Why The Kaley Cuoco Sitcom 8 Simple Rules Was Canceled

These days, Kaley Cuoco is primarily known for playing Penny on "The Big Bang Theory." However, viewers who watched sitcoms in the early 2000s probably discovered her through ABC's "8 Simple Rules," in which she portrayed Bridget Hennessy, a ditzy high school student who is obsessed with boys, fashion, and popularity. Also starring John Ritter, Katey Sagal, Amy Davidson, Martin Spanjers, James Garner, and David Spade, the series ran for three seasons before its network lost faith in it — but what led to the show's cancellation?

As is the case with most great TV shows that get canceled way too soon, "8 Simple Rules" was the victim of dwindling ratings. Season 1 averaged close to 11 million viewers per episode, while the second installment fell to 9.98 million. That isn't a massive drop off, mind you, but the third chapter proved to be the sitcom's death knell, with the show attracting around 6.8 million viewers on a weekly basis. By then, ABC executives felt that the series had stayed out its welcome, and the rest is history.

Despite not being the most popular show on TV during its prime back in season 1, "8 Simple Rules" still boasted a large enough audience to be considered a success for ABC. What's more, the show might have retained its viewership if Ritter hadn't passed away at the start of season 2.

John Ritter, Katey Sagal, Amy Davidson, and Martin Spanjers gave "8 Simple Rules" its heart, as their characters make up the traditional family unit that's informed successful sitcom formulas for decades. Losing any of them would have hurt the series, but Ritter — who played the family's father and husband Paul Hennessy — was arguably the show's most important piece.

Most of season 1's episodes revolve around Paul butting heads with his teenage daughters, Bridget and Kerry (Davidson), while being the ultimate dorky dad. So, when Ritter died of an aortic dissection on September 11, 2003, "8 Simple Rules" lost an irreplaceable character and cast member, which was always going to be difficult to recover from. As Sagal told TODAY in a piece to mark the series' 20th anniversary in 2022:

"John was the center of that show. It wasn't even about the show. It's really not about the show. It was about losing this incredible person and way too early."

While Ritter's loss was a massive blow to the series, "8 Simple Rules" replaced him with two great comedic actors who brought their own charms and sensibilities to the table. However, the show's creators might have tried to speed through the grieving process too fast, ultimately driving viewers away.

Many shows have continued after losing their main cast members, and "8 Simple Rules" tried its best to cope with the loss of John Ritter and his character. David Spade and James Garner — who played the family's slacker cousin, C.J., and lovably grumpy grandpa, Jim, respectively — added a lot of humor and warmth to the series in their own right, but maybe it would have benefited from more sadness.

In the aforementioned interview with TODAY, Katey Sagal explained that "8 Simple Rules" rushed into being funny again, which might not have been the best approach given that the story was all about a family processing grief. As she put it:

"If I was in charge, I probably would have stayed in the reality of it a little bit longer. But I was super proud that we handled it the way we did. We got through it the way we did that. Jim Garner came, I mean, he was like a big shoulder. Jim Garner was really amazing."

"8 Simple Rules" was never going to be the same after John Ritter died, but don't let its ratings fool you. It's an entertaining sitcom that bounced back well in a creative sense despite having to overcome very challenging obstacles. That said, if the show continued, Kaley Cuoco might not have gone on to star in "The Big Bang Theory" (one of the most successful sitcoms of all time), so that is one positive to take from its cancellation.