CANCELLATION ALERT: Forever, Cristela, Resurrection, The Taste

ABC shockingly handed out renewals to shows that I thought had next to no chance of survival (more on that in a minute), but four shows did not make the cut: Forever, Cristela, Resurrection, and The Taste.

The cancellations of Forever and Cristela are a little bit surprising considering what was renewed. However, both are not owned by ABC so that certainly played a role. Forever premiered on a Monday night after Dancing with the Stars to so-so ratings but then it nearly held them for its Tuesday premiere the next night. After that, things went south and it hovered just above a 1.0 demo for most of the year. As I said the other day, it deserves credit for not bombing in a very difficult slot that killed three new shows quickly last year.

Cristela premiered to OK ratings on a sleepy Friday night slot. It retained the audience from its lead-in, Last Man Standing, better than last year's occupant (The Neighbors), but it wasn't enough. The show was notable for being created by, produced by, written by, and starring a Latina. Many praised Cristela Alonzo's performance but the show itself received tepid reviews. Maybe she'll find another vehicle sooner rather than later.

While Forever and Cristela had a chance, it was pretty much a foregone conclusion that Resurrection and The Taste would not come back. After a stellar eight episode first season, Resurrection came back weak this fall and continued to drop until it was basically off the map on Sundays. It went from 13.9 million viewers and a 3.8 demo for its premiere to 3.1 million viewers and a 0.8 demo. The Taste actually managed to last three seasons, which is pretty decent considering the ratings, but it was always a cheap filler option. With so much renewed, there was no need for this show.