Rules of Engagement (TV series)
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''Rules of Engagement'' is an American
sitcom A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ne ...
television series that ran on
CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
from February 5, 2007, to May 20, 2013, originally airing as a
mid-season replacement In American network television scheduling, a mid-season replacement is a television show that premieres in the second half of the traditional television season, usually between December and May. Mid-season replacements usually take place after a ...
. The series was produced by
Adam Sandler Adam Richard Sandler (born September 9, 1966) is an American comedian, actor, screenwriter, producer and singer. He was a cast member on ''Saturday Night Live'' from 1990 to 1995, before going on to star in numerous Hollywood films, those of wh ...
's
Happy Madison Productions Happy Madison Productions is an American film and television production company founded in 1999 by Adam Sandler, which is best known for its comedy films. Happy Madison takes its name from the films ''Happy Gilmore'' and ''Billy Madison'', two b ...
in association with
CBS Television Studios CBS Studios, Inc. is an American television production company which is a subsidiary of CBS Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global. It was formed on January 17, 2006, by CBS Corporation as CBS Paramount Television, as a renaming of the o ...
and
Sony Pictures Television Sony Pictures Television Inc. (abbreviated as SPT) is an American television production and distribution studio. Based at the Sony Pictures Studios complex in Culver City, it is a division of Sony Entertainment's unit Sony Pictures Entertainm ...
(SPT controls the North American rights while CBS controls the international rights). Although the show received negative reviews throughout its run, it earned 3
Primetime Emmy Award The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the Primetime ...
nominations and always earned reasonably good ratings, helping the show reach 100 episodes (typically the minimum needed for syndication) over seven seasons.


Premise

Two couples and their single friend deal with the complications of
dating Dating is a stage of romantic relationships in which two individuals engage in an activity together, most often with the intention of evaluating each other's suitability as a partner in a future intimate relationship. It falls into the categor ...
, promise and
marriage Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...
. It portrays different
interpersonal relationship The concept of interpersonal relationship involves social associations, connections, or affiliations between two or more people. Interpersonal relationships vary in their degree of intimacy or self-disclosure, but also in their duration, in t ...
in various stages, starring
Patrick Warburton Patrick Warburton (born November 14, 1964) is an American actor. On television, he has played David Puddy on '' Seinfeld'', the title character on '' The Tick'', Jeb Denton on ''Less Than Perfect'', Jeff Bingham on ''Rules of Engagement'' and Lem ...
and
Megyn Price Megyn Samantha Price (born March 24, 1971) is an American actress, best known for her roles on television as Claudia Finnerty in the Fox/ WB sitcom ''Grounded for Life'' (2001–05), Audrey Bingham on the CBS sitcom ''Rules of Engagement'' (2007 ...
as a long-married couple,
Oliver Hudson Oliver Rutledge Hudson (born September 7, 1976) is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Adam Rhodes in the CBS comedy series ''Rules of Engagement'' (2007–2013), Jeff Fordham on the ABC musical drama series ''Nashville'' (2013–20 ...
and Bianca Kajlich as newly engaged sweethearts, and
David Spade David Wayne Spade (born July 22, 1964) is an American actor, stand-up comedian, television host, and writer. He was a cast member on ''Saturday Night Live'' in the 1990s, and he later began an acting career in both film and television. He also s ...
and Adhir Kalyan (the latter added in season 3) as their still-single friends. They often meet at "The Island Diner".


History

The show was heavily promoted by CBS during
Super Bowl XLI Super Bowl XLI was an American football game played between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Indianapolis Colts and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Chicago Bears to decide the National Football League (NFL) champio ...
and launched the following night, the first of seven episodes in its first season. The pilot episode remains the highest rated episode of the show. The series was renewed for a second season, which began as a
mid-season replacement In American network television scheduling, a mid-season replacement is a television show that premieres in the second half of the traditional television season, usually between December and May. Mid-season replacements usually take place after a ...
for ''
The New Adventures of Old Christine ''The New Adventures of Old Christine'' (often shortened to simply ''Old Christine'') is an American sitcom television series starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Christine Campbell, a divorced mother doing her best to keep pace with those around her ...
'' on Monday, September 24, 2007, with production halted after nine episodes on November 6, 2007, in the wake of a writers' strike. After the strike ended, CBS announced that the show would return April 14, 2008, with a further six episodes. Seasons three and four were both mid-season entries launched in March 2009 and March 2010. On May 18, 2010, it was announced that CBS had renewed ''Rules of Engagement'' for a 5th season. It was later announced that this season would start in September, in contrast to its usual midseason start, and received an expanded 24-episode order. (The fifth season was the first and only season to have a full-season order.) The first 15 episodes aired on Monday nights, usually in the 8:30 pm Eastern/7:30 pm Central time slot following ''
How I Met Your Mother ''How I Met Your Mother'' (often abbreviated as ''HIMYM'') is an American sitcom, created by Craig Thomas and Carter Bays for CBS. The series, which aired from September 19, 2005 to March 31, 2014, follows the main character, Ted Mosby, and his ...
''. Then on February 24, 2011, the series moved to Thursdays at 8:30 pm Eastern/7:30 pm Central, following ''
The Big Bang Theory ''The Big Bang Theory'' is an American television sitcom created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, both of whom served as executive producers on the series, along with Steven Molaro, all of whom also served as head writers. It premiered on CBS ...
'', after the cancellation of '' $#*! My Dad Says''. On January 31, 2011, CBS ordered an additional two episodes of the series to prepare for the possibility of ''Two and a Half Men'' going into hiatus following Charlie Sheen's real-life issues, taking the episode order to 26. Two of these episodes were held back and aired as part of the sixth season. On May 17, 2011, the series was renewed for a sixth season to begin airing in fall 2011. One day later, CBS announced that ''Rules of Engagement'' would move to Saturday nights at 8:00 pm Eastern/7:00 pm Central as part of the network's new '' Comedytime Saturday'' block; the first time in six years that an original CBS program would air on that night. It also marked the fourth night on which the series would air, with it previously airing on Mondays, Wednesdays (two airings), and Thursdays. On October 7, 2011, however, it was announced that ''Rules of Engagement'' would move back to its 8:30PM EST Thursday timeslot following ''The Big Bang Theory'', replacing new sitcom ''
How to Be a Gentleman How may refer to: * How (greeting), a word used in some misrepresentations of Native American/First Nations speech * How, an interrogative word in English grammar Art and entertainment Literature * ''How'' (book), a 2007 book by Dov Seidma ...
'' which was moved to the new Saturday time slot. The episode order was cut from the original 18, down to 13 (plus two unaired episodes from season five) on November 14, 2011. Effective January 12, 2012, CBS removed ''Rules of Engagement'' from its Thursday lineup, replacing it with the new sitcom '' Rob'' starring
Rob Schneider Robert Michael Schneider (; born October 31, 1963) is an American actor, comedian, and screenwriter. A stand-up comic and veteran of the NBC sketch comedy series ''Saturday Night Live'', he went on to a career in feature films, including starri ...
. ''Rules'' would return to its Thursday 8:30 PM time slot on March 29, after ''Rob'' had finished airing its 8-episode order, resulting in a total of 15 episodes in season 6. On May 21, 2012, CBS renewed ''Rules of Engagement'' for a seventh season of 13 episodes to air mid-season, bringing the total number of produced
100 episodes In the U.S. television industry, 100 episodes is the traditional threshold for a television series to enter syndicated reruns. One hundred episodes are advantageous for stripped syndication because it allows for 20 weeks of weekday reruns (depend ...
. Season 7 began airing on Mondays at 8:30, starting February 4, 2013. On May 10, 2013, ''Rules of Engagement'' was cancelled by CBS after seven seasons and 100 episodes. The series finale episode aired on May 20, 2013.


Cast and characters


Main characters

*
Patrick Warburton Patrick Warburton (born November 14, 1964) is an American actor. On television, he has played David Puddy on '' Seinfeld'', the title character on '' The Tick'', Jeb Denton on ''Less Than Perfect'', Jeff Bingham on ''Rules of Engagement'' and Lem ...
as Jeff Bingham, a financial manager and husband of Audrey since August 12, 1995. He has a rather
deadpan Deadpan, dry humour, or dry-wit humour is the deliberate display of emotional neutrality or no emotion, commonly as a form of comedic delivery to contrast with the ridiculousness or absurdity of the subject matter. The delivery is meant to be blun ...
, cold and sardonic personality and sense of self, particularly when dealing with Russell and Adam, but he is not sadistic or unkind, thereby rendering these traits as merely ironic and biting humor. He loves sports (
New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...
,
New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...
,
New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home ...
,
New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Associat ...
), shuns anything that might resemble sensitivity and often views his marriage as a competition or war, refusing to let Audrey "win" the upper hand at anything. He frequently complains about Audrey's work stories being boring, often forgets plans they have made or tasks she has asked him to complete and, on many occasions, embarrasses her publicly. He is also very frugal and extremely careful with his money – to the extent where he will buy socks in New Jersey to avoid paying additional tax on them – and tries to discourage Audrey from overspending while planning for their future. He often reminisces about his college days at
Syracuse University Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York. Established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church, the university has been nonsectarian since 1920. Locate ...
. *
Megyn Price Megyn Samantha Price (born March 24, 1971) is an American actress, best known for her roles on television as Claudia Finnerty in the Fox/ WB sitcom ''Grounded for Life'' (2001–05), Audrey Bingham on the CBS sitcom ''Rules of Engagement'' (2007 ...
as Audrey Bingham (née Curtis), formerly from
Lincoln, Nebraska Lincoln is the capital city of the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Lancaster County. The city covers with a population of 292,657 in 2021. It is the second-most populous city in Nebraska and the 73rd-largest in the United Sta ...
, an editor at ''Indoor Living'' magazine (before later resigning, briefly working as a hostess, and eventually working as a project manager at a gaming design company) and the assertive, modern wife of Jeff. She likes to do things on spur of the moment, such as when she buys furniture on the Internet or makes Jeff's shirts into a quilt. She tolerates her husband's insensitivity because she knows he is not malicious and will do whatever it takes to make the situation right once he realizes his mistake. As a couple, they both can be very condescending and manipulative towards each other, in order to gain the upper hand, and typically don't like to concede to the other that they were wrong, for example, they both repeatedly lied about their whereabouts during a weekend when Audrey's aunt was supposed to visit but fell ill and Jeff was supposed to be at a bachelor party weekend but the bride cancelled the wedding. They, however, often recognize where both were wrong and apologize. Audrey does not make fun of her friends as much as her friends make fun of each other, but she will frequently save her most-biting criticisms for Russell. She often insists that she is a "people person", but her attempts to prove it usually result in embarrassment, such as having a co-worker lodge a sexual harassment complaint against her. Audrey likes to think of herself as kind, cultured and smarter than her friends. She desperately wants to be liked by persons and/or impress them, but her attempts at being charitable and sociable often end in her becoming frustrated, either as a result of her own awkwardness or due to Jeff's manners. She and Jeff had a baby, Shea, via a surrogate, Brenda, after Audrey assumed she could never get pregnant, only to discover in the series finale that she is in fact pregnant with Jeff's child. *
Oliver Hudson Oliver Rutledge Hudson (born September 7, 1976) is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Adam Rhodes in the CBS comedy series ''Rules of Engagement'' (2007–2013), Jeff Fordham on the ABC musical drama series ''Nashville'' (2013–20 ...
as Adam Rhodes, a sensitive and well-meaning – but extremely
naive Naivety (also spelled naïvety), naiveness, or naïveté is the state of being naive. It refers to an apparent or actual lack of experience and sophistication, often describing a neglect of pragmatism in favor of moral idealism. A ''naïve'' may b ...
– co-worker of Russell and Timmy, and Jennifer's fiancé throughout the series until they are married in the series finale. He is a neighbor of Jeff and Audrey, looks up to Jeff, and often acts on Jeff's relationship advice (which is hardened by years of marriage) to attempt to receive more frequent sexual relations with Jennifer. This usually results in making the situation worse for himself. As an example, he once revealed to Jennifer his strategies for avoiding her bad moods, because he was proud that Jeff considered them to be a good idea. Oftentimes because of his childlike naivete (almost borderline stupidity), people find it hard to explain things to him. He cannot keep secrets and rarely thinks before he speaks. Adam frequently exhibits feminine or flamboyant behavior and characteristics, which make him the target of many barbs from Jeff and Russell regarding his tendencies. Adam, initially, was simply a smooth, charming guy who was only a bit simple, but over the course of the series, noticeably after Season 2, the writers opted to "dumb-down" his character turning him from naivety and sweet to borderline moronic and dim-witted. * Bianca Kajlich as Jennifer Morgan, the charismatic live-in fiancée and eventual wife of Adam, who endures his faults because of his good looks and underlying good nature. She is very self-conscious of his naivete, and will often try to spare him from embarrassment. She also has a need for thrills and can easily manipulate Adam into doing whatever she wants, but often feels guilty about it afterward. She was openly promiscuous in her past and is often referred to by Jeff, Russell and even Adam as being "easy" and always "good to go". Her love for sex means Adam rarely has to "work for it", a fact that Adam enjoys and the guys envy. Jennifer did, however, attempt to fabricate a clichéd love story of how she and Adam met, due to being slightly embarrassed when Adam continually boasts that they had sex together on their first date. She and Adam are often naive about their relationship as they typically assume they will not end up bickering and resenting each other like Jeff & Audrey, who often laugh at them for being so clueless and optimistic, and they think will be able to agree on everything. However, despite their best efforts, this often backfires specifically when they tried working together, cutting back on expenses or when they got into a big fight while trying to plan their entire future during a weekend getaway. *
David Spade David Wayne Spade (born July 22, 1964) is an American actor, stand-up comedian, television host, and writer. He was a cast member on ''Saturday Night Live'' in the 1990s, and he later began an acting career in both film and television. He also s ...
as Russell Dunbar, an acerbic, narcissistic,
lothario Lothario is a male given name that came to suggest an unscrupulous seducer of women, based upon a character in ''The Fair Penitent'', a 1703 tragedy by Nicholas Rowe.
single friend of the main characters and boss of Adam and Timmy. Russell is fast-talking, and is an eternal optimist when it comes to women, often ignoring multiple sexual harassment lawsuits leveled against him in the pursuit of sex. He is also an incompetent manager at his father's real estate and development business, Dunbar Industries. If left to his own devices and forced to fend for himself without assistance (e.g., from Timmy) he would completely destroy his office in minutes. He is often mocked because of his height (especially by Jeff), choice of wardrobe, hair style, and his penchant for
prostitution Prostitution is the business or practice of engaging in Sex work, sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, n ...
(frequently alluded to, but never during the series is he shown to be with a prostitute) and young women with "daddy" issues. He also frequently uses his
wealth Wealth is the abundance of Value (economics), valuable financial assets or property, physical possessions which can be converted into a form that can be used for financial transaction, transactions. This includes the core meaning as held in the ...
to lure women and do whatever he wants. In the Season 6 episode "Audrey's Shower", Russell takes a break from women and starts to display many creative talents. It is revealed in a flashback that he was an intelligent child and a musical prodigy, until he saw his piano teacher's cleavage and wound up taking a different path in life. His favorite expression, spoken in a high-pitched voice after incredulous questions about his doing something outrageous, is: "I kinda did" (or, when mocking someone else - usually Timmy or Adam: "Ya kinda are"). In the series finale, Russell proposes to Timmy and marries him in order to help Timmy avoid deportation. * Adhir Kalyan as Timir "Timmy" Patel (recurring Season 3; regular cast from Seasons 4–7), whom Russell hires as his assistant. He is a mild-mannered man with a quick wit, often matching Russell's jabs in their verbal sparring. Although he is fluent in seven languages and holds an
MBA A Master of Business Administration (MBA; also Master's in Business Administration) is a postgraduate degree focused on business administration. The core courses in an MBA program cover various areas of business administration such as accounti ...
from
University of Oxford , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...
, Timmy is often forced to do menial work or to solve Russell's trivial problems. While many of Russell's schemes disgust him, Timmy will often see them through so that he can enjoy Russell's comeuppance. He plays
cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...
and is also an avid fan of the
Boston Bruins The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team has been in existence since 1924, making t ...
. In the series finale, Timmy's work visa expires and he faces
deportation Deportation is the expulsion of a person or group of people from a place or country. The term ''expulsion'' is often used as a synonym for deportation, though expulsion is more often used in the context of international law, while deportation ...
. Russell sets aside his womanizing ways to marry Timmy so he can stay in the country. This brought criticism, however, due to the fact that it had already been established in Season 5 that Timmy had been a US citizen for over 10 years which he revealed when Russell wanted to throw him a "Citizenship Party". This was not the first time there had been an inconsistent discrepancy with Timmy's background as he tells his then-girlfriend, Allison, in the episode "Play Ball", that he was an only child yet in the following season, in the episode "The Set-Up", it is revealed that he has a sister, Simran, who is currently living in Chicago.


Recurring characters and notable guests

* Diane Sellers as Doreen, waitress at The Island Diner. *
Wendi McLendon-Covey Wendi McLendon-Covey (née McLendon; born October 10, 1969) is an American actress and comedian. She is known primarily for her work in comedic and improvisational roles. Since 2013, McLendon-Covey has played the role of Beverly Goldberg, a fami ...
as Liz, a quirky, "plain Jane" neighbor and friend of Audrey's (and Audrey's first boss) who lives directly upstairs from the Binghams, and whose mannerisms and conversations frequently repulse Jeff; for a brief story arc in Season 6 she was married to Russell, but they later separated. In Season 7, Episode 7, she admitted to Russell that she is a
sex addict According to proponents of the concept, sexual addiction, also known as sex addiction, is a state characterized by compulsive participation or engagement in sexual activity, particularly sexual intercourse, despite negative consequences. The c ...
and that she cheated on him multiple times (with multiple partners) during their brief marriage. *
Sara Rue Sara Rue (born January 26, 1979) is an American actress. She is known for her performances as Carmen Ferrara on ''Popular'', as Claude Casey on ''Less than Perfect'', and as the Attorney General in ''Idiocracy''. In 2011, she hosted The CW realit ...
as Brenda, Jeff's lesbian
softball Softball is a game similar to baseball played with a larger ball on a smaller field. Softball is played competitively at club levels, the college level, and the professional level. The game was first created in 1887 in Chicago by George Hanc ...
teammate and beer-drinking pal who agrees to be a surrogate mother for Audrey and Jeff. *
Nazneen Contractor Nazneen Contractor (born August 26, 1982) is a Canadian actress known for her role as Layla Hourani on CBC's '' The Border'', and as Kayla Hassan on '' 24'' in 2010. She also guest-starred in the ''Letterkenny'' International Women’s Day ...
as Suneetha, Timmy's fiancée in an arranged marriage, who becomes an object of Russell's affections. *
Susan Yeagley Susan Melinda Yeagley is an American actress. Early life and education Yeagley was born in Nashville, Tennessee. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Southern California. Career She portrayed Jessica Wicks in nine epis ...
as Tracy, a man-hungry co-worker of Audrey's. *
Beth Littleford Elizabeth Anna Halcyon Littleford is an American actress, comedian and television personality. She was one of the original correspondents on ''The Daily Show'' on Comedy Central from 1996 to 2000. Littleford has also appeared in the shows ''I'm i ...
as Laura, another man-hungry co-worker of Audrey's. * Brooklyn McLinn as Dan, a happily-engaged co-worker of Jeff's. *
Taryn Southern Taryn Southern is a storyteller, artist, speaker and brand strategist who works with emerging technologies. She was formerly known for her work as a TV host, actress and YouTuber. Early life Southern grew up in Wichita, Kansas and landed her firs ...
as Allison, the object of Timmy's affections, which blossoms into an intra-office romance, then ends when she moves away and breaks up with Timmy. *
Geoff Pierson Geoff Pierson is an American actor known for his starring television roles on '' Dexter'', ''Unhappily Ever After'', '' Grace Under Fire'', '' 24'', '' Ryan's Hope'', and '' Designated Survivor''. He has guest-starred in dozens of other TV shows. ...
as Franklin Dunbar, Russell's wealthy, lecherous father. *
Orlando Jones Orlando Jones (born April 10, 1968) is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He is known for being one of the original cast members of the sketch comedy series ''MADtv'', for his role as the 7 Up spokesman from 1999 to 2002, and for his role a ...
as Brad, Jeff's gay friend from his gym and softball team who eventually makes friends with the rest of the gang. *
Sam Harris Samuel Benjamin Harris (born April 9, 1967) is an American philosopher, neuroscientist, author, and podcast host. His work touches on a range of topics, including rationality, religion, ethics, free will, neuroscience, meditation, psychedelics ...
as Jackie, Brad's flamboyantly gay partner, whom Audrey becomes good friends with before Jeff causes Audrey to inadvertently insult him, ending the friendship. *
Larry Joe Campbell Lawrence Joseph Campbell (born November 29, 1970) is an American actor and comedian best known for his role as Andy on the ABC sitcom ''According to Jim''. Early life Born in Cadillac, Michigan, Campbell graduated from high school at Pine Ri ...
as Todd, a friendly but socially-awkward co-worker of Jeff's whom Audrey fixes up with Liz. *
Jaime Pressly Jaime Elizabeth Pressly (born July 30, 1977) is an American actress, fashion designer, and model. Best known for her role as Joy Turner on the NBC sitcom ''My Name Is Earl'', she won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a ...
as Pam Nelson, the Bingham's initial surrogate whom they soon soured on due to her sleeping with Russell. *
Heather Locklear Heather Deen Locklear (born September 25, 1961) is an American actress famous for her role as Amanda Woodward on ''Melrose Place'' (1993–1999), for which she received four consecutive Golden Globe nominations for Best Actress – Television ...
as Barbara, Audrey's sister, on whom Russell has a crush. *
Bob Odenkirk Robert John Odenkirk (; born October 22, 1962) is an American actor, comedian and filmmaker best known for his role as Saul Goodman on ''Breaking Bad'' (2008–2013) and its spin-off ''Better Call Saul'' (2015–2022). For the latter, he has re ...
as Mike, an old friend of Jeff's who he reconnects with at a boat show, and whose news of a divorce gives Jeff pause regarding his relationship with Audrey. *
Joan Collins Dame Joan Henrietta Collins (born 23 May 1933) is an English actress, author and columnist. Collins is the recipient of several accolades, including a Golden Globe Award, a People's Choice Award, two Soap Opera Digest Awards and a Primetime ...
as Bunny Dunbar, Russell's wealthy, superficial mother. *
Brian Dennehy Brian Manion Dennehy (; July 9, 1938 – April 15, 2020) was an American actor of stage, television, and film. He won two Tony Awards, an Olivier Award, and a Golden Globe, and received six Primetime Emmy Award nominations. Dennehy had roles in ...
as Roy Bingham, Jeff's very traditional father. *
Peggy Lipton Margaret Ann Lipton (August 30, 1946 – May 11, 2019) was an American actress, model, and singer. She made appearances in many of the most popular television shows of the 1960s before she landed her defining role as flower child Julie Barnes ...
as Faye, Adam's free-spirited mother. *
Ajay Mehta Ajay Mehta ( ) () is an Indian actor based in North America, known for his deep baritone voice. Early life and education Mehta was born in New Delhi, India and he was educated in New Delhi, in Mayo College and St. Stephen's College. Accordin ...
and
Anna George Anna George is an Indian-born American actress. She earned an undergraduate degree from Wellesley College and an MBA from Columbia Business School Columbia Business School (CBS) is the business school of Columbia University, a Private unive ...
as Rahm & Varsha Patel, Timmy's parents. *
Richard McGonagle Richard Francis McGonagle (born October 22, 1946) is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his voice work in various video games, movies and television shows. He is also known for his work by voicing Colonel Taggart in ''Prototype'', O ...
as Dr Sachs, whom Jeff & Audrey see to further their hopes of having a child. *
Curtis Armstrong Curtis Armstrong (born November 27, 1953) is an American actor and singer best known for playing the role of Booger in the ''Revenge of the Nerds'' movies, Herbert Viola on the TV series ''Moonlighting'', Miles Dalby in the film '' Risky Busines ...
as an insecure version of himself, who bonds with Adam and enjoys Adam's adoration. *
Jessica Walter Jessica Walter (January 31, 1941 – March 24, 2021) was an American actress who appeared in over 170 film, stage and television productions. In film, she was best known for her role as a psychotic and obsessed fan of a local disc jockey in t ...
as Constance, an older woman whom Russell had sex with when he was 18. *
Tony Hale Anthony Russell Hale (born September 30, 1970) is an American actor and comedian. He is known for his role in the Fox comedy series ''Arrested Development'' as Buster Bluth. Hale played Gary Walsh on the HBO comedy ''Veep'' from 2012 until its ...
as Steve, a quirky former co-worker of Jeff's who is known as "the nuzzler" for his awkward hugs. *
Mark Saul Mark Adam Saul (born June 20, 1985) is an American actor who is best known for appearing on the popular Nickelodeon show ''All That'' in the final two seasons of the show's first era. His other notable credits include ''The Social Network'', '' ...
and Tommy Snider as Barry and Tug, Audrey's goofy and immature bosses at a gaming design company. * Wayne Lopez as Oscar, one of the doormen at the building where the Binghams, Adam, and Jen live. *
Casey Sander Clinton O. "Casey" Sander (born July 6, 1956) is an American actor known as the character "Captain" Jimmy Wennick on the short-lived TV series '' Tucker''. His television credits also include ''Criminal Minds'', ''The Golden Girls'', ''Grace Und ...
as Frank, another doorman at Jeff & Audrey's building.


Episodes


U.S. ratings


Syndication

In June 2011, the series was picked up for syndication by local
network affiliate In the broadcasting industry (particularly in North America, and even more in the United States), a network affiliate or affiliated station is a local broadcaster, owned by a company other than the owner of the network, which carries some or a ...
s,
The CW Plus The CW Plus is a secondary national programming service feed of The CW that is fully controlled and 75% owned by Nexstar Media Group, with Paramount Global and Warner Bros. Discovery each owning a 12.5% stake in the network. It is intended primar ...
, and
WGN America WGN America was an American subscription television network that was owned by the Nexstar Media Group, and was the company's only wholly owned, national cable-originated television channel. The channel in its final form under the WGN branding ran ...
, making its debut on September 10, 2012. On Wednesday, January 2, 2013, the series began airing weekdays on TBS at 2/1c. Shortly thereafter, it moved to the early morning hour of 6 A.M. throughout the week. As of May 2016, the series has left the line-up entirely. All 7 seasons were available for streaming on Netflix until September 2018 when they were removed. The Roku Channel alternates (every few months) offering seasons 1 thru 4 and seasons 5 thru 7, free. As of March 2021, in addition to the alternating seasons that The Roku Channel offers, all seven seasons of Rules of Engagement are available for streaming via subscription on Fubu and Starz. In Canada, the series is syndicated on CMT.


Awards and nominations


Home media

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (abbreviated as SPHE) is the home video distribution division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation. Background SPHE is responsible for the distribution of the Sony Pictures lib ...
owns the rights to release DVDs in Region 1. The fifth season of the series was made available beginning February 7, 2012, exclusively as a made-on-demand release from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, in conjunction with amazon.com. Similarly, the sixth season received a MOD release from online retailers, on October 2, 2012.
Paramount Home Entertainment Paramount Home Entertainment (formerly Paramount Home Media Distribution, and originally Paramount Home Video) is the home video distribution arm of Paramount Pictures, a division of Paramount Global. The division oversees PPC's home entertainme ...
, in conjunction with
CBS Home Entertainment CBS Home Entertainment (formerly CBS Video Enterprises, Inc., MGM/CBS Home Video, CBS/Fox Video and CBS Video, currently branded as CBS DVD for DVD releases and CBS Blu-ray for Blu-ray releases) is a home entertainment company owned by Paramoun ...
, began releasing the series on DVD internationally in 2011. Season One was released in the UK (Region 2 DVD) on April 4, 2011. In region 4, the entire series has been released, as individual season sets. The entire series is available to purchase and download from Amazon.com and the iTunes Store. Note: Following the events of Charlie Sheen's departure from ''
Two and a Half Men ''Two and a Half Men'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired on CBS for twelve seasons from September 22, 2003, to February 19, 2015. Originally starring Charlie Sheen in the lead role alongside Jon Cryer and Angus T. Jones, the ...
'', CBS ordered an additional two episodes for ''Rules of Engagement''’s fifth season, bringing the total number of episodes to 26 from the initial 24 ordered. Despite the episodes, "Scavenger Hunt" and "Cheating," airing during the sixth season, they were originally produced for the fifth season, and are included in the fifth season collection. Therefore, the sixth season's DVD release features the 13 episodes produced over that time period, versus the 15 that were broadcast by CBS.


International broadcasters

:1 Rights in
Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
,
Bolivia , image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg , flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center , flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...
,
Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
,
Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...
,
Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...
,
Costa Rica Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...
,
Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares wit ...
,
Ecuador Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ''Eku ...
,
El Salvador El Salvador (; , meaning " The Saviour"), officially the Republic of El Salvador ( es, República de El Salvador), is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south b ...
,
Guatemala Guatemala ( ; ), officially the Republic of Guatemala ( es, República de Guatemala, links=no), is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico; to the northeast by Belize and the Caribbean; to the east by H ...
,
Honduras Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America. The republic of Honduras is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Oce ...
,
Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
,
Nicaragua Nicaragua (; ), officially the Republic of Nicaragua (), is the largest country in Central America, bordered by Honduras to the north, the Caribbean to the east, Costa Rica to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Managua is the cou ...
,
Panama Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Cos ...
,
Paraguay Paraguay (; ), officially the Republic of Paraguay ( es, República del Paraguay, links=no; gn, Tavakuairetã Paraguái, links=si), is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to th ...
,
Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...
,
Uruguay Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...
, and
Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...
.


Polish version

Polish channel
TVN TVN may refer to: * TVN (Australian TV channel), a former horse racing channel * Televisión Nacional de Chile, a public broadcaster * TVN (Indonesia), a former television station; predecessor of Rajawali Televisi * TVN (Norway), or TVNorge, a comm ...
started filming its own version of the show, called '' Reguły Gry'' (literally meaning ''Rules of the Game'' in Polish). It premiered on 16 February 2012 on TVN sister channel
TVN 7 TVN7 is a Polish television channel specialising in action, drama and comedy shows and movies. Owned by TVN Group, the channel was launched in March 2002, replacing RTL7. It was relaunched on 1 September 2008 as TVN7. On 1st September 2014 the ...
as its first original production.


References


External links


Rules of Engagement – Official Site
* *
Rules of Engagement – bridestelevision.comTHRFeedRules of Engagement on Comedy Central UK
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rules Of Engagement (Tv Series) 2007 American television series debuts 2013 American television series endings 2000s American romantic comedy television series 2000s American sex comedy television series 2000s American sitcoms 2010s American romantic comedy television series 2010s American sex comedy television series 2010s American sitcoms Casual sex in television CBS original programming English-language television shows Narcissism in television Television series about couples Television series about marriage Television series by CBS Studios Television series by Happy Madison Productions Television series by Sony Pictures Television Television shows set in New York City