# The 9 biggest cancelled shows



## RunnerFL (Jan 5, 2006)

http://www.cnn.com/2012/05/16/showbiz/tv/highest-rated-canceled-shows-ew/index.html?hpt=hp_c2

Clearly ratings mean nothing anymore...


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## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

To be a fly on the wall.

We really enjoyed Rob and Unforgettable.

Terra Nova, I think was a victim of this crazy split season design.
It's cost start/stop development for large chunk of times.

CSI:Miami kinda went the way of Law and Order (Original).
Someone just decided it was time for it to end, even though you could probably keep those shows going on for ever.

I can see Rob being picked up by NBC maybe, then need some good shows.

Alcatraz was axed before anyone could really get into the show...


These networks seems to only rely on what the Critics say... if they don't like it for what ever reason... boom show is gone. Be darned what the raitings and the people say.


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## RunnerFL (Jan 5, 2006)

The one that surprised me the most was Rob.  It was beating anything in it's time slot but was cancelled because it lost viewers from Big Bang Theory?? I would expect it to lose some viewers from BBT. Most viewers of BBT are a niche group.


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## Church AV Guy (Jul 9, 2007)

> Most viewers of BBT are a niche group.


It's the most popular comedy on television. I would hardly call that a niche group.


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## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

Church AV Guy said:


> It's the most popular comedy on television. I would hardly call that a niche group.


Niche isn't the right word for it....

But as a fan of both shows, we didn't watch them in sync.
Rob was our evening before going to bed type comedy.

BBT, was our must watch for the night.

We love BBT (record it on 3 DVRs)...
We enjoy Rob, but can easily see where it attracts two very different audiences.


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## pfp (Apr 28, 2009)

Earl Bonovich said:


> We love BBT (record it on 3 DVRs)...


OUCH!
Can't even trust 2 DVR's to properly record it. :eek2:


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## Galaxie6411 (Aug 26, 2007)

I am going to assume those are NOT avg. ratings but the highest number they ever pulled for one show. Hard to believe if any of those pulled those numbers every night that they were cancelled. Of course it is hard for me to believe anyone could stand iRob either.


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## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

pfp said:


> OUCH!
> Can't even trust 2 DVR's to properly record it. :eek2:




Actually our main DVR has never missed it (an HR34).

It is on the other two, because of conflicts (carry over from seasons prior to us having the HR34).

No reason to remove it


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

RunnerFL said:


> Clearly ratings mean nothing anymore...


Well, yes and no. "Big Bang Theory" actually beat "American Idol" at 8:00-8:30 on Thursday, so shifting "Two and a Half Men" to the Thursday 8:30-9:00 slot in hopes of winning the whole hour is smart, though risky.

That then left a question: Where would they put "Rob"? The only half-hour slots they had left were on Monday. Their weakest Monday shows never pulled anything nearly as low as "Rob" pulled.

And the article is spinning the ratings. "Terra Nova" pulled 2.1 in the demo and less than 7 million total viewers in late fall, not 3.6 and 12 million. Those real ratings would be cheered if they were for Fox's cheap-to-produce "Kitchen Nightmares" on a Friday. But "Terra Nova" was very expensive and this was a Monday night.

Any of the listed shows would be winners on The CW if they cost as little to produce as "Hart of Dixie." But none were picked up by cable channels, unlike "Cougar Town", which gives you a clue to the economics.


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## John Strk (Oct 16, 2009)

I will miss Terra Nova, Alcatraz, and Unforgettable but if I had to pick one that I'm most pissed off about it would be Terra Nova. Rot in hell fox!!!!


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## RunnerFL (Jan 5, 2006)

Church AV Guy said:


> It's the most popular comedy on television. I would hardly call that a niche group.


I didn't say the entire viewership was. I do however know some "Professional Geeks" who don't watch TV that tune in to BBT. I'd call that a very small group and definitely users that wouldn't stay for Rob.


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## RunnerFL (Jan 5, 2006)

Galaxie6411 said:


> I am going to assume those are NOT avg. ratings but the highest number they ever pulled for one show. Hard to believe if any of those pulled those numbers every night that they were cancelled. Of course it is hard for me to believe anyone could stand iRob either.


It's an average, says so right in the article.


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## Herdfan (Mar 18, 2006)

Earl Bonovich said:


> We love BBT (record it on 3 DVRs)...


Are you saying you don't trust DirecTV DVR's? :lol:


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## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

Herdfan said:


> Are you saying you don't trust DirecTV DVR's? :lol:




http://www.dbstalk.com/showpost.php?p=3018573&postcount=8


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

RunnerFL said:


> It's an average, says so right in the article.


Uh, the article says *2. "Terra Nova" (Fox: 10.1 million, 3.6)*. If that's an average it must be Live+whole year DVR ratings.

I can't even find an airing of "Terra Nova" that did better than the pilot with 3.0. The fact is the "Terra Nova" finale pulled a 2.2/6 demo and a 7.240 total viewers. Here's that night's half-hour top two breakdown:

8:00PM
Fox "Terra Nova": 2.2/6 demo 7.23 total
CBS "How I Met Your Mother _*Rerun*_": 2.1/6 demo 6.15 total

8:30PM
Fox "Terra Nova": 2.1/6 demo 7.25 total
CBS "2 Broke Girls _*Rerun*_": 2.6/6 demo 7.20 total

9:00PM
Fox "Terra Nova": 2.1/5 demo 7.05 total
CBS "Two and a Half Men *Rerun*": 2.3/6 demo 7.95 total

9:30PM
Fox "Terra Nova": 2.2/5 demo 7.18 total
CBS "Mike and Molly *Rerun*": 2.2/5 demo 7.77 total

The "Terra Nova" finale couldn't even beat a rerun of "Mike and Molly." It's pretty hard for me to criticize Fox for not renewing what appears to be an overpriced ratings dud.


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## RunnerFL (Jan 5, 2006)

phrelin said:


> Uh, the article says *2. "Terra Nova" (Fox: 10.1 million, 3.6)*. If that's an average it must be Live+whole year DVR ratings.


Uhh, the article says:

"You had Fox's "Fringe" getting renewed for a final GTFO season with only 4.2 million viewers and slight 1.6 *average* rating."

It then compares that to Terra Nova's numbers. Why on earth would you compare an average to a number that's not an average?

come on... Let's stop looking for reasons to crap on something around here.


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

RunnerFL said:


> Uhh, the article says:
> 
> "You had Fox's "Fringe" getting renewed for a final GTFO season with only 4.2 million viewers and slight 1.6 *average* rating."
> 
> ...


The original comment said:


Galaxie6411 said:


> I am going to assume those are NOT avg. ratings but the highest number they ever pulled for one show. Hard to believe if any of those pulled those numbers every night that they were cancelled. Of course it is hard for me to believe anyone could stand iRob either.


 I agreed with that because I assumed he was looking at the ratings in bold at the top of each paragraph as seen in this screenshot:








I can guarantee you those are not representative of the average ratings for those shows. I don't know what those ratings are as some are higher than the highest Live+same day rating the show got this season.

But yes, the first paragraph did include the sentence you quote and then finished off with "Here are the top nine highest-rated canceled shows this season:" which seems to imply that the ratings in bold mean something. Maybe they do, I just don't know what.


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## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

Can we at least agree, that networks are not giving shows an adaquet chance to adjust and change based on consumer feedback?

Shows are being canceled after 2 airings of the program.
Shows are being canceled after a 13 episode run, then 6 month hiatus... 

If you apply these standards to some of the all time best shows, most of them would have been axed, and never had 7,8,9,10 season runs.


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

Earl Bonovich said:


> Can we at least agree, that networks are not giving shows an adaquet chance to adjust and change based on consumer feedback?
> 
> Shows are being canceled after 2 airings of the program.
> Shows are being canceled after a 13 episode run, then 6 month hiatus...
> ...


I agree, and I find it frustrating.

I think Jeff Gaspin, former Chairman of NBC Universal Television Entertainment, best described in a NY Times article what's going on with the phrase "the cumulative effect of nonlinear viewing." The networks are struggling as the article explains:


> Across the television landscape, network and cable, public television and pay cable, English-language and Spanish, viewing for all sorts of prime-time programming is down this spring - chiefly among the most important audience for the business, younger adults.


 In that article Gaspin described how he and his 13-year-old son watched a season of AMC's "Walking Dead" via streaming, recordings, etc., anything but live viewing.

The problem is exacerbated by how businesses operate on a "how much did we make in the last five minutes" standard. That Times article includes an analysis:


> ...As noted by Michael Nathanson, the United States media analyst for Nomura Securities, the live ratings for network programs (that is, the ratings for people who watch shows when they are first broadcast) have declined for 14 straight quarters.
> 
> ...Mr. Nathanson suggested one obvious suspect in the overall ratings decline has been the steep ratings drop for "American Idol" this season - more than 30 percent. He contends the struggles of "Idol" have had a disproportionate impact on the overall ratings for the live viewing of prime-time shows. "Idol," which is a competition show broadcast live, "has in the past gotten you into the live ecosystem," he said.


In 1958 when the broadcast network local channel prime time system became firmly established, no one paid attention to some financial analyst who points out "Idol" just isn't as good as NFL games for the bottom line. He simply doesn't care about the shows we like.

Fox was the first to embrace this approach - I frequently call it "the sports and game show network" because they will simply risk the entire scripted lineup to cater to two dozen hours a year of well-watched sports programming even though all logic tells them they have to get viewers into another 500 hours a year of prime time programming.

But I know that when I tell people "go buy a seat at the stadium" rather than crap up my viewing schedule, they don't respond well. Yet on occasion some of them are the same people who get upset when a show like "Terra Nova" can't get the running start needed to remain on the schedule. Initial episodes were aired for a couple of weeks then displaced with highly viewed (and according to financial analysts very profitable for that one calendar quarter) baseball playoffs and the World Series.

Hence Gaspin's phrase "the cumulative effect of nonlinear viewing."

Right now we are paying to sustain the 1958 broadcast network local channel prime time system which is a dinosaur that somehow has survived the meteor strike of 21st Century technology. We need to end its suffering.


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

"Earl Bonovich" said:


> Can we at least agree, that networks are not giving shows an adaquet chance to adjust and change based on consumer feedback?
> 
> Shows are being canceled after 2 airings of the program.
> Shows are being canceled after a 13 episode run, then 6 month hiatus...
> ...


Agreed. I can't imagine what would have happened to Star Trek TNG if they didn't make it to the third season.


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## frederic1943 (Dec 2, 2006)

dpeters11 said:


> Agreed. I can't imagine what would have happened to Star Trek TNG if they didn't make it to the third season.


Or M.A.S.H. which was only #46 in it's first year.


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

I know I preferred it after Trapper, Frank and Blake left.


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## RunnerFL (Jan 5, 2006)

dpeters11 said:


> Agreed. I can't imagine what would have happened to Star Trek TNG if they didn't make it to the third season.


We would have never had Seinfeld either.


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

Earl Bonovich said:


> Can we at least agree, that networks are not giving shows an adequate chance to adjust and change based on consumer feedback?
> 
> Shows are being canceled after 2 airings of the program.
> Shows are being canceled after a 13 episode run, then 6 month hiatus...
> ...


I think that's a fair perspective.

Of all 9...only House is viewed here at all among 4 viewers in 3 different age categories...and it's exit was planned.

The bigger concern should be what kind of "replacements" will there be...more "reality" programming...more rehashed "been there done that" ideas....or new original concepts? Two of those three choices point to further deterioration of network viewers in the future.


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## Herdfan (Mar 18, 2006)

Earl Bonovich said:


> Can we at least agree, that networks are not giving shows an adaquet chance to adjust and change based on consumer feedback?
> 
> Shows are being canceled after 2 airings of the program.
> Shows are being canceled after a 13 episode run, then 6 month hiatus...
> ...


BBT could have been one of them. It took a half a season for that show to get its legs and look what happened.


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## yosoyellobo (Nov 1, 2006)

Maybe we should have a cancellation channel where some of these shows would get a second chance. Heck they are only about five hundred channels or so and I only watch about fifteen at the most.


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

It's interesting to compare the attitudes of Fox and CBS regarding scripted programming.

From its beginning, Fox "cherry picked" the two prime time hours that were the most profitable. The traditional prime time included 10:00. So Sunday through Friday from 8:00 to 11:00 ABC, CBS, and NBC have 18 prime hours. Fox chose to limit its commitment to viewers to 12 prime hours.

Of scripted shows airing in 2011-12, Fox did not renew "I Hate My Teenage Daughter", "Breaking In", "The Finder", "Terra Nova", "Alcatraz", "House", "Allen Gregory", and "Napoleon Dynamite" representing potentially 6 hours of air time or 50% of its available prime hours each week.

Of scripted shows airing in 2011-12, CBS did not renew"A Gifted Man", "NYC 22", "CSI: Miami", "Unforgettable", "How To Be A Gentleman", and "Rob" representing potentially 5 hours of air time or 28% of its available prime hours each week.

Next fall we have this comparison between Fox and CBS:








Fox has one new drama "Mob Doctor" airing on Monday and two new sitcoms "Ben and Kate" and "Mindy Project" airing on Tuesday, which combined represent 17% of its prime hours. "Mob Doctor" is placed in the extremely competitive Monday 9:00 time slot with "Bones" as its lead-in. "Ben and Kate" have "Raising Hope" as a lead in. "Mindy Project" has "New Girl" as a lead in.

From a ratings potential standpoint, Fox appears to have condemned all its new shows to failure. After "disappearing the show for an extended time" Fox took "Bones" from its Thursday 9:00 slot where it was getting 3.0+ demo ratings and put it on Monday at 8:00 where in the past three weeks it averaged 1.9. In its last new episode "Raising Hope" had a 1.6 demo. Only "New Girl" had any ratings to support a new show, averaging 2.5 in its last three weeks which is no powerful lead in.

CBS has one new sitcom "Partners" airing on Monday in the time slot that "2 Broke Girls" gained big ratings. It has three new dramas "Vegas" airing on Tuesday after the "NCIS" and "NCIS: LA" powerhouse and "Elementary" airing on Thursday after "Person of Interest" and against the weak competition of "Scandal" and "Brian Williams", and "Made in Jersey" airing on Friday after "CSI:NY". The new shows combined represent 19% of its prime hours.

Fox has "X-Factor" tying up three hours a week which represents 25% of its prime hours. Fox has chosen to not use the three hours of "X-Factor" to attempt to build it's new scripted lineup.

CBS has two hours of "reality game shows", both unique involving production costs, "Survivor" on Wednesday and "Amazing Race" on Sunday which combined represent 11% of its air time.

Fox's has planned for its new shows to experience "the cumulative effect of nonlinear viewing." Fox will be displacing its fall lineup with the National League Championship Series and the World series. When a game is scheduled for a time slot assigned to a new scripted show, that new scripted show will be displaced. Traditionally Fox has assured the continuity of "X-Factor" though some episodes may be aired on nights and times regularly assigned to the new scripted shows which will be aired some week in the future if you can follow what's going on with the World Series which could be 4 games or 7 games.

CBS will have a problem of NFL overruns on Sunday next fall. Fox has cushioned its animated lineup to reduce the Sunday NFL overrun effect.

Thus for live viewers who don't use DVR's, in order to make financial analysts happy Fox's fall scripted shows will be hard to follow as the "sports and game show network" displaces them with profitable sports and game shows.

To earn Sunday daytime sports revenue, some Sundays in the eastern half of the nation CBS will cause late showings of its Sunday well established scripted show lineup (plus "60 Minutes").


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## yosoyellobo (Nov 1, 2006)

Some good news about Unforgettable it might get pick up by TNT or Lifetime.

http://www.deadline.com/2012/05/wil...me-are-looking-at-cancelled-cbs-drama-series/


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