RULES OF ENGAGEMENT renewed

It may just be the show that will not die. CBS has announced it has a deal with Sony to renew RULES OF ENGAGEMENT for a seventh season. This 13-episode pickup will bring its series total to exactly 100 episodes.

RULES OF ENGAGEMENT will have had only one full season order of episodes by the time the 100th episode is produced.

Its first season was just a 7 episode order and ran in February & March of 2007. That May CBS renewed the freshmen series for a full 22 episode order. But, as luck would have it, the writers strike hit and only 15 episodes were produced.

For season three and four, ROE was relegated to mid-season orders as it battled with THE NEW ADVENTURES OF OLD CHRISTINE for a spot on the Monday comedy block. It continued to do better in the ratings than the other new comedies CBS was trying to produce. So in May 2010, CBS gave ROE a 22 episode order and, then later, ordered two additional episodes. Things were looking good for RULES OF ENGAGEMENT.

But this season CBS was over the comedy and was about to cancel it before a deal was struck that, essentially, let CBS have the series for free. 18 episode were ordered and the series was to be placed on Saturday nights. but HOW TO BE A GENTLEMAN was such a flop that CBS pushed back the season premiere date for ROE and reschedule the series for Thursday nights, after THE BIG BANG THEORY. What looked to be a blessing in disguise ended up being another instance of bad luck. The order was scaled back to just 15 episodes and the series looked to be on its last leg.

At the recent CBS upfront presentation to show off the 2012-13 series and schedule, ROE was neither renewed nor cancelled. Negotiations were still on going to bring RULES OF ENGAGEMENT back for another season. And now we get a 6th shortened season. Perhaps the six year engagement of Adam and Jennifer will finally end with a wedding.