Ratings: MTV’s ‘Buckwild’ surprises; Charlie Sheen’s ‘Anger Management’ sinks

Here are two things we surely did not expect to happen at the start of the year: MTV finding a suitable replacement for “Jersey Shore” just by casting different people and moving the series to West Virginia, and Charlie Sheen’s “Anger Management” making FX potentially regret their decision to renew the show just a few short weeks into its massive 90-episode pickup.

Let’s start with the “Anger Management” failures right now, mostly because this is a very interesting story. This is a show that set records for FX last summer, and now it’s posting 0.5 ratings in the 18-49 demographic that makes the ratings for “Archer” look even better. Considering all the money that Sheen is making here, surely they thought it would fare better than a low-budget (but rather brilliant) animated show.

What these numbers prove to us is rather simple: when it comes to scripted TV, quality matters. “Anger Management’s” positive moments are overshadowed often by stereotypes and unappealing characters, which there are far too many of. Sheen may hate the “Two and a Half Men” comparisons, but what made this show work so well when it started was that there were only a handful of faces to keep track of.

Meanwhile, “Buckwild” has to be to us the surprise of the season. It has held on to its numbers steadily almost all season, which suggests to us that those who protested the show early on never watched to begin with, and the folks who are checking it out like what they see. “Buckwild” has already been renewed for a second season; though luckily for MTV, it is not one consisting of 90 episodes.

What do you think about this ratings news? Be sure to share some more of your thoughts with a comment below!

Photo: MTV