A number of conservative critics and media outlets — including Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker — are accusing ABC of playing politics in prime time with the cancellation of the Tim Allen sitcom Last Man Standing. Allen’s character is an outspoken conservative and a Christian who regularly talks up “traditional” American values.
Starring Matthew Perry and Thomas Lennon, the multi-camera comedy appeared ripe for cancellation in November, when CBS decided not to extend its 13-episode order. In its third season, the series averaged a 1.0 rating in the 18-49 demo and 5 million total viewers.
The CW has posted a nearly four-minute, stand-alone epilogue wrapping up Frequency and an extended series finale for No Tomorrow, both of which resolve key plot points and character arcs so as not to leave fans of the canceled shows hanging.
The critically panned spinoff lasted two low-rated seasons at CBS. Killing off Criminal Minds‘ second spinoff was not a quick decision. CBS renewed the 2016 midseason effort, lambasted by critics for its xenophobic premise of Americans encountering problems abroad, though only for another 13 episodes.
If you had money on 2 Broke Girls getting renewed, you’re out of luck. CBS has canceled the raunchy Kat Dennings–Beth Behrs comedy after six seasons.
Ordered to series in May of last year and starring Famke Janssen and Ryan Eggold, the spinoff began life as an episode of drama The Blacklist, which the network just renewed.
Exclusives
Not a surprise here. After pulling the final three episodes of the comedy Powerless from its Thursday night lineup, NBC has officially canceled the series. Powerless debuted to soft ratings (1.1, 3.1 million in Live+Same Day) and never recovered.
Low ratings have caught up with ABC’s The Catch. The slick drama, from Shondaland, has been canceled after two seasons. The show, starring Mireille Enos and Peter Krause, got off to a sluggish start last midseason but got a second-season renewal, largely based on the clout of Shonda Rhimes’ Shondaland.
The dust appears to have settled — for now. A total of 12 broadcast series were dispatched to TV’s graveyard on Thursday as the major networks began cleaning house in advance of next week’s fall presentations (aka the Upfronts). The body count was highest at ABC. And it’s probably not over, the next 72 hours will likely bring additional cancellations.
ABC has cancelled family sitcom The Real O’Neals after two seasons. O’Neals had an encouraging start to Season 2, landing an order for three additional episodes in November. But by the time it wrapped up its second season in March, it ranked as ABC’s least-watched comedy, averaging just 3.1 million viewers a week.
American Crime is no longer paying at ABC: The network has canceled John Ridley’s Emmy-winning anthology drama after three seasons. The series was never a ratings powerhouse for ABC, but its Season 3 ratings were particularly woeful; it wrapped its run on April 30 with an anemic 2 million viewers and a 0.4 demo rating.
Making History, Zorn and APB all get the ax. None of the ends come as much of a surprise.
Last Man Standing is no longer on its feet: ABC has axed the Tim Allen sitcom after six seasons.
NBC has canceled the time-tripping freshman drama after one season. Averaging 4.6 million total viewers and a 1.1 demo rating, Timeless was NBC’s No. 6-rated drama.
The network is expected to announce at next week’s upfront presentation that the Shonda Rhimes drama starring Kerry Washington will end with its previously announced seventh season.
The genre drama has been canceled after four seasons at the network. A year after seeing female lead Nicole Beharie exit the Friday procedural, season four averaged a 0.9 in the demo and 3.2 million total viewers — with seven days of DVR. That’s down considerably from the 20th Century Fox Television-produced drama’s third run and, even with returns from international sales, not enough to get the Tom Mison starrer to a fifth season.
The network has canceled the medical drama after two seasons. Stars Morris Chestnut and Jaina Lee Ortiz announced that the series would not be coming back on their social media accounts early Tuesday.
The CW has axed freshman dramas Frequency and No Tomorrow. The news isn’t really a huge surprise: Neither show got an order for additional episodes last fall, capping their freshman seasons at 13 episodes each. Both shows wrapped up their initial runs in January, but CW President Mark Pedowitz promised that fans of both shows would get closure “on the digital side” if they weren’t renewed.
Dorothy’s journey ends here. NBC has opted not to move forward with a second season of its contemporary Wizard of Oz reboot Emerald City,
The TV networks are yet to crack the live, interactive reality format. The latest casualty is Fox’s You The Jury, which has been pulled from the schedule after two very low-rated airings. How quiet was the show’s run? It has been off the air for two weeks and barely anyone noticed.
The baseball drama, produced in partnership with Major League Baseball, will not return for a second season.
KETC Pulls Plug On ‘Stay Tuned’ After 5 Years
Time After Time is probably wishing for a time machine of its own right about now: ABC has pulled the H.G. Wells/Jack the Ripper drama from its schedule, effectively canceling the series. Match Game will air this Sunday at 9/8c — in Time After Time‘s usual slot — and for the following two Sundays.
The Katherine Heigl legal drama has been yanked off the schedule after just two airings. In its place, CBS will air Season 2 of Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders, beginning Wednesday, March 8, at 10 p.m.. (Next Wednesday, a Bull rerun will air in Doubt‘s former timeslot.)
CBS Television Distribution’s entertainment magazine will call it quits after the end of its 13th season.
The major networks continue to have trouble uttering the C-word. The broadcast and cable nets are once again going out of their way to avoid slapping even the most struggling series with a cancellation label. Of the 13 series featured here, more than half have been quietly, stealthily, unofficially canceled. And the others? There’s still the H-word (hope!).
