With upfronts less than a week away, the networks are starting to make some noise with pickups (more on that in the next post to come) and cancellations. Tonight, FOX cancelled five series - three freshmen, one sophomore, and one third year show (a "junior" I suppose).
First up and the least surprising was Traffic Light, which was a dead show walking for many weeks. It was a hot pilot at this time last year but was held off until midseason. Despite staying on the air, the ratings have been paltry and a cancellation was inevitable pretty much from its first episode. It premiered to a very weak 4.6 million viewers and 1.9 demo and went downhill from there. Through 10 airings in its regular timeslot, it averaged a terrible 3.3 million viewers and 1.3 in the demo. This was one of many comedies about a group of friends to fail or struggle this season.
Another unsurprising cancellation came for the sophomore series Human Target. It was on the bubble during its freshman year but given a 13 episode renewal. After initially being scheduled for Fridays at 8pm, it moved to Wednesdays at 8pm and pushed to November when Lone Star was cancelled early and Lie to Me had to move timeslots. It aired in several places - Wednesdays at 8pm and 9pm, a Friday at 8pm & 9pm, and a Monday at 8pm through its 13 episodes. It averaged 6.3 million viewers and a 1.7 in the demo. While some viewers followed it to many different and random airings, it was just wasn't enough.
A bit more surprising was the cancellation of new midseason entry Breaking In. The Christian Slater show was a hot ticket item back in June after upfronts and was given a prime spot following American Idol starting in April. Though it posted decent overall numbers, its retention out of Idol was terrible and chances are it wouldn't have survived somewhere else on the schedule. Still, I thought it might get a midseason renewal but that won't be happening. Through five episodes it has averaged 7.8 million viewers and a 2.7 in the demo.
Finally, FOX also cancelled the freshman cop show The Chicago Code. Given a plum timeslot after House on Monday nights and a ton of promotion during the Super Bowl which aired the day before its premiere, it had an underwhelming debut but then managed to steady itself for awhile before slipping lately. Still, I thought it would land a midseason renewal since it had done better in the Monday 9pm slot than Lie to Me or Lone Star. Through 11 episodes, it has averaged 7.0 million viewers and a 1.9 in the demo.
A late addition to this list of cancelled shows was the third season show Lie to Me. The show has been on the bubble since its debut but got a 13 episode pickup for this season before it finished airing its second season in the summer. It was originally slated for 8pm Wednesday in November but slid up to an October debut on Mondays after Lone Star was cancelled. The 13 episodes averaged 5.8 million viewers and a 1.9 in the demo. While it was still on the bubble until today, any show that ends its run in January doesn't have a great chance for renewal.
I didn't stick with any of these shows despite giving them all a try so none of these cancellations are devastating to me. Breaking In had promise but got caught up in its own quirkiness. The Chicago Code had real promise but couldn't deliver. Lie to Me was ok but nothing special. With this news, all scripted shows are accounted for in one way or another as FOX has really cleared out some of its dead weight. American Idol, Million Dollar Money Drop, Kitchen Nightmares, Cops, and America's Most Wanted are the only shows not officially renewed or cancelled but are certain or likely to come back in one way or another.
I didn't stick with any of these shows despite giving them all a try so none of these cancellations are devastating to me. Breaking In had promise but got caught up in its own quirkiness. The Chicago Code had real promise but couldn't deliver. Lie to Me was ok but nothing special. With this news, all scripted shows are accounted for in one way or another as FOX has really cleared out some of its dead weight. American Idol, Million Dollar Money Drop, Kitchen Nightmares, Cops, and America's Most Wanted are the only shows not officially renewed or cancelled but are certain or likely to come back in one way or another.
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