struggling Kelsey Grammer and Martin Lawrence sitcom. In its third week, the 10/90 series from Lionsgate TV and Debmar-Mercury drew just 380,000 total viewers for its 9 PM broadcast and 450,000 for its 9:30 PM airing. That’s a drop of 55% among total viewers from last week’s 9 PM show and 36% from the 9:30 PM. Among adults 18-49 Partners had 125,000 for its first show last night and 178,000 for its second. That’s a stone cold 72% drop from its August 11th 9PM and a 46% fall from last week’s 9:30 PM show.
With two back-to-back episodes a week since its August 4 debut, that 9 PM show was the 5th episode for Partners and hence halfway through the initial 10 episodes that have to meet a ratings threshold in order for FX to pick the show up for a further 90 under the model employed successfully by Anger Management back in June 2012.
However Partners is no Anger Management and like that other Lionsgate/Debmar-Mercury 10/90 comedy for FX, the now cancelled Saint George, things don’t look so good for the Grammer and Lawrence show. At this point in the George Lopez sitcom’s run earlier this year, the 5th episode of Saint George was got 660,000 viewers – a 45% drop from it’s the 1.21 million who watched its March 6 premiere. While nothing has officially been decided at FX yet, sources say, no one can deny that the odd couple lawyers series is reading from the same hymn book. Both Anger Management and Saint George also came from Lionsgate and Debmar-Mercury
In Live + Same Day ratings, 1.2 million total viewers with 449,000 among adults 18-49 watched Partners‘ premiere episode earlier this month. The immediately following 9:30 PM show was viewed by 1.0 million with 381,000 among the key demo. Week 2 saw the 9 PM show fall to 862,000 total viewers with 454,000 among the 18-49s. The 9:30 show, Partners’ 4th episode, got 700,000 total viewers and 332,000 in the key demo.
Recently insisting they won’t be revealing Live + Same Day ratings for any of their series, FX’s Live + 3 ratings for Partners do expose a bit of a DVR lift for the show. The August 4 episode #1 went up 39% to 1.67 million total viewers in Live + 3 with 695,000 among the 18-49s – a 54% rise. Episode 2 went up to 1.52 million with 597,000 among adults 18-49. Episode 3 saw a 29% total viewership rise in Live + 3 with a 20% lift in the demo. The 9:30 August 11 episode 3 had a 38% total viewership jump in Live + 3 and a 34% rise among adults 18-49. So the question is, as we await this week’s Live + 3 ratings, will those DVR results be enough to keep the partnership between FX and the series going? Check the fine print.
