Rules of Engagement, for those who don't watch, follows two couples, the long married Jeff and Audrey (Megan Pryce and Patrick Warburton) their friends, the newly engaged Adam and Jennifer (Oliver Hudson and Bianca Kajlich), and single, and proud of it Russel (David Spade). The show can be amusing, but it's nothing special, and basically follows all the cliches associated with a multi-cam sitcom. Considering its lack of critical love, one would think this show shouldn't last very long. Wait....it's been on for five years?
Premiering as a mid-season replacement on February 5, 2007, Rules was not the critical darling CBS was hoping for. However, following a heavily promoted and highly rated premiere, the show settled into a very respectable 12.4 million viewer average. CBS renewed the hitcom for a second season, which premiered in September 2007. Due to the writer's Strike, the show was briefly replaced by The New Adventures of Old Chrisitne, but returned in March 2008. For the following two seasons, the show premiered during midseason, replacing a struggling sitcom in CBS Monday lineup. The show proved to be a real utility player for The Eye, garnering decent ratings despite being moved to different time-slots throughout its run.
To this day, I've watched maybe 10 episodes of the 67 that have aired since the series began. Often enough, I enjoy it, but its never something I need to watch. While not appointment television, the fact the show manages to make people laugh while not offending the casual viewer is the reason it's gearing up to a sixth season renewal. While there is a case to say that this rather run-of-the-mill sitcom should have never seen a second season, having a utility player like this in their back pocket is reason enough for CBS to continue to produce this under-the-radar hit.
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