Archer Is Apparently Super Popular With Spectrum Customers

Mad About You premiered in September 1992. The sitcom starred Helen Hunt and Paul Reiser, and enjoyed a seven-season run, airing its initial final episode in May 1999 (to get out before Y2K, I assume). But the show could not rest. Twenty years later, it was shaken from its Big Sleep and resurrected exclusively for Spectrum subscribers!

Why?!

The 12-episode revival didn’t set the world on fire. In fact, I challenge you to name three people you know who watched it as it was released (no shared households). If you know a few cable subscribers or are one yourself, you also know about Spectrum’s battle with Disney. The cable company accused Disney of weakening their cable channels to enrich their streamers.

The companies have reached a deal that resulted in FXX and several other Disney-owned ad-supported channels being dropped. This apparently left a bunch of Spectrum subscribers, people whom the company thought would be a prime audience for Mad About You, without a way to watch Archer.

All kinds of people watch all manner of shows. Still, it was shocking for me to learn that Archer was apparently popular enough with Spectrum subscribers that an exception needed to be made. Like Mad About You, Archer is a comedy. I would argue that’s where their similarities end. I certainly wouldn’t have expected much audience crossover.

Mad About You isn’t without its raunch. I saw an episode recently where a joke was built around Reiser and Hunt falling off of the bed and trying to adjust while he was inside of her. That said, characters having full-on conversations mid-coitus probably happens more often than I realize, and that’s just on Everybody Loves Raymond.

I can’t say for sure that there was audience demand for Archer. What I have read doesn’t say that specifically. Still, Spectrum assumed there was enough demand that Disney would now allow Archer to be streamed via VOD by Spectrum customers. That happened. Presumably, someone wanted it. But Spectrum also thought someone wanted a Mad About You reboot. SO.

Spectrum customers will be able to watch Archer on VOD. Maybe Disney will learn that they have a broader audience than they (or I) assumed, thanks to some of the many assets they’ve swallowed like a capitalistic Kirby. They could also start paying their workers fairly. That would be nice, too.