Guest Author - Amy Ralston Young

More than a month after announcing the new fall lineup, ABC is already making amendments. On June 27, 2007 network executives announced they have decided to renew “According to Jim” for a shortened seventh season.

The reliable, if nothing else, sitcom will shoot 18 episodes to put on ice as a mid-season replacement. In its previous six seasons, “According to Jim” has preformed consistently for the network, never doing great, but never doing horribly either. It averages about 6.6 million viewers, placing it in the low 100s on the Nielsen ratings chart.

“According to Jim” is billed as a family sitcom, but it’s often crass, vulgar, and sexual. Jim Belushi plays the father of three children and the title character. It’s hard to imagine Belushi in a child-friendly show – and imagine you must because this show is anything but child-friendly. Let’s just say that one episode’s “humor” was based solely on the little kid running around saying the v-word for lady parts.

Moving on…

Jim is a middle-class father of three, who owns a construction company. He is also part of a garage jazz band. He loves his wife and kids, but his often macho and lazy behavior gets him into trouble. Pretty much if he can find a faster way to get things done – with less effort required on his part – that’s the road he’s taking. Boyish antics aside, there is something lovable about his character; but don’t ask me to explain.

His wife Cheryl (Courtney Thorne-Smith) is beautiful and smart. She’s hard-working and honest too. She keeps Jim in line and rears their three children – Ruby, Gracie, and Kyle. She’s pretty much Jim’s opposite. Her downfall? Her omnipresent siblings.

Cheryl’s sister Dana (Kimberly Williams-Paisley) serves as the main antagonist to Jim. She’s usually good for a laugh or two, but she’s also a major source of the sexual content. Their brother Andy (Larry Joe Campbell) plays Jim’s partner in crime. He’s always willing to assist or cover up – whatever is needed. Hopelessly unlucky with the ladies, his determination to find the right one only grows with each rejection.

Set in Chicago, “According to Jim” debuted midseason in the fall of 2001, following “My Wife and Kids.” Part of ABC’s comedy bloc featuring “8 Simple Rules,” “Less Than Perfect,” and “Life with Bonnie,” the show gained a faithful audience. Over the years, however, that audience has steadily declined.

The belated renewal announcement came as a shock after ABC unveiled its already sitcom-heavy fall lineup. The network, now known more for the dramas and dramedies (“Grey’s Anatomy” “Desperate Housewives,” “Ugly Betty”) than for its sitcoms (quick, name three) is trying to make a push back into the limelight. Is this really the show to help? After all “According to Jim” is only mediocre at best. It makes me wonder, do they have no faith in their new shows?