'Community' (On Hiatus) Ratings Up; 'Whitney' (Staying Around) Hits Series-Low

Whatever the public outcry, the numbers might not exactly speak against the controversial "Community" hiatus, reports TVLine.com.

That's not exactly to say that it seems "Whitney" should be sticking around, either.

This past Thursday's ratings have arrived, and while "Community" got a bump, it still paled in comparison with what some competitors drew. The ensemble comedy, which joins ABC's "Cougar Town" among popular shows given a midseason hiatus that surprised fans, gained one-tenth of a rating point up to a 1.6 in the coveted 18-49 demographic, pulling 3.63 million viewers. That represents a total four-percent increase in viewers.

Meanwhile, the freshman comedy "Whitney" earned a 1.9 rating and 4.1 million viewers within the same demographic - a 10-percent rating dip, and a series-low so far.

At least "Cougar Town" fans can speculate vaguely about when their show will return. The Bill Lawrence comedy might've been now bumped twice from when it should've premiered, but there is at least speculation that the show will return this March with a 15-episode run. There's been no such guarantee made about when "Community" will return, just that it will be back with all this season's remaining episodes.

The outcry over the "Community" hiatus has been notable. New York Magazine went so far as releasing a set of WWII propaganda-style posters entertainingly lobbying for the Joel McHale comedy's survival (see them below.)

Still, whatever your fandom, there's not much mystery in understanding what the numbers say. "Whitney" fell and hit a low for the series' brief existence, but even that low topped the improved "Community" rating. Remember, network television is a business first and foremost, and while the bottom line isn't the only thing under consideration, it more often than not tops the list. Not only did "Whitney" top the show's rating, but so did most timeslot competitors for the same demographic.

In fact, "Bones" won the Thursday-night battle. The seventh-season FOX crime-procedural gained an impressive 8 percent in its demo to pull an 8.82 rating and 2.8 million viewers. "The Big Bang Theory" actually dropped to a 5.2 and 14.8 million viewers, "Rules Of Engagement" pulled a 3.6 and 11 million viewers for a three-percent bump, "The X Factor" results show dropped 9 percent to a 3.0 and 9.46 million viewers and "Parks & Recreation" gained 11 percent with a 2.0 and 3.7 million viewers.

"Community" is an absolutely outstanding show that deserves to thrive. It's got the kind of ensemble chemistry and irreverence that's evocative of "The Drew Carey Show" at its best, "Scrubs" or, ironically, "Cougar Town." But it's in a tough hour, albeit one that any show that good should win consistently.

On top of that, TV is a tough business precisely because while I'm sure many networks would rather give some great shows with rabid fanbases carte blanche and absolutely ironclad security, some shows' ratings just can't justify it. Some younger readers may not remember a little show called "Jericho," a 2006 CBS post-apocalyptic drama. Fans latched onto the show, but they were a loyal minority. It was cancelled because of anemic ratings after its first run.

Then came the most successful (and, ultimately, pointless) protest in television history.

In response to the show's cancellation, fans sent right around 20 tons of nuts to CBS executives, a reference to character Jake Green exclaiming "Nuts!" in the Season One finale "Why We Fight" in the style of Gen. Anthony McAuliffe at the Battle of the Bulge. It paid off, CBS caved, and "Jericho" got one more seven-episode run.

Ratings still sucked, and it was cancelled again.

I could go on with further examples. FOX cancelled "Greg The Bunny" after less than a full season, but it gathered enough followers that IFC picked up the characters for a completely different show lampooning independent film. NBC's own "Freaks And Geeks" was similarly short-lived but lives on in the consciousness of lovers of off-beat, quirky comedies (and Seth Rogen.)

Worst of all, not every show can be like "Arrested Development," "Futurama" or "Family Guy," becoming such cultural institutions long after their undeserved cancellations, that it would be stupid not to resurrect them. It's not always a fairy tale.

What remains true is that for networks to stay afloat, they must answer to advertisers for maximizing their ratings. This isn't public broadcasting. It's a business. Best advice: keep the campaign going! Take to Twitter and Facebook, make the New York posters your social-media avatars and make it clear that "Community" shouldn't go the way of "Arrested Development" prior to its revival. It should get the chance to take its place that it could still absolutely rightfully earn among NBC's greatest network comedies.

But it needs one thing to do it, once it returns: eyeballs. Otherwise, pray "Whitney" is an acquired taste.