News & Ratings

"Rutlanders" hits series record (ABC Medianet, December 16)

8:00pm   "Amanda"
"Amanda" opened the night with a first place 25.1mil viewers and a 12.1/33 rating in adults 18-49. It ranked first in all categories and hit a season high in adults 18-34 with an 11.8/34.

8:30pm  "The George Lopez Show"

"Lopez" held the 8:30pm half hour with 23.3mil viewers and a 11.4/31 rating in adults 18-49, the best ratings of the season.

9:00pm "The Rutlanders"
"The Rutlanders" hit yet another series record on Wednesday with a phenominal 40.8 million viewers and a 19.3/44 rating in adults 18-49. It did even better in adults 18-34 with a 24.3/62 rating.

9:30pm "Jake In Progress"
"Jake" held onto a solid chunk of its lead-in with 30.7mil viewers and a 16.7/37 rating in adults 18-49.

10:00pm "Lost"
"Lost" hit another series high on Wednesday with 30.2mil viewers and a 15.5/35 rating in adults 18-49. It more than doubled its combined competition in both measures.

Lost (ABC, December 15)
      With conditions steadily deteroriting in the Cooper household, everybody is at their breaking points. Ellen and Tanya continue to struggle with their new jobs as they realize that the "ruthless" capitalist economy is not such a bad thing, Doug is slowly losing his sanity in his new job as Mira continues to paint him into a corner on the homefront. Meanwhile, Liz has an emotional day as she has to sell off the restaurant. And just when everything looks like a lost cause, things get a whole lot worse. Merry Christmas.

"Lost," "Rutlanders" overheat on Wednesday (ABC Medianet, December 9)

Happy Family (ABC, December 8)
      Everything gets thrown up into the air for the Cooper family as nothing is quite as it seems. Liz thinks her new idea for the restaurant could save the business and the family, while John tried to lend moral support. Ellen and Tanya decide to get jobs for the Christmas season with middling success, while Doug snaps at Tanya for putting pressure on him.  Doug, meanwhile, had his own bag of hammers to deal with and turns to Rannie to help get him through.

Ratings smash for ABC Wednesday (ABC MediaNet, November 22)
      ABC is crushing the competition this November, and things only got hotter on Wednesday night with record ratings for all of its series.
8:00pm   "Lost"
"Lost" drew an amazing 25.0 million viewers to lead off the night, with a 12.6/34 in adults 18-49, almost double the other networks combined. This represents a record for the series, eclipsing the 23 million viewers who tuned in last week

9:00pm  "The Rutlanders"
"The Rutlanders" seem to set records every week, and last night was no exception. 39.2 million viewers tuned into see what was going on in Rutland, breaking the old record of 37.6 million viewers set during last season's finale. The show doubled (and almost tripled) the combined competition in all demo graphics, drawing a 24.6/60 in adults 18-34, a 17.1/44 in adults 18-49, and a 16.7/34 in adults 25-54. All of those numbers represent records for the series.

9:30pm  "Amanda"
31.2 million viewers welcomed "Amanda" back to Wednesdays, a record for the series. The series also set records in adults 18-34 (20.3/50), adults 18-49, (15.1/39) and adults 25-54 (14.7/32).

10pm "Wife Swap"
"Wife Swap" overwealmingly won its timeslot with 24.4 million viewers and set records in adults 18-34 (15.6/39) and adults 18-49 (10.6/27).

Confessions of a Pregnant Teenage Drama Queen (ABC, November 21)
      Are things starting to look up? Suddenly Liz is super busy at the restaurant, Doug's got a job, and Tanya is finally moving on with her life. But underneath the smiles, there's an undercurrent of darkness as Doug really is jealous of Tanya, Liz is not sure if she wants to keep the restaurant after all, and the new job is not all it's cracked up to be. And then there's Mira. What exactely is her confession? Whatever it is, Doug will never be the same again.

Powered Milk & Welfare Flakes (ABC, November 14)
      John and Liz are cutting every possible corner they can, but when that comes to eating, the results are not always so fun. Doug, meanwhile, has to find a job to support Mira and the baby, so he sets out to wow Rutlander with his awesome resume. Mall cleaner, anybody? Mira, on the other hand, is even less ambitious as she discovered the limitations that being pregnant imposes.

Pay Raises for "The Rutlanders" (Variety, November 12)
      With it's mind-boggling performances in the ratings to back it up, "The Rutlanders" asked ABC for a raise, and ABC was more than happy to comply. Credited with single-handedly rebuilding ABC's fortunes, the network double and even tripled salaries for the stars of the series. Actor/Creator/Writer Doug Bush is now reported to be taking home close to 250,000 and episode, while Jenna Morena, Tinji Gu and Chantal LeFevbre have all been bumped to between 80 and 100,000 an episode. "Rutlander" matriarch Liz has been given a raise to 75,000 an episode, while her male counterpart will recieve $40,000, mostly due to his smaller roles. Salaries for other contract players are not known at this time.

When The Sky Falls  (ABC, November 5)
      Well, the secret's out and now everybody has to face the music. Mira has to tell her mom, Doug has to figure out a game plan, and John and Liz have to keep hiding the coming rapture from their kids. Can they do it? Or will "the sky fall" ? This season on "The Rutlanders," you never know

Who's Your Daddy? (ABC, October 30)
      It's family day for the Cooper's and Tanya and Mira come along for the ride. Well, there isn't acutally a ride, but on the homestead, Ellen, knowing who the dady is, is itching to let everybody know, which is forcing Mira to blackmail her into keeping quiet. Doug, meanwhile, can't stop from gloating about going to Mexico, which really ticks Ellen off, and she isn't shy to let Liz and John know. They, meanwhile, are in a state of panic of their finances, but vow not to let the kids know. The entire episode culminates in a dinner scene that you won't soon forget.
 

"Rutlanders"hits new high (USA Today, November 2)
    Just a day before sweeps officially start, "The Rutlanders" came back from two weeks of repeats with record ratings, hitting a 22.5/36 in households, drawing 37.5 million viewers, a 21.6/60 rating in teen viewers and a 15.8/42 in adults 18-49. That lifted transplanted lead-out "George Lopez" to a series record 32.1 million viewers and a 14.4/37 in adults, making it the most successful post "Rutlanders" series yet. "Wife Swap" premiered in the 10pm hour to a big 23.0 million viewers and a 10.4/27 in adults, although it did lose a significant chunk of its lead-in. The competition was left in the dust. CBS's "King Of Queens" slumped to 7.8 mill viewers and a 2.2/6 in adults, NBC's "West Wing" drew 8 million viewers and a 2.2/6 in adults, while Fox's "Bernie Mack" managed only 3.8 million viewers and a tiny 1.4/5 in adults, losing out to the UPN's ot "Kevin Hill" (4.6 million, 2.1/6)

Damn You Wal Mart, Damn You!  (ABC, October 10)
      So Mira's pregnant. But the burning question is, who's the father? Ellen's on a mission to find out and she won't stop until she gets an answer. Liz meanwhile, is off to the bank to try to get a loan, although it's not looking too good... Meanwhile, while Liz is gone, Doug and Tanya will play.... running the restaurant is not as easy as they once thought.

Unwanted New Beginnings (ABC, October 3)
     Something rotten in the town of Rutland.....  first of all, Ellen's got to find out exactely who owns that pregnancy test that she found in the bath, Doug has got to find a job and Liz gets some bad news about the restuarant. Who'll end up pregnant? Will Doug get a job? And just what is Liz's bad news? Tune in Wednesday at 9pm to find out, but one thing's for sure, this is only the beginning.

Season Premiere brings a new record (Variety, September 25)
     Just when you tihnk a program had peaked, it comes back and outdoes itself. So was the case for ABC's "The Rutlanders" on Wednesday night, which broke series records for its third season premiere. The show drew a massive 21.5/33 rating in homes, averaging 35.5 million viewers, ABC's best result in the timeslot since Ellen cme out of the closet way back in 1996. The show also drew an unheard of 22.6/56 rating in teens, a 15.5/40 in adults 18-49 and a 16.1/38 in adults 25-54. It crushed every entry in the timeslot, from a new episode of the "West Wing" (8.8 million, 2.7/7 in adults) to the season premiere of "The OC" (6.4 million, 2.6/7 in adults), leading the latter to a series low of 2.2/6 in teen viewers. Two repeats of "The Rutlanders" averaged 23.8 million viewers at 8pm, while the second season premiere of "Amanda" was lifted to 27.3 million viewers and a 10.6/27 rating in adults.

Third Season Preview
     Link here.

I Want An Eating Disorder! (ABC, Feb 28)
      The Rutlanders pushes the boundaries once again as Doug, tired of hearing insults that he is fat, decides to actively persue an eating disorder. The is where 'limia girl comes in, although Tanya doesn't like her non too much. Ellen, meanwhile, embarassed, decides to quit school and persue her dream of becoming a welfare mother. Only in Rutland....

Christmas in February is Special for "The Rutlanders" (Variety, February 15th)
      Despite airing it's Christmas episode nearly two months later, "The Rutlanders" racked up big numbers nevertheless. the show reached a huge 23.3 million viewers at 9pm, but jumped to 24.3 million viewers for the second part at 9:30pm. The show also recorded an 11.3/30 rating in adult 18-49, all numbers being a record for the series. Elsewhere on the night, "My Wife & Kids" opened it up to the tune of 12.4 million viewers, while "The Bachelorette" followed at 10pm to 15 million. "American Idol," as usual, was the nights top series with an audience of 25.5 million viewers, although with an 10.9/33 rating in adults, it was eclipsed for the first time by its 9pm lead-out on ABC.

Sonny Came Home  (ABC, January 23)
     Unable to find Tanya, Doug winds up home. What happens once her gets there? Was Tanya really gone? But onto more important matters... Doug has to try to get back into school, and he'll do anything... absolutely anything. And it just so happens that as Doug returns, so does Chet and Billy....Ellen's got to be really happy about that one. Meanwhile, back at the restaurant, Linda may just succumb to Rhondra yet....

"Molene" (ABC, January 16)
     Doug next stop in his search for Tanya? Small town USA, where he becomes prisoner of an Amish family who is bent on him marrying their daughter, Molene. Along the way, he hears talk of a certain "Tanya" locked in the basement of the mill. Will he get to her in time? Find out, January 16th at 9pm.
 

"All My Rutlanders" one for the records (Hollywood Reporter, January 10th, 2002)
     Who knew that a crossover with a fading soap could set a record in viewers? ABC did, aparently, as 'The Rutlanders" drew a huge 13.1/19 rating for a special one hour episode on Wednesday night, averaging 19.6mil viewers for the first half and 22.2mil for the second. It won the hour in teens (9.5/40) and adults 18-49 (8.0/23). A new episode of "The West Wing" (12.2/18; 18.2mil) won in adults 25-54 (8.1/23 vs 7.2/19) and adults 55+ (5.5/12 vs 3.7/9). Left in the proverbial dust was CBS's special "David Blaine: Dropped from a Skyscapper" (4.5/8; 6.8mil) and Fox's dud "Fastlane" (2.5/4; 3.6mil) which will probably look at cancellation this week.
      Elsewhere on the night, "My Wife & Kids" (11.2/18, 17.9mil) won at 8pm, and "Law & Order" (14.7/24; 22.1mil viewers) on at 10pm, though the return of "State Vs." (9.5/15; 14.2mil) did well for ABC.

"All My Rutlanders"  (ABC, January 9)
     Doug's search for Tanya brings him to Pine Valley, where he meets the stars of ABC's daytime hit "All My Children." Well, not the stars, but rather their characters. After a near miss with Erica Kane in the opening scene, he comes to live with her, where he becomes entangled in her lies and deceptions. While in Pine Valley, Doug falls in love, meets his evil twin, finds his long lost cousin and helps to even tries on a dress. But does he find Tanya? Tune in and see, Wednesday at 9pm on ABC.

"Ancient History" (ABC, December 19)
      The fourth episode of the season for "The Rutlanders" goes back in time to show how John and Liz came to be the persons they are today. As Rhondra increasinly wanted to know more about Liz, she asks her about her history, a tale extending into the civil rights movement in the south. John, on the other hand, trying to put off INS agents, tells of how he got to Rutland from Mexico.

"Rutlanders" set another record. (Variety, December 13, 2002)
     "The Rutlanders" which seems to set new viewer records every week, set yet another on Wednesday, leading ABC to the top on the night. The show drew a 11.4/16 rating in households, reaching 18.23mil viewers, up dramatically over last week. It got support from "My Wife & Kids" (10.6/15; 16.4mil) and "Geroge Lopez" (9.6/14; 14.8mil), though "My Favorite Mistake" (8.2/12; 12.4mil) and the return of "State Vs." (6.7/10; 9.7mil)
took it on the nose. In adults, "The Rutlanders" clocked in at a potent 6.8/17, doing an extremely high 8.5/34 in teens and a good 5.9/14 in adults 25-54.
     The other series in the slot were the big losers on the night. A repeat "The West Wing" (7.2/11; 10.8mil) drew season low marks, and "The Amazing Race 3" (5.5/8; 8.5mil) was almost a non factor. Over on Fox, the just cancelled "Fast Lane" (2.8/4; 4.1mil) drew series low scores.
     An evening earlier, the news was not so good for "Amanda," which slipped to a 7.8/12 in housholds, recording 11.8mil viewers. In adults, the show drew  a 3.8/9, its worst showing to date.

More viewers the second week, "The Rutlanders" break top 20 [HR. December 10th)
     It's been a long time coming, but fans of "The Rutlanders" can finally say that it's a top 20 series. The show busted into the top 20 last week, thanks to alot of repeats on other networks and strength on ABC in general.
The show drew a 10.1/15 in housholds, averaging 16.3mil viewers. In teens, the show did a best yet 8.3/35, a 6.4/16 in adults, and a 5.5/13 in adults 25-54. It won its timeslot in all demos, to boot. It certainly got some help from the season finale of "The Bachelor" (11.2/17 HH; 18.0mil viewers), even though new series "My Favorite Mistake" (8.6/13 HH; 13.2mil) seemed to be a black mark for the net, losing over 20% of "The Rutlanders" demo numbers.
     On Tuesday night, "Amanda" was shipped off to the lead, and she did just fine, drawing an 8.4/14HH and 13.5mil viewers, dropping only 7% from its strong premiere numbers. In teens, the show won its slot with a 5.5/21, and was second in adults (4.2/10).
     On the week, ABC was second behind NBC, averaging a 7.8/12 HH and 12.3mil viewers, its best result in a long, long time. In adults, it drew a 4.2/9, besting even CBS.

"Rutlanders" hits the competition big [Variety, November 29)
     The long awaited second season premiere of "The Rutlanders" was a boon for ABC, but most of the rest went home crying. The show drew a big 9.4/15 rating in homes, and a solid 14.7mil viewers. That put it second in its slot, behind only "The West Wing" (11.5HH/ 17.8mil). The premiere of "The Amazing Race 4" slipped to a 5.8 rating/ 9.2mil viewers. In adults, the demo that actually counts, "The Rutlanders" won the slot with a 5.8/14 rating, beating out NBC (5.5/13), CBS (4.0/10) and Fox's "Fast Lane," (1.6/4) which slumped to its worst numbers yet (3.4HH / 4.9mil viewers)
     But the big losers seemed to be the UPN & WB, who actively go after the same demos that "The Rutlanders" seem to have locked up. The show drew a big 7.1/29 rating in teens in the hour, leaving "Birds of Prey" (3.2/9) and "The Twilight Zone" (0.9/3) gasping for air. Even "The Amazing Race 4" (1.5/5) had more luck than the UPN.
     Overall, ABC was second on the night, thank to general support all around. "My Wife & Kids" (14.3mil; 4.0/9 18-49s) and "The Bachelor" (11.4mil / 5.5/12) were strong bookends, while 9:30pm brought the strong premiere of "Amanda" (14.4mil / 5.7/14). All this left "Dawsons Creek" to fall to its worst original numbers ever; 3.13mil viewers / 1.0/3 18-49s.

"Me Fail? That's Unpossible" [ABC, November 28]
    The second episode of "The Rutlanders" second season finds Doug in a pickle. See, he thought he would have graduated last year, but he didn't. But there is a light at the end of the tunnel: a teacher who hates him so much that he's willing to pass him anyway. But all is not as it seems- as Doug quickly finds out.

"I Know What You Did Last Summer" [ABC, November 21, 2002]
     After a too long hiatus, "The Rutlanders" steps back on to ABC's scedule Wednesday, November 27th with its second season premiere "I Know What You Did Last Summer." In the episode, Doug & Ellen recount what happened over the summer, making a video for Amanda, who left for San Francisco at the end of last season.

"Rutlanders" pushed back  [Variety, September 5, 2002]
    In the face of diving ratings, ABC has decided to delay the premiere of "The Rutlanders" from October 9th as originally planned to November 27th, the last day of sweeps. The move comes as no great surprize. Since aquiring the series from the ABN for $1.5 million an episode, the show has seen ratings take a huge hit. The show peaked on ABC on August 9th with a 6.0 rating is homes, 37th place on the week. Last week it fell to 80th place with just 4.6 million viewers.
    ABC already has 7 episodes of "The Rutlanders" in the can and is unlikely to outright cancell the series. The show does have 5 emmy nominations, and heavy promos during sweeps could build up to a big premiere. Instead of "The Rutlanders," the new series "Candice Bergen's Comedy Cavalcade" will take the Wednesday at 9:30pm slot. If that show is a success, Rutland may have to find another home.

"Rutlanders" gets 5 emmy nominations [July 16. 2002]
    First time emmy considerations had very good luck on emmy nominations day: Both the ABN and "The Rutlanders" came up with something. "The Rutlanders" was 6th on the comedy nominations list with 5 nods. Jenna Moreno (Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series) came up with the only acting nod, but there were also two nominations for writing (one for "The Insiders" and another for "Four Funerals (?), and Wedding & A Baby"), one for directing in a single camera series and another for hairstyling. The ABN also scared up a nod for "The 3rd Coming of Ellen," with a nomination of Ellen DeGeneres herself in the Best Actress category.

Anne O'Shea leaves Rutland   [June 29. 2002]
    Anne Shea's publicist officially announced yesterday that she will leave the series sometime within the first 7 episodes of its premiere. Shea, who has warmed our hearts with her rarely seen character Linda, will not be going far, however. Her and her character will move to a spin-off, set to debut on ABC in March. Good luck Shea! We'll miss you (even though the rest of the cast won't...)

"Rutlanders" shipped out     [Hollywood Reporter, June 28, 2002]
    The ABN network announced yesterday that "The Rutlanders" will be shipped out to ABC to cover some of the network's spiralling losses. The deal stipulates that ABN will retain rights to the series from production house Alliant-Atlantic, but will sell new episodes of the show to ABC in return for airing the repeats one week after the original broadcast. The deal extends to a full 24 episode order, with ABC paying about $1.5 million dollars an episode for the series. Rights to the series will cost the ABN roughly $800,000 next season, so the net will turn a tidy $700 000 dollar profit for every episode made, not including commercial income from the repeats. That amount alone will virtually finance the second season of "The 3rd Coming of Ellen," the network's second highest rated series.
    The move to ABC is no much of a surprize. "Rutlanders" spin-off "Amanda" will be airing on the network Wednesdays at 8:30pm next fall, and a mid-season spin-off of the Linda character will tentatively debut on the alphabet in March. It is not yet known where the show will air on ABC's schedule, but speculation says a move to Wednesday's at 9:30pm will probably happen. Repeats of the series will air on ABN until July 5th when the show will take a month hiatus until it's ABC repeat premiere. The second season will premiere sometime in October, a which point the ABN will resume airing repeats of the show.

ABN looking for a deal  [Variety, May 10, 2002]
    The ABN network is searching the six other major networks in order to strike a deal involving its orginal series. The network may have has some success in the ratings, but its programming costs are through the roof and the net faces bankruptcy. The network has already cancelled two of its four original series, "Second Chances" and "Abnormal, Ohio." All that reamins is the growing hit "The Rutlanders" and its timeslot partner "The Third Coming of Ellen." "The Rutlanders" costs the network roughly $400 000 an episode while the liscensing fees for "Ellen" are well over the $1 million dollar mark. The network is said to be looking to sell it original series to another network if it can air the episodes a week later. While not drawing gigantic ratings, repeats of "The Rutlanders" consistantly drew a 3.0 homes rating in repeats.
Interested networks are said to be all of them. The season finale of "The Rutlanders" drew 9.8 million viewers, ranking 50th last week. If Fox picked up the series, it would be it's 6th highest rated series.

Finale week a record on ABN [May 9, 2002]
    ABN's final week of the 2001/2002 season was a prosperous one. The network recorded a 3.7/6 rating in households, led by multiple airings of "The Rutlanders." Part One of the season finale drew a 5.6/9 rating on Monday and a 6.2/10 rating on Tuesday. Averaged out, the show drew a 9.4 million viewers and an average 4.6/11 rating in adults 18-49. Also performing well was the series finale of "Second Chances." That show drew a 4.2/7 rating on Monday & Tuesday night, averaging 6.3 million viewers and a 2.9/7 rating in adults. Two Rutland themed specials also performed very well. The Monday special "Inside Rutland, Ohio" came up with a 5.0/8 household rating and a 4.1/9 rating in adults. The second special, running Tuesday at 9:30, gave viewers a glimpse into what the stars of "The Rutlanders" did before they were, well, stars. It drew a 4.9/8 rating in homes and a 3.7/8 in adults.

Four Funerals (?), A Wedding & A Baby [May 2-3, 2002]
    The first stunning season of "The Rutlanders" comes to a close on a high note witht he two part special "Four Funerals (?), A Wedding & A Baby," which will air on May 2 & 3rd to close of the season for the ABN. In the episode, Amanda's big day has finally arrived, but not without trouble. Namely mom Liz and Ryan's mom Joan. They just don't seem to get along, which puts Ryan & Amanda in a tough position. Elsewhere in Rutland, and entire half-season on fighting between Mira & Tanya comes to a head as they both try to take each other out, winner takes all. But will there be anything left to take? And last but not least, the baby. It's not what everybody thinks, and Joan is the first to notice.

ABN posts record ratings [April 25- May 1, 2002]
    The ABN network opened sweeps with a bang, posting a record 2.5/4 rating in households and averaging 3.65 million viewers on the week. Comparatively, that came out ahead of both the WB and UPN. It's top show once again was the red-hot "The Rutlanders," which jumped to a record 7.55 million viewers and a 4.7/7 rating in households. The show also posted a network record in teens (3.9/17 rating) & adults (3.0/9). The network also got solid support from repeat "The Rutlanders" on Monday (2.5/4 rating); Wednesday (2.5/4) and Friday (2.7/5).

ABN to bow out of sweeps early [Variety: April 23. 2002]
    Just two days after it cancelled two of its few original series, the ABN network has announced that it will bow out of sweeps on May 6, a full two weeks before the other networks. Part of the problem is poor planning by the network- it burnt the original episodes of its series too early. Another problem is the fact that the network can't afford to order anymore. Owner Warren Buffet put an immediate freeze on all addtional program spending two days ago, which many believe led to the cancellation of "Second Chances" and "Abnormal, Ohio." Buffet has also warned investors to expect a loss of $104.5 million this season. The network is not expected to make an announcement regarding its fall schedule as per usual in May. The only thing that seems certain is that the series "The Rutlanders" will be back, and the planned spin-off of the show "Amanda" could premiere sometime in the fall. Other than that, nothing is a lock.

ABN cancels 2 orginal series [Hollywood Reporter:  April 21, 2002]
    In a desparate big just to stay alive, the ABN has cancelled two original series and will only air the few new episodes that remain. The victims are "Abnormal, Ohio" and "Second Chances," both of which will have their final airings in two weeks. "Ohio" is not a huge surprize, in its three weeks on the air, its averaged a tiny 1.3 rating and 2.0 million viewers. The show cost the network roughly $750 000 an episode to produce, but recooped only $380 000  through advertizing. The decision to cancel "Second Chances" though was more questionable. Along with "The Rutlanders," "Chances" is only one of two shows the network premiered with that it still has on the air. So far this season, the show has averaged a 1.3 rating and 2.2 million viewers, though recent new episode have hovered in the 2.3 rating range. The new programming now left on the ABN is the red hot "The Rutlanders" and the hot new series "The Third Coming of Ellen."

Rutland heats up [April 20, 2002]
    "The Rutlanders" have done it again. The episode titled "What's For Dinner" produced a
spike in viewership, giving the show a 4.1/6 rating in homes and an estimate audience of 6.6 million viewers. It was also the highest rated non big-3 show of the week, much thanks to WB powerhouse "7th Heaven" being in repeats. The show also drew 2.9 million adults in the crucial 18-49's demo as well as a 3.3 rating in teens 12-17, the 15th highest rated show of the week in the demo.

"Rutlanders" hits a record    [April 14, 2002]
    After 5 weeks of non-stop repeats, viewers welcomed "The Rutlanders" back into their homes in record numbers for the ABN network. The show reached an estimated 5.769807 million viewers on Tuesday, smashing the previous record of 4.8 million viewers from the previous week, up 21%. The show has grown consistantly since it was moved to Tuesdays on February 8th. So far the show has more than doubled its ratings since moving. The show also scored a network high in teens (2.8 rating), adults 18-49 (2.0) & adults 25-54 (1.9). In older viewers, the show drew a 0.8 rating, which is okay because those viewers don't really matter anyway.

ABN up in the air   [Wall Street Journal:  April 11, 2002]
    After only one season in existance, the future of the ABN network is up in the air. Despite increasing ratings, the network has spent more than it should have one original programming. The new series "The Third Coming of Ellen" cost the network over $1 million an episode. While it is the network's second highest rated series, it's only covering half its production costs through advertizing. The only true success on the network is "The Rutlanders," which is actually making a row-boat load of money for the network. Network owner Warren Buffet, no relationship to Phoebe, is preparing investors for a loss of more than $100 million this season.
Shares of the company slipped to .31 cents yesterday on microscopic trading on the NWSE.

Doug MacRae leaves Rutland     [March 3, 2002)
    Doug MacRae, who brought joy to all our hearts with his honest portrail of Doug on the hit series "The Rutlanders," has decided to leave the series after taping only 21 episodes. The move was precipitated by the fact that series creator Doug Bush fired him. "He'll be missed by both the cast and crew," said Bush in a statement. "Except for a few people hating his guts, he was pretty well liked." MacRae may next pop up in the ABN series "Second Chances" if a deal can be struck.

"Rutlanders" week spells big ratings gains     [March 2, 2002)
    The ABN posted huge ratings gains last week thanks to 5 airings of "The Rutlanders" is a bid to make the show more popular. Thanks to it's strong performance, the network was up 36% in viewers over last week and 67% in the target demographic of teens. "The Rutlanders" did even better than that. In it's new Tuesday at 9pm timeslot, the show set network records across the boards. It increased 24% in households,  26% in viewers (to 4.16 million viewers, beating out many shows on the UPN & the WB). It was also up 33% in teens and 25% in adults.

ABN money troubles   [NYTimes: Feb 17, 2002)
    The upstart ABN network is getting a serious lesson is growing pains- but mostly of the negative kind. Yesterday the network issued a losses warning, preparing investors to expect losses in the $80 million ange, up from previous estimates of $35 million. A large part of that is due to the fact that the ABN line-up just isn't delivering viewers- last week the network averaged a tiny 1.0 rating, less than half of the next lowest rated network, the WB. The upshot is that the network is doing very well with its original programming. Shows like "The Rutlanders," "Second Chances" do very well in younger viewers and continue to pull in ad dollars. But the downside is that the network doesn't have very much original programming to its credit, mostly relying on repeat programs from the mid-90s. Stock in the ABN plunged yesterday from $1.22 a share to 77 cents during a light trading session on Newark's little known stock exhange.

Rutlanders notches more viewers    (Feb 16. 2002)
    In it's second week in its Tuesday slot, "The Rutlanders" increased to a 2.1 rating in households (+24% over previous week) and to 3.30 million viewers (+20%). That represents a record for any series airing on ABN. The show placed 96th on the week, another record for the show. In teens, the show scored a 1.5 rating, it's highest tally yet. It also drew more adults 18-49 than it ever has, 1.49 million, up 10% over the previous week. It biggest increase of all came in the "mature" demo of adults 25-54, where the show drew a 1.0 rating, up 43% over the previous week.

Ryan proposes to Amanda    [Feb 14, 2002]
    Just in time for Valentine's, a episode so romantic you could throw up. Ryan finally gets down on one knee and proposes to Amanda, but what will she say? Liz already said yes for her, so she really has no choice. Meanwhile at the restaurant, Mira & Tanya take their competition up a notch. "The Rutlanders" is a production of Alliant-Atlantic.