As the major networks prepare for annual scheduling next week, they’re sharpening their axes, cancelling shows left and right to make room for new titles in Fall. The house-cleaning includes series like The Odd Couple, 2 Broke Girls and Dr Ken
Many announcements have already been made, but there are plenty of shows in limbo. Here’s what we know so far from the major broadcast networks.
Fox
“Scream Queens”: Ryan Murphy’s horror comedy struggled to find an audience, despite its strong social media buzz. This news left tonnes of its fans super disappointed.
“Sleepy Hollow”: After developing a loyal fanbase, “Sleepy Hollow,” starring Tom Mison as Ichabod Crane, was canceled after four seasons. The supernatural drama saw its ratings drop sharply in Season 4, averaging a 0.5 rating in the 18-49 demo and 1.9 million total viewers — down 40% in the demo and and 37% in viewers from the previous season.
“Pitch”: The baseball drama about the fictional first female MLB player failed to find an audience and struck out after a single season. Despite early buzz, the show averaged a 0.8 live-plus-same-day Nielsen rating in the 18-49 demo and 3 million total viewers per episode. The cancellation, however, offers good news for “Riverdale”: Mark Consuelos will be able to resume his role as Veronica Lodge’s father Hiram.
ABC
“Last Man Standing”: Tim Allen’s follow-up to “Home Improvement” was sent packing after six seasons as ratings waned in the last season.
“Time After Time”: The period drama starring Freddie Stroma as H.G. Wells was pulled from ABC’s schedule late March, effectively canceling the freshman drama after only five episodes.
“American Crime”: John Ridley’s prestige drama starring Felicity Huffman and Regina King had three critically acclaimed seasons, but the response from viewers didn’t hold sway. The Season 3 finale drew a mere 0.4 in the adults 18-49 demo.
“Secrets and Lies”: Based on the Australian television series of the same name, the second season of “Secrets and Lies” was held back last midseason, launching this past fall instead — a year and a half after the end of the first season. The series was pulled after ratings plummeted significantly.
“Dr. Ken”: ABC pulled the plug on “Dr. Ken,” the sitcom from “The Hangover” and “Community” actor Ken Jeong, after two seasons. Jeong also served as creator, writer, and executive producer/director. The show’s ratings dropped in its sophomore season, averaging 5.1 million viewers per episode, with a 1.1 in the 18-to-49 demo.
NBC
“Emerald City”: The Oz-based show starring Adria Arjona as Dorothy Gale reached the end of the yellow brick road after one season. Its ratings slowly plummeted with each additional episode.
“Powerless”: The DC-universe set show exploring the lives of citizens attempting to protect themselves from superhero-induced catastrophes had its last three episodes pulled after consistently low ratings.
“The Blacklist: Redemption”: The crime thriller spinoff of “The Blacklist,” starring Famke Janssen, was canceled after just one season. The show drew middling ratings, averaging a 0.8 in the 18-49 demo, according to Nielsen live-plus-same-day numbers.
The CW
“Frequency”: Pulled after just one season, “Frequency” featured Peyton List as Raimy Sullivan, and NYPD detective who realizes she can communicate with her deceased father using a ham radio. It averaged a 0.26 rating in adults 18-49 and 936,000 viewers per episode. This despite the show receiving critical acclaim.
CBS
“The Odd Couple”: The Matthew Perry and Thomas Lennon multi-camera comedy averaged a 1.0 rating in the 18-49 demo and 5 million total viewers. CBS decided not to extend its 13-episode order for Season 3 back in November, but the cancellation is now official.
“Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders”: The “Criminal Minds” spinoff, starring Gary Sinise, never saw the ratings its parent show enjoyed. Season 2 is currently averaging a 0.8 rating in adults 18-49 and 5 million viewers per episode, down significantly in both measures from Season 1.
“The Great Indoors”: The Joel McHale and Christopher Mintz-Plasse sitcom averaged a 1.4 rating and 6.9 million viewers per episode, but was still pulled, despite being one of the network’s highest-rated comedies.
“2 Broke Girls”: The comedy, starring Kat Dennings and Beth Behrs as waitresses, has been canceled after six seasons at CBS. The series posted solid ratings throughout its run. Season 6 averaged a 1.3 rating in adults 18-49 and 5.6 million viewers per episode, airing mostly on Monday nights.
“Pure Genius”: The medical drama starring Dermot Mulroney was forced to end its run after one season.
