Fox wants more of 'That'
Groovy C-W comedy gets back-nine
The comedy, from Carsey-Werner and the creators of "3rd Rock from the Sun," is a top priority for Fox, which is attempting to launch its first successful live-action comedy in several years.
The network has reaped a windfall from animated sitcoms "The Simpsons" and "King of the Hill" but has had trouble finding live-action companions to those shows.
"That '70s Show," which airs Sundays at 8:30 p.m. after "The Simpsons," started the season strong, then cooled somewhat. The additional nine-episode order is a clear sign that Fox isn't giving up, though.
In its six airings, "That '70s Show" has averaged a 6.1 rating and 10 share in Nielsen homes and 5.3/14 among adults 18-49, winning its timeslot among young adults four out of six of the weeks.
The sitcom has averaged a 6% household drop and 2% young adults drop from its "Simpsons" lead-in, which was in reruns half the time. When measured against the timeslot average for the same six weeks last year, "That '70s Show" is down 15% among young adults.
Separately, NBC is considering taking an early hiatus week on its struggling Monday sitcom "Conrad Bloom" to work out some script problems.
