Classic Ratings Review: CHICKEN SOUP (Season One - 1989)

Ratings Review for the only season of CHICKEN SOUP, on ABC, 1989-90.

Going into the fall of 1989, ABC's hot new comedy was to be CHICKEN SOUP, starring the classic comedian, Jackie Mason and actress Lynn Redgrave. The comedy centered on the interfaith relationship of a Jewish man, Jackie Mason, and an Irish Catholic woman,  Lynn Redgrave.

The run on the series was for two main reasons.

One, CHICKEN SOUP could not hold enough of its lead in, the #1 show of the year, ROSEANNE, despite regularly drawing over 22 million viewers each week. The retention for the final episode was just 62%, out of 36 million viewers for ROSEANNE.

Two, Jackie Mason was making "inflammatory" remarks during the NYC Mayoral Election that was causing some backlash to viewership to the series.

I remember watching an episode of the series and it was pretty horrible. What success it did have was mainly due to getting the #1 time slot of the season, out of ROSEANNE. Just a year earlier, Jackie Mason starred in the terrible sequel, CADDY SHACK 2, so that may give you the comedic abilities of Mason, who mainly saw his comedic star shine in the 1950s and 60s

(Tuesdays at 9:30 p.m., on ABC)

Date	Viewers*	HH Rating	HH Share	Rank
09/19/89	27.40	18.4	29	14
09/26/89	28.60	19.6	31	11
10/03/89	27.70	19.1	30	7
10/10/89	27.80	18.7	30	9
10/17/89	preempted
10/24/89	24.30	16.6	25	19
10/31/89	23.30	15.9	26	23
11/07/89	22.40	15.2	24	21
AVG	25.93	17.6	28

* - viewers in millions