TV's First Casualties, Which shows got the ax from the networks Options

[EdwardKnoxII]

http://entertainment.msn.com/news/article....spx?news=140432

TV's First Casualties
'Skin' stripped, 'Coupling' uncoupled and 'Boomtown' goes bust
They debuted with such hope -- and hype -- in the fall. But the casualties of the TV season are already beginning to pile up, as the networks cut their losses and cancel poorly performing shows.

Proving that no amount of hoopla, critical acclaim or baseball-playoff advertising can guarantee good ratings, here are some of the victims so far:

Skin," which FOX relentlessly promoted during the baseball playoffs, became the first drama to be canceled outright this season. The Jerry Bruckheimer series -- about the forbidden love between a porn king's daughter and a district attorney's son -- aired only three times. The premiere of "Skin" attracted 6.3 million viewers, but it was down to fewer than 4.1 million by its final airing Nov. 3. 

NBC divorced "Coupling," the sexy sitcom promoted as the network's next great Thursday night comedy hit, the show to pick up the slack after this season's "Friends" departure. "Coupling" first was lifted from NBC's schedule for November sweeps, then axed altogether (and dissed by NBC Entertainment head Jeff Zucker).

NBC also finally, officially pulled the plug on the cop drama "Boomtown," which drew critical raves and lukewarm ratings. The show, which premiered last year, was put on hiatus nearly a month ago. Adding Vanessa Williams to the cast, which included Donnie Wahlberg, Mykelti Williamson and Neal McDonough, wasn't enough to save the series. The show's season premiere attracted a disappointing 7.77 million viewers and lost ground from there.

Here are the facts, ma'am: ABC dropped "L.A. Dragnet," which failed to catch on despite new characters, a new look and a new title (the "L.A." was added) in its second season. The re-make of the Jack Webb classic, starring Ed O'Neill as Joe Friday, debuted last February and got a makeover this fall. But it was stripped of its badge after five episodes, with the final show drawing only 4.5 million viewers and ranking 103rd. (Compare that to 27.3 million for CBS' top-rated "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.") The cancellation was a rare failure for producer Dick Wolf, whose TV empire includes NBC's "Law & Order" franchise.

The first casualty of the season was the FOX comedy "Luis," starring Luis Guzman as a Spanish Harlem doughnut shop owner and landlord dealing with eccentric customers, tenants and family.

In the "not dead yet" category, several series have been placed on hiatus during the critical November sweeps, with their fates undecided:

"Karen Sisco," with Carla Gugino in the title role as a federal marshal, is getting pulled from ABC's Wednesday night lineup, but the network says it is continuing production on the series and will relaunch it in a new timeslot in March.

"The Lyon's Den": Rob Lowe left "The West Wing" for this legal drama, but the show was pulled from the November sweeps schedule after ratings flagged. It's not yet known if more episodes -- including some with singer Jewel as guest star -- will air. 

"Tarzan" had its vine snapped by the WB; sources say production has been halted and is unlikely to resume. The modern-day take on Tarzan, starring Down Under model Travis Fimmel as the noble savage and former "Xena" star Lucy Lawless as his aunt, lost viewers with each airing.

"The Brotherhood of Poland, N.H.": David E. Kelley's story of three middle-aged brothers in a small New England town, starring Randy Quaid and Mare Winningham, went on hiatus in late October after averaging fewer than 7.2 million viewers per week for CBS. 

"The Mullets": UPN's sitcom about two brothers whose hairdos were "all business in front and party in back" was pulled from the schedule in late October but could still return. It was the least-watched series on any of the six networks this fall, drawing an average of only 2.1 million viewers at 9:30 p.m. 

[LaParkaMarka]

So, who isn't suprised about the Mullets? I am somewhat suprised that 2 million people actually watched that show.

[DMann2003]

The good news?....

Arrested Development is still going!

[EdwardKnoxII]

So, who isn't suprised about the Mullets? I am somewhat suprised that 2 million people actually watched that show.

I'm shocked it wasn't pulled off the air midway thru it's first showing.

[JHawk]

Dragnet being cancelled really pisses me off, but it didn't exactly need the facelift either.

Coupling was horribly miscast (although they did get Jane right) and the British version is just ten times better (mostly because of that cast having perfect chemistry), but had they not hyped it as the next Friends when everybody's sick of the original Friends it'd have been OK.

And how the fuck does The Mullets have any possibility of coming back?

But my biggest gripe: Most of these shows got less than six episodes to catch on. Would it really kill the networks to at least give their shows one sweeps period to try to draw an audience? I mean, 95% of shows are green-lighted for a set amount of episodes (usually six or 13), so you might as well...you know...let the show have that many episodes to catch on.

[kkktookmybabyawa...]

Nice to see FOX used the highly rated AL/NLCS to promote a show that tanked so early...

[Mole]

I think Tru Calling will be next.

[Guest_JMA_*]

I see Kid Notorious getting the axe next. They've already changed the timeslot...

[Ted the Poster]

That sucks about Dragnet and Boomtown; those shows kicked ass(although I did much prefer last season's Dragnet to this year). Although that does leve a timeslot for CROSSING JORDAN~! when it comes back in January.

Skin was sub-par for Bruckheimer. 'Nuff said.

I wasn't suprised at the failure of Coupling, either, Remaking a British comedy has never worked(to my knowledge). If a network ever attempts to remake The Office, I'm going to fucking shoot someone. NBC needs to stop trying to create a new Friends/Seinfeld because, odds are, the next "phenom" comedy is already airing. Remember when Seinfeld went off? Friends was right there to take the ball and run with it. That leads me to believe that NBC is already airing a great show that deserves a shot at taking Friends' place, which in my opinion is Scrubs. If they air the new Joey spinoff right after it at 8:30 it would probably be great, ratings-wise. I of course say this with no in-depth knowledge of the ratings system. (IMG:http://forums.thesmartmarks.com/style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif)

Oh, and I can't think of what the next show to get cancelled might be, but Stan Hooper's future doesn't look exactly bright(sorry Bob). It's been pre-empted for a 70's Show rerun twice already. I hope it stays, though, because Norm is the man.

This post has been edited by Meatwad: Nov 21 2003, 02:43 AM

[kkktookmybabyawa...]

I think Tru Calling will be next.

Now Master P, C-Murder and Silkk the Shocker have a show, too?...

[Nighthawk]

Remaking a British comedy has never worked(to my knowledge).

Sanford and Son did ok.

[bob_barron]

Stan Hooper has only being pre-empted once. (So far)

The ratings haven't been great (okay- the ratings haven't bene good) but to pull a show after it INCREASES in ratings is ass backwards.

[Youth N Asia]

I watched the first ep of the MUllets cause I was too lazy to change the channel. It was the single worst thing I've ever seen in my life.

[Guest_Goodear_*]

I almost never watch Network TV anymore so I don't even have the first clue when anything is on anymore (other than Friends and Simpsons because they've been ingrained in my head after ten-fifteen years in the same place). Maybe its just me, but if the networks didn't have football, I would almost never watch them.

[Guest_FrigidSoul_*]

Luis' show got shanked like his character in Oz

I just don't watch PrimeTime TV at all anymore. Last 2 shows I watched in PrimeTime were Seinfeld and The Norm Show. I haven't seen A Minute With Stan Hooper yet due to the NBA having games religiously on Wed(my Celts in particular).

*awaits the rage from bob to be unleashed*

[starvenger]

I'm a bit pisseed off about "Karen Sisco" being put "on hiatus", but I really don't know what they were expecting by putting it against perennial juggernaut Law & Order. Stuff like Celebrity Mole and such is replacing it, so I can only hope that they let the show finish out the season in a better timeslot.

On the bright side, though, I now have a day where I don't have a "must see" TV show.

[dubq]

I think Tru Calling will be next.

Well, a friend told me that apparently Fox wasn't too happy with the product and only paid for half a season, so we'll see...

[dutchse.cx]

I see Kid Notorious getting the axe next. They've already changed the timeslot...

Kid Notorious is bitchin'. I'd be pissed if it went off the air. I'd get over it, but for a while there, I'd be pissed.

"I went to stay with my friend Slash ... his crotch, big ... his heart, bigger."

[Guest_Choken One_*]

I'm sure FOX will have a O.C Spin Off ready by mid-season

"The Seth and Summer Hour"

[Slayer]

I don't watch much prime time anymore either, but dayum, it seems like networks are axing shows earlier and earlier now

I remember in my young days how a not-so-great show would still at least get a full season's run before getting decapped.

Oh well... Hollywood = teh black hole

[OldSchoolWrestli...]

I'm a bit pisseed off about "Karen Sisco" being put "on hiatus", but I really don't know what they were expecting by putting it against perennial juggernaut Law & Order. Stuff like Celebrity Mole and such is replacing it, so I can only hope that they let the show finish out the season in a better timeslot.

On the bright side, though, I now have a day where I don't have a "must see" TV show.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I love Karen Sisco. Damnit. I enjoyed the cast and was really getting into this show.

[Guest_MD2020_*]

Remaking a British comedy has never worked(to my knowledge).

Sanford and Son did ok.

Then, there was that one show...starred the director guy and the cheif from In the Heat of the Night...oh yeah: All in the Family. I think that was a rather sucessful remake.

[Guest_MikeSC_*]

I don't watch much prime time anymore either, but dayum, it seems like networks are axing shows earlier and earlier now

I remember in my young days how a not-so-great show would still at least get a full season's run before getting decapped.

Oh well... Hollywood = teh black hole

I'm waiting for the first show to be cancelled during its pilot.

Random Character: And then...

(Blank Screen)

Announcer: We here at UPN would like our viewers to know that we do have some standards. This show, obviously, sucks and we apologize for it. Remember, we televised "Shasta McNasty" --- don't worry, you don't remember it --- so we'll televise almost ANYTHING. And this is beneath our standards. So, to improve the quality of our programming, we will not show a test pattern for the next 20 minutes."
-=Mike

[Guest_Boo_Bradley_*]

I don't watch much prime time anymore either, but dayum, it seems like networks are axing shows earlier and earlier now

I remember in my young days how a not-so-great show would still at least get a full season's run before getting decapped.

Oh well... Hollywood = teh black hole

I'm waiting for the first show to be cancelled during its pilot.

Random Character: And then...

(Blank Screen)

Announcer: We here at UPN would like our viewers to know that we do have some standards. This show, obviously, sucks and we apologize for it. Remember, we televised "Shasta McNasty" --- don't worry, you don't remember it --- so we'll televise almost ANYTHING. And this is beneath our standards. So, to improve the quality of our programming, we will not show a test pattern for the next 20 minutes."
-=Mike

An SNL skit waiting to happen

[Guest_Sturgis_*]

Remember, we televised "Shasta McNasty" --- don't worry, you don't remember it --- so we'll televise almost ANYTHING.

Hey the first few ep's of Shasta Mcnasty were GREAT.

[Guest_Dave O'Neill, Journalist_*]

If a network ever attempts to remake The Office, I'm going to fucking shoot someone.

Theyr'e already doing it. Ricky Gervais is producing it, but not starring. He's indicated he'd like Bruno Kirby in the David Brent Role.

I dunno what I'm saying this for, as I fucking hate The Office.

[CanadianChris]

Remaking a British comedy has never worked(to my knowledge).

Sanford and Son did ok.

So did All in the Family (mentioned) and Three's Company.

This post has been edited by CanadianChris: Nov 21 2003, 12:38 PM

[Anakin Flair]

I think Tru Calling will be next.

I STILL haven't seen that show (I always forget when it's on.)

But, on the bright side, if they cancel Tru, maybe Eliza will do the Faith spin-off.

[Ted the Poster]

Hey, I said to MY knowledge. (IMG:http://forums.thesmartmarks.com/style_emoticons/default/bonk.gif)

Theyr'e already doing it. Ricky Gervais is producing it, but not starring. He's indicated he'd like Bruno Kirby in the David Brent Role.

Damn it! Oh, and who the hell is Bruno Kirby? What's he been in that I might've seen?

[Guest_El Satanico_*]

Hey, I said to MY knowledge. (IMG:http://forums.thesmartmarks.com/style_emoticons/default/bonk.gif)

Theyr'e already doing it. Ricky Gervais is producing it, but not starring. He's indicated he'd like Bruno Kirby in the David Brent Role.

Damn it! Oh, and who the hell is Bruno Kirby? What's he been in that I might've seen?

Bruno Kirby