Surviving Suburbia
Encyclopedia
Surviving Suburbia is an American sitcom
starring Bob Saget
and Cynthia Stevenson
that premiered on April 6, 2009 at 9:30PM Eastern/8:30PM Central on ABC
. Surviving Suburbia aired its final episode at 8:30PM Eastern/7:30PM Central on August 7, 2009. It was the first program starring Bob Saget to air on ABC
since he left America's Funniest Home Videos
in 1997.
On August 8, 2009, ABC Entertainment President Steve McPherson announced that Surviving Suburbia, along with The Goode Family
, had officially been cancelled due to low ratings.
), his wife Anne (Cynthia Stevenson
), and their two children, Henry and Courtney. The Patterson lead ordinary, uneventful lives until their new next-door neighbors begin causing several problems, turning their suburban lifestyle upside-down.
announced plans to air the comedy as part of their Sunday night programming block with Media Rights Capital
or MRC. The series was set to air November 2, and 13 episodes were taped.
When the MRC block started, it faced very low ratings against other networks (especially with FOX
's Animation Domination). After only a few weeks the CW pulled the entire block and announced that the status of Suburbia's air date was TBA. An additional factor in schecduling changes may have been the fact that Media Rights Capital had been unable to keep up with the set production schedule and had begun running out of episodes. CW never released any announcements concerning the series' air date.
On February 6, 2009, ABC, which had previously aired Mr. Saget in two programs: Full House
and America's Funniest Home Videos
, announced that it would be airing Surviving Suburbia starting April 6.
When the first episode aired, it garned 12.16 million viewers and 3.2/8 million viewers in the 18-49 demographics, despite panned critical response. The show was originally a rating success but, after being moved to the Friday night death slot
ratings plummeted.
On May 7, 2009, ABC announced that they were pulling the show from the Friday night lineup. The series returned on May 27, 2009, and finished its first and only season over the summer.
On June 1, 2009, ABC announced it dropped the show from its schedule.
Surviving Suburbia returned to the 8:00PM Eastern/7:00PM Central slot on Friday, June 12 and finished its first and final season on Friday, August 7.
. In Portugal, it airs every weekday at 9:45on Fox Life.
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
starring Bob Saget
Bob Saget
Robert Lane "Bob" Saget is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and television host. Although he is best known for his roles as Danny Tanner in Full House, host of America's Funniest Home Videos and Future Ted Mosby on How I Met Your Mother, Saget is also known outside of television for his blue...
and Cynthia Stevenson
Cynthia Stevenson
Cynthia Stevenson is an American actress.Stevenson was born in Oakland, California, the daughter of Gayle, an editor, and Al Stevenson, an upholstery warehouse owner. She grew up in Vancouver, British Columbia....
that premiered on April 6, 2009 at 9:30PM Eastern/8:30PM Central on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
. Surviving Suburbia aired its final episode at 8:30PM Eastern/7:30PM Central on August 7, 2009. It was the first program starring Bob Saget to air on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
since he left America's Funniest Home Videos
America's Funniest Home Videos
America's Funniest Home Videos is an American reality television program on ABC in which viewers are able to send in humorous homemade videotapes. The most common videos usually feature slapstick physical comedy arising from incidents, accidents and mishaps...
in 1997.
On August 8, 2009, ABC Entertainment President Steve McPherson announced that Surviving Suburbia, along with The Goode Family
The Goode Family
The Goode Family is an American animated sitcom, which originally aired on ABC from May 27, 2009 to August 7, 2009. The series was created by Mike Judge and follows the life of an environmentally responsible, albeit obsessive, family...
, had officially been cancelled due to low ratings.
Premise
A half-hour comedy dubbed as a male version of Roseanne, Surviving Suburbia focused on a father named Steve Patterson (Bob SagetBob Saget
Robert Lane "Bob" Saget is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and television host. Although he is best known for his roles as Danny Tanner in Full House, host of America's Funniest Home Videos and Future Ted Mosby on How I Met Your Mother, Saget is also known outside of television for his blue...
), his wife Anne (Cynthia Stevenson
Cynthia Stevenson
Cynthia Stevenson is an American actress.Stevenson was born in Oakland, California, the daughter of Gayle, an editor, and Al Stevenson, an upholstery warehouse owner. She grew up in Vancouver, British Columbia....
), and their two children, Henry and Courtney. The Patterson lead ordinary, uneventful lives until their new next-door neighbors begin causing several problems, turning their suburban lifestyle upside-down.
Cast and characters
- Bob SagetBob SagetRobert Lane "Bob" Saget is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and television host. Although he is best known for his roles as Danny Tanner in Full House, host of America's Funniest Home Videos and Future Ted Mosby on How I Met Your Mother, Saget is also known outside of television for his blue...
- Steve Patterson - Cynthia StevensonCynthia StevensonCynthia Stevenson is an American actress.Stevenson was born in Oakland, California, the daughter of Gayle, an editor, and Al Stevenson, an upholstery warehouse owner. She grew up in Vancouver, British Columbia....
- Anne Patterson - Jared Kusnitz - Henry Patterson
- G. HanneliusG. HanneliusGenevieve Hannelius is an American child actress and singer, better known professionally as G. Hannelius. She has played the role as Emily in Den Brother, a Disney Channel Original Movie also starring Hutch Dano and for her co-starring role as Amy Little on the Disney's Channel Original short...
- Courtney Patterson - Jere BurnsJere BurnsJerald Eugene "Jere" Burns II is an American actor who has appeared in theatre productions and on television and is best known for his role as ladies' man Kirk Morris on the television series, Dear John.-Early life:...
- Dr. Jim - Dan CorteseDan CorteseDaniel James "Dan" Cortese ; born September 14, 1967) is an American actor, director and spokesperson. He is known for his roles as Perry Rollins on Veronica's Closet and as Vic Meladeo on What I Like About You.-Early life:...
- Onno - Lyndsey Jolly - Jenna
- Lorna Scott - Monica
- Melissa PetermanMelissa PetermanMelissa Margaret Peterman is an American actress and comedienne who is best known for her role as Barbara Jean in the television comedy series Reba...
- Mrs. Muncie
Programming history
In 2008, The CWThe CW Television Network
The CW Television Network is a television network in the United States launched at the beginning of the 2006–2007 television season. It is a joint venture between CBS Corporation, the former owners of United Paramount Network , and Time Warner's Warner Bros., former majority owner of The WB...
announced plans to air the comedy as part of their Sunday night programming block with Media Rights Capital
Media Rights Capital
Media Rights Capital II LP is an independent film, television and digital studio founded by Mordecai Wiczyk and Asif Satchu. MRC specializes in the creation of premium content. It has full in-house physical production, legal, finance and sales teams, and a complete marketing infrastructure...
or MRC. The series was set to air November 2, and 13 episodes were taped.
When the MRC block started, it faced very low ratings against other networks (especially with FOX
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
's Animation Domination). After only a few weeks the CW pulled the entire block and announced that the status of Suburbia's air date was TBA. An additional factor in schecduling changes may have been the fact that Media Rights Capital had been unable to keep up with the set production schedule and had begun running out of episodes. CW never released any announcements concerning the series' air date.
On February 6, 2009, ABC, which had previously aired Mr. Saget in two programs: Full House
Full House
Full House is an American sitcom television series. Set in San Francisco, the show chronicles widowed father Danny Tanner, who, after the death of his wife, enlists his best friend Joey Gladstone and his brother-in-law Jesse Katsopolis to help raise his three daughters, D.J., Stephanie, and...
and America's Funniest Home Videos
America's Funniest Home Videos
America's Funniest Home Videos is an American reality television program on ABC in which viewers are able to send in humorous homemade videotapes. The most common videos usually feature slapstick physical comedy arising from incidents, accidents and mishaps...
, announced that it would be airing Surviving Suburbia starting April 6.
When the first episode aired, it garned 12.16 million viewers and 3.2/8 million viewers in the 18-49 demographics, despite panned critical response. The show was originally a rating success but, after being moved to the Friday night death slot
Friday night death slot
The Friday night death slot is a perceived graveyard slot in American television, referring to the concept that a television program in the United States scheduled on Friday evenings is destined for imminent cancellation....
ratings plummeted.
On May 7, 2009, ABC announced that they were pulling the show from the Friday night lineup. The series returned on May 27, 2009, and finished its first and only season over the summer.
On June 1, 2009, ABC announced it dropped the show from its schedule.
Surviving Suburbia returned to the 8:00PM Eastern/7:00PM Central slot on Friday, June 12 and finished its first and final season on Friday, August 7.
Episodes
| # | Title | Director | Writer | Original Airdate |
|---|
Weekly ratings
| # | Episode | 18-49 | Viewers (m) | Rating | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hero | 3.2/8 | 12.16 | 7.2 | 11 |
| 2 | Project Run Away | 2.8/7 | 10.69 | 6.3 | 10 |
| 3 | DMV | 2.6/6 | 10.86 | 6.6 | 10 |
| 4 | 40 Days | 2.4/6 | 9.91 | 6.0 | 9 |
| 5 | Burn, Bougainvillea, Burn | 1.0/3 | 2.83 | 1.9 | 4 |
| 6 | If the Shoe Fits, Steal It | 0.6/3 | 2.87 | 1.3 | 3 |
| 7 | Dirty Stevie | 0.6/3 | 2.59 | 1.8 | 4 |
| 8 | The Game of Life | 0.7/3 | 2.76 | 1.7 | 4 |
| 9 | Nothing for Money | 0.5/2 | 2.23 | 1.8 | 4 |
| 10 | School Council | 0.7/3 | 2.62 | 1.7 | 4 |
| 11 | Three End Tables | 0.6/3 | 2.42 | TBA | TBA |
| 12 | Desperate Housewife | 0.6/3 | 2.60 | 1.6 | 4 |
| 13 | No Reception | 0.7/3 | 2.73 | 1.8 | 4 |
International airings
The program premiered on October 2009 in Greece on Greece's Fox LifeFox Life Greece
Fox Life Greece is a television network, launched by the Fox International Channels, which launched on 1 December 2008 and is currently available to the subscribers of NOVA Greece, Conn-x TV and On TV....
. In Portugal, it airs every weekday at 9:45on Fox Life.