RITTER TRIBUTE TOPS RATINGS

James Joyner | Wednesday, September 17, 2003

Reuters reports,

An ABC television tribute to its late comedy star, John Ritter, led all Tuesday night shows as the most watched program in prime time, Nielsen Media Research reported.

Not surprising, I guess. Ritter was popular, his death shocking an untimely, and nothing but re-runs on against it. Still, I’m not sure I’d put much stock in this:

The robust ratings come as a seemingly good omen for the future of the ABC sitcom “8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter,” which starred Ritter as a family man coming to terms with his children’s coming of age.

I suspect there will be excellent ratings for the three episodes that were, unexpectedly, Ritter’s last work. Whether that will translate into ratings for a Ritterless show is anyone’s guess; my guess is no.

About the Author: James Joyner is the publisher of Outside the Beltway and the managing editor of the Atlantic Council. He's a former Army officer, Desert Storm vet, and college professor with a PhD in political science from The University of Alabama. He lives just outside the Beltway in Alexandria, Virginia with his wife and infant daughter.

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