TBS announced yesterday that they’ve greenlit a fifth season of Cougar Town, which means the cable network’s move to rescue the low-rated ABC show paid off. This is great news for all ratings-challenged network shows, but especially for Happy Endings, another critically-acclaimed ABC series that is on the verge of cancellation this season.
Cougar Town debuted its fourth season on TBS in January, and the show’s been averaging 2.8 million viewers an episode (and 1.7 mil with adults 18-49), which isn’t too far from the numbers it was earning on ABC. Cougar Town is currently TBS’s top-rated original primetime show ever with both adults 18-49 and total viewers. The fact that the network transplant is doing so well for TBS means they’ll hopefully try it again soon with a different show, and the timing is just right as Happy Endings’ fate looks dodgy. After being moved around ABC’s schedule all season and being given a lousy Friday night timeslot following a two-month hiatus, TV by the Numbers wrote last week that Happy Endings is “certain to be canceled†and “fans are kidding themselves if they think ABC will renew it.â€Â ABC itself even launched a “Save Happy Endings†campaign, which is not a great sign for the show’s future at the network. While Happy Endings doesn’t have a star like Courtney Cox, which makes it easy for TBS to promote Cougar Town and draw in new viewers, the show does have a fanbase that’s large enough to make it a cable hit. Hopefully, TBS or another cable network or streaming service steps up to the plate.