Viewer trends are interesting. In the space of three weeks, The Simpsons can go from having its highest ratings in five years, to the lowest ratings of all time in the very next episode. Sure, there are other contributing factors at work here (Grammy’s, Pro-Bowl, 20th Anniversary, Sports lead-ins), but one thing is for sure: The Simpsons is no longer appointment television for the average American viewer. Last night’s episode drew a meager 5.11 million viewers. Seeing an animated Coldplay or a ‘viewer-designed’ character couldn’t save the show, and indeed, Fox, from being slaughtered by the competition. Viewers that re-sampled the show for its 20th anniversary special were more enticed by the competition this time around. Lets take a look at the five lowest-rating episodes of all time:
- “Million Dollar Maybe” (season 21) – 5.11 million
- “Four Great Women and a Manicure” (season 20) – 5.16 million
- “Lisa the Drama Queen” (season 20) – 5.75 million
- “Coming To Homerica” (season 20) – 5.86 million
- “Father Knows Worst” (season 20) – 5.94 million
From that list, the last four aired in January or later, in 2009. Three of them were among Season 20’s final episodes. The show will need to increase it’s viewer share to escape the danger zone and finish this season on a better note than the last. You can place blame on the competition all you want, but at the end of the day, The Simpsons drew an audience smaller than the promptly canceled ‘Sit Down Shut Up’ did in April last year.
The Cleveland Show at 8.30pm had 4.53 million viewers, Family Guy had 6.21 million at 9.00pm, and American Dad ended the night with 5.06 million viewers. Fox was third overall and among adults 18 – 49 for the night.
Review the episode below
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I can agree that less people are watching than 5 years ago but when you think about it some of it is competition. When its just normal shows on other channels Simpsons averages anywhere from 7-9 million viewers, up against the Grammys that had 25 million and Desperate Housewives which took another 11 million it still managed 5 million. It’s not like the other FOX shows did much better except Family Guy. With Simpsons and Family Guy going back and forth for number one each week I think Simpsons is ok in the ratings. And its a shame about last nights episode it was one of the top of the season.
Time for this old ship to sink?
Adam you should shut up. No one cares about your opinion. I don’t think the ratings will start to fall again. The ratings weren’t so high because of the Grammys.
I knew the ratings were going to be low. Fox was STUPID to show a new episodes the same time as the Grammys. Overall I think this episode was good. Hopefully the ratings boost up on the olympic episode. Even though it’s on valentines day which might not help the ratings so much :/ (idk) hopefully it dosent.
PS: Go Brian!!! I agree with you
thats a shame that thats all they got because i enjoyed that and i think that the episode before had a lot to do with this because that episode sucked
The Simpsons deserve an average of 8 million viewers it’s the funniest show of the network and funiest on the main networks after The Office, Modern Family, 30 Rock, and SNL
I just report the figures, Brian. None of this article is opinion. I mentioned the Grammy’s and everything else is based on last year’s trends. If you don’t like reading facts and speculation you should go to another site.
I love it when people take poor ratings personally. Makes me smile.
Grammy got its highest ratings in 6 years, and the entire Fox’s lineup fluked this night.
So this is actually a very, very biased report. And Adam’s angry answer above, just helps to support that.
What am i showing bias towards? Low figures?
I’m also not angry but if you tell me to shut up on my own site, it’s your choice, stop visiting. Simple. If I praise the show every week I wont get great conversations like these and nobody will visit/contribute. If you want a happy-go-lucky website like that, you’re more than welcome to start your own.
Thanks for participating! 😀
It doesn’t matter if the show had less viewers than Sit Down, Shut up because it still had the second best ratings among the shows that were on Fox last night. Why compare the ratings to a show that was on a different night? Instead you should compare the ratings to the shows that aired on that channel. If Sit Down, Shut up was aired also, I’m sure if would’ve gotten about three million if you compare it to how much higher The Simpsons ratings were compared to that show. If any of the shows on Fox should be canceled, it should be either The Cleveland Show or American Dad. I’m sure if the show wasn’t aired on the same night as the Grammys it would’ve gottent higher ratings. It’s understandable that the Grammys had more viewers because it focuses on more than one thing so therefore there are more viewers. There are different fans of different singers all watching the show to see if their favorite singer wins an award. All those fans add up.
@Adam- You say your article is just facts? “The Simpsons will end another year on a downward spiral” That isn’t a fact. You’re basing that on one episode. It’s not a downward spiral if most of the episodes of this season got higher ratings than the previous one. If anything is going in a downwars spiral, it’s your site and your failure to look at all the facts.
Uh oh!
I hope a fall in ratings won’t begin again!
Brian, There’s no need to tell anyone to shut up here.
These numbers suck and Fox should of never put any of there shows on last night. But compare to the to the other network numbers at the 8:00 slot The Simpsons did alright. My opinion Fox should of waited after the Super bowl for New episodes.
Brandon, I’m not suggesting the show be canceled just because it got lower than Sit Down, Shut Up. I’m putting some perspective on the article because comparisons like that are fun to look at. It says that Fox will not cancel a show due to ratings as long as it is generating revenue and has a longstanding history.
I agree the ‘downward spiral’ comment was a little harsh and a little too opinionated. I’ve made the same prediction over a number of years and unfortunately I have been right. I’ve reworded the sentence to provide some more encouragement.
I’m sorry you think the website is on a downward spiral. This article was actually an experiment to see how injecting more than ‘just the facts’ would be received by my readers, as I feel much of the posts over the last year have been too stock standard, copied and pasted from Fox press releases. The site is relaunching with a new design some time in the next week and I was trying something new. It’s obviously not for everyone, and I certainly do not intend to give off a negative opinion every time (I congratulate when the ratings are high, but this goes unnoticed the minute I present some bad figures).
You did not need to submit your comment twice, I did not moderate Ashleys comment ahead of yours. Once I’ve moderated one post per user, they no longer need moderating. It’s a spam prevention method, and Ashley has posted here before. The only comment I have deleted was a personal attack by one of the visitors, and I will not tolerate that after all the time and effort I’ve put into this site over the years.
I hope everybody enjoys the cosmetic changes in store very soon.
@Adam. I was referring to Bob’s comment when I said that. I only posted the comment twice because I saw on my computer that Ashley’s comment posted even though I put mine first and mine was still awaiting moderation. You don’t have to post my comment twice. I just thought that maybe my computer was malfunctioning or something. That’s also why I put that extra little comment after saying why I put it twice in case they both posted.
It is kind of a fun comparison, but I don’t think it’s a very logical one considering that they both weren’t on the same night. I’m sure you’d agree that Sit Down, Shut Up would’ve gotten lower ratings than The Simpsons if they both aired on the same night. Most of the episodes of this season have had higher ratings than most of the episodes of last season so I wouldn’t consider that ‘another downward spiral’.
SARCASM NOTICE
Remember guys, The Simpsons is perfect and Adam secretly wants to see it fail.
On a sincere note, looking forward to the new design, Adam.
Just want to point out that the 18-49 demographic ratings are all that really matters. That’s how a show like 30 Rock is a big hit for NBC because it does well with the key audience that advertisers target (and pay for) while practically nobody above the age of 50 tunes in…
In the case of FOX, The Simpsons is actually their number four show in the key demo with the ones ahead of it being American Idol, House and Family Guy. So unless FOX wants to cancel about 2/3 of its lineup, our favorite family is pretty safe.
More information:
https://tvbythenumbers.com/category/renewcancel-fox-shows
I’d just like to add something. If ‘The Simpsons is no longer appointment television for the average American viewer’ then none of the cartoon shows on this Fox line up are, considering the fact that The Cleveland Show and American Dad got lower ratings than The Simpsons, and Family Guy always switching off with The Simpsons for highest ratings for the line up. I know this is ‘The Simpsons Channel’, but I don’t see why The Simpsons is the only one getting stomped on when all the shows have gone down in the ratings yesterday due to the Grammys. The Simpsons still got respectable ratings compared to the other shows in the Fox line up.
Well the fact remains that many of you appear to be blinded as to what a quality tv show actually is. Every single week, the “excellent” option outstrips the other poll options by dozens and dozens of votes.
I’m not willing to believe that I’m in the minority when I say the show has plummeted in quality in recent years.
@Brian- Nobody cares what you’re willing to do. Weather you want to believe it or not, you are the minoriy.
Quality television is a matter of opinion, so the people who vote excellent aren’t blind sided. That’s just their opinions. I could just as easily say that Family Guy has plummeted in quality over the years but that wouldn’t necessarily be a fact. It would just be my opinion.
At one stage i was writing something like ‘5/5 – Excellent, one of the best episodes of all time’ and people still voted 5/5. Every episode can’t be the best of all time. And that is not a matter of opinion
You never know. It could be different people putting in those votes every week so it is a matter of opinion. Even if it isn’t, some people could have changed their opinions and think that the new episode is now the new best. It’s not like they could go back and unvote the previous one as the best. Not all the votes are for 5/5 anyways. You can never know what’s going through these people’s minds. How is that not a matter of opinion? If you aren’t going to accept people’s opinions, then why do you ask for them in the first place?
All valid points, but if you’re defending people’s rights to share their opinion, then why wont anybody let me give mine on my own website?
Nobody is taking away your right to give an opinion, but since you’re writing the article and you give people the rights to comment, then you should know that people who happen to disagree with you are going to defend their opinions.
Brandon, have a look at what NoHomers thinks of the episode and tell me I’m in the minority.
If you think these episodes are the best of what The Simpsons has to offer, I feel sorry for you. Like it or not, comparatively speaking, The Simpsons just isn’t as intelligent, witty and creative as it used to be. The ratings, which in recent years have declined, speak for themselves.
Yes, you’re entitled to an opinion, I’m just stating my disbelief at them.
@Brian- Am I supposed to believe that the majority of The Simpson fans are the people who posted negatively about the episode on nohomers.net? YOU’RE THE MINORITY.
I never said these episodes were the best of what The Simpsons has to offer. Even if I did, you’d feel sorry for me, huh? Why would my opinion matter to you so much to where you would feel sorry for me? I agree that The Simpsons isn’t as creative as it used to be, but I still like the show. In my opinion, it’s certainly better than most of the other cartoons on today, and above all, it’s the best ever made. You’re focusing on the fact that The Simpsons ratings have declinend, but have failed to come to terms with the fact that ALL the cartoons on the Fox line up have declined in ratings. Comparing the ratings to these other cartoons, they’re still respectable ratings.
That was a brilliant episode!
However, the winning competition character made me think “it’ll be bad”, and thats what others probably thourght… but that guy dies straight away so it was very good.
Can’t get much worst than this… 🙁
Although episodes aren’t so bad, from some reason people just don’t want to watch the show anymore…
I think that show should consider an longer break, in period of one year maybe, and than to return the show. 20 years of constant producing is an very long period, and I think than one longer break will refresh whole producing crew, and what’s even more important, people will be hungry for new episodes again.
Damn people it’s a freakin cartoon show! no need to declare a world war with Adam and the other people trying to make a valid point. Plus it is his website so he is always going to win out. Just make a point and move on. Kinda the way I am doing right now. lmao
BTW, this Simpson episode was very good, it made me laugh harder than most episodes this season and easily the past few years.
What an odd thread.
Adam is right. I can’t believe people are actually trying to argue against it. The ratings are down, plain and simple, and they have been going down for several years. Of course it doesn’t mean that every new episode is rated lower than the previous one, but the general trend is obvious. The further back you look, the clearer you’ll see it.
That doesn’t have to have anything to do with the quality, though. There are lots of great TV shows that never got any good ratings in their lifetime.
What Jouni said basically.
So what if there is low ratings, are we forgetting those impressive ratings a few weeks back. Maybe there is other major competition from somewhere else. Deal with it.
There is no bias in the article, bias would clearly favour one side or another, and clearly Adam has not done that.
I bet come next week we’ll be in the 7 millions and everyone will have stopped complaining.
Edit: Oooooh, new theme. Hope it looks good.
@Gaulty- If you read the article before he rewrote it, then you would have known what the people were referring to when they called it bias. Before he changed his article he wrote: “The Simpsons will end another year on a downward spiral.” Then he wrote that his article was just fact when this isn’t a fact.
I don’t see how it’s a downward spiral when most of the episode of this season have had higher ratings than most of the episodes of the previous one, and besides, the ratings were only lower because of the Grammys. All the shows got lower ratings because of the Grammys. It just seems like he was taking any chance he could to slam The Simpsons down. Why else would he call it ‘another downward spiral’ when it was just this paticular episode which only had lower ratings because of the Grammys?
I also don’t see why people only focus on the fact that The Simpsons have gotten lower ratings even though the ratings of ALL the cartoon shows on FOX have been getting lower.
Compared to the ratings of these other cartoons, The simpsons still get pretty respectable ones.
The Simpsons will end another year on a downward spiral, ratings wise. All i did was reword it for more encouragement so that more people wouldn’t personally attack my life. Ratings decrease at the end of the season. I have seven years of reporting the ratings to back that.
It’s not even the end of the season yet and you can’t say for sure that it will end on another downward spiral. I don’t care what evidence you have on the ratings of the previous seasons. It’s not a fact. The ratings of most of the episodes of this season have been higher than the ratings of the ones of the previous season. Why focus on the fact that The Simpsons have gone down in ratings over the years when all the cartoons on FOX have?
Like I said, it’s only this paticular episode which only had lower ratings because of the Grammys.
I’m done coming to this site. You can’t make reports worth crap, and I’m not only saying that because I disagree with you. I don’t know who allowed you to make reports, but I assure you that a blind chimp with a pencil in his teeth can make better reports than you do.
Adam wasn’t focusing on the Grammys taking place when he said that, that in itself is clear. In general, the ratings for the show are taking a downturn, Grammys or no Grammys.
Like everyone else, he’s entitled to his opinion, and if you’d like yours to be heard more, I suggest starting your own site, where you and your seemingly visually impaired buddies can all go and praise just how great season 21 is.
You have a Family Guy avatar and you’re talking about how The Simpsons must be going down in quality since it has been getting lower ratings. Family Guy has been going down in ratings also. It seems YOU’RE the one who is visually impared. You also talk on every single article how the episodes have plots that are’t worth watching.
Peter grows a beard, Peter makes a cartoon show, Stewie comes out as being homosexual. You talk about shows that aren’t worth watching yet you have a Family Guy avatar. You say that people who like these episodes don’t know what good television is. That’s pretty hypocritical when you don’t seem to know good television yourself.
This will be my last response.
This is Simpsons Channel, not Family Guy Channel. Brian will talk about the downfall of Family Guy ratings on his Family Guy website, not here.
Thanks for proving there is a lot of worth in putting some opinion into articles. Most successful discussion since ‘Four Great Women And Another All Time Low!’, which dealt with the same topic. Can’t wait for next week’s discussion about how storytelling episodes are awful.
i would like to ask who here didn’t watch the grammy’s instead of the simpsons. i watched the simpsons
Last Sunday’s ratings is clearly an outlier given that all 4 of FOX’s shows had comparably reduced ratings. Having both the Grammys and the Pro Bowl (ESPN) clearly had an effect on skewing the numbers. I would be more worried if the numbers don’t rebound back come next episode.
As for the rest of the season, we’ll just have to wait and see.
@Brandon – Hello, not sure I’ve seen you round here before?
I’d respond to the first point in argument but that seems to have been talked to death about now.
In all honesty, does someone want to actually say what the episode was like?
wow im the one who started this conversation i didnt know it was gonna get so intense
and for the other Brian, why do u visit the site if your CLEARLY a family guy fan?
Can’t I be both? Heck I even blog for this site.
@brian, the n00b one.
brian comes here because he is a simpsons fan as well as a family guy fan (yeah i know ZOMG its possible!) and he also posts many of the updates on the site and works with Adam (the owner of the site) and correct me if im wrong but brian founded the website, so yeah that’s why he comes here…
Really the ratings in all tv series today are low…
Because the people can found the episode online or can download them before the emition of this one.
A different Brian is the founder of the website, Nick. Haven’t heard from that one in ten years.
oh yeah i noticed that a while after i posted that.
bryan chen – founder and then brian byrne who posts here, right?
Adam, stop commenting so much. A lot of these comments are yours, and being the site’s creator, that’s not a good thing. Now be quiet and let them say what they have to say. I like your site, I’m not going to leave, but all I’m saying is that some people are going to have their radical opinions, and sometimes you just have to let them say what they have to say. ‘Tis all, dont get upset with me.
Why should Adam not be allowed to participate in his own discussions. People should stop telling him what to do. It’s his own god damn freaking website. He’s provided us with this excellent resource and without him it wouldn’t exist. He doesn’t owe us anything!
I think the show’s ratings are indicative of a lot of things, the show’s quality included. Saying that the Grammys being on was an excuse for low ratings is crappy. The Simpsons wasn’t good enough to stop people switching over to some crappy awards ceremony.
It’s not an excuse when you can clearly see its effects on the entire block of Fox’s animation domination Sunday. Here are the numbers:
https://tvbythenumbers.com/2010/02/01/tv-ratings-sunday-grammy-awards-drown-out-the-competition/40619
Notice that even Family Guy failed to reach its typical 7.x-8.x ratings of this season, achieving only a 6.21. You may call the Grammys crappy, but apparently you’re arguing against a 25+ million viewership, at least for this year. To quote:
“It was the Grammys best performance since 2004 in adults 18-34 (9.1 rating), 18-49, 25-54 (10.6 rating), households (14.3 rating) and viewers (25.8 million).”
just kill lisa or tell her stop yapping or try try something greaaaaaaat like south park or family guy. mayby lisa hugging bart fucking simpsons will get better