From CASTLE to BONES: Is the MOONLIGHTING Curse Still Relevant Today?

In Hollywood, there is no more dreaded catch phrase than “The Moonlighting Curse.” For those old enough to remember, MOONLIGHTING was the hot comedy-drama of the 1980’s, starring Cybill Shepherd and Bruce Willis. The show consistently scored high ratings until one disastrous night – its core characters David and Maddie slept together at the end of the show’s third season. After achieving its highest ratings ever, it was all downhill from there – at least in the ratings. It went from 9th place the Nielsen list to 14th place during its next season, and then was cancelled after limping through one more final season. Ever since then, shows that are dependent on the “will they or won’t they” hooks to their premise tend to religiously avoid killing the cash-cow and make sure their hot couples never get together, or to postpone it as long as humanly possible (such as waiting until the series finale). The thought being that popping the “romantic-tension bubble” spells doom for any television show. ...

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Tipster: lysaleelee