The Black Donnellys: NBC Puts a Hit on the Drama
It looks like the axe has fallen for the Paul Haggis/Bobby Moresco drama The Black Donnellys. But does it have to be replaced by a reality show?
The Black Donnellys follows the story of four young Donnelly brothers — a clan of Catholic Irish-American siblings who are involved in organized crime in New York’s infamous Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood. The story is told by unreliable narrator and Donnelly childhood friend named Joey “Ice Cream” while being incarcerated. The series stars Jonathan Tucker, Thomas Guiry, Olivia Wilde, Billy Lush, Michael Stahl-David, Kirk Acevedo and Keith Nobbs.
The series debuted on NBC on February 26, 2007 and took the place of Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip on Monday nights. The series’ initial half hour did well (10 million) but viewership fell off significantly in the second half hour (6 million). The series’ initial hour ranked #50 for the week. The subsequent episodes lost viewers and attracted as few as 5.5 million.
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While many hoped that a Donnelly dismissal would mean the return of Studio 60, NBC has other plans. The Real Wedding Crashers will debut at 10pm on Monday nights beginning April 23rd, just in time for May sweeps. It seemed like the Crashers reality show would air on Sunday nights but, NBC execs like the series enough to give it the benefit of a post-Heroes debut.
Unless NBC pulls the series even earlier, only eight episodes of Donnellys will have aired on network TV. The series’ third episode, entitled “God is a Comedian Playing to an Audience Afraid to Laugh,” was considered too violent for network TV and was released as an NBC.com exclusive.
The network has ordered 13 episodes and its unknown at this point what will become of the remaining four segments. They may air over the summer or could be released as online exclusives.
Whether we get to see the rest or not, it looks unlikely the series will be back for a new season in the Fall. NBC will announce their Fall schedule next month. Stay tuned! 
UPDATE: NBC has now pulled Donnellys’ last scheduled episode due to low ratings. The unaired episodes will be made available on NBC.com, presumably on a weekly basis.
240. Al Mudhill said,
Has EVERYONE at NBC Programming lost their MINDS?
I loved the Black Donnelly’s and watched faithfully.
I caught about 2 minutes of “The Real Wedding Crashers” and that was two minutes too many! What a colossal piece of trash!
Yet another reason to never turn the dial to NBC (Numbskull’s Birdbrains Clowns) They haven’t a CLUE what Real America wants to watch.
Here’s a hint fellas…
It’s NOT more Reality TV!
239. Anonymous said,
I’m with everyone the wedding crashers is a piece of garbage which shouldn’t have even been aired in the first place. Bring back Black Donnelly’s
238. Sashco said,
this show is incredible, i cant believe they will pull it off the air for a garbage show like the real wedding crashers. such a rip off of the movie. man im so tired of this reality tv stuff, seems like any bum, with an idea can get their own reality show…Im done with you NBC
237. Anne said,
I agree…I am so sick and tired of reality tv. Maybe NBC should listen to their customers and put a great show back on! I am boycotting NBC until they do!
236. d said,
I’m so sick of Reality Television I could spit! Then again,I suppose I should be out walking or something. Totally my bad, Thank You NBC for thinking of my health. I will continue to watch Heroes and The Office to show my appreciation. But nothing else! Your programming has gone to pot.
235. Shawn Oakes said,
What a joke - NBC is rediculous. I go to watch my recorded Donnelly’s and get this wedding crasher bullsh*t! How lame is that? Great actors and a very interesting plot - not always believable but always entertaining. What a waste.
234. Erin Brooks said,
I have been to the message boards on NBC.com for TBD and have said this about NBC execs “NBC has their collective heads up their collective butts and wouldn’t know their BEEP from a hole in the ground when it comes to this show (TBD)” I say SAVE THE BLACK DONNELLYS AND SAY GOOD RIDDENS TO BAD RUBBISH (REALITY SHOW ****)!!!!! I hope that NBC wakes up and smells the ratings like right now and gets the clue already!!!!
233. Scott said,
Wow I cannot believe they actually cancelled a good show, for the wedding crashers. Which has to be the worst show since, ahh, the wedding crashers.
BD, was a true masterpiece. Glad they screwed up again, NBC is awful.
232. alex said,
I LOVE this show!! NBC should put it back on!!!
231. jeff said,
NBC. Please at least show the rest of the episodes online. If you are going to end it for good, let the few (thousands) of us that actually have taste and know what real art is watch the remaining shows online. It would be awesome to have even a second season, but that probably wont happen. At the very least show the last episode online, and give this outstanding show a fulfilling, meaningful ending that it deserves. It deserves much more than that but unfortunately, ratings rule.
230. Jeff said,
NBC finally puts out a show that is actually original (rare), has outstanding acting from the entire cast (very rare), and they pull it. This show is pure art. Something that stands out from everything else. NBC is destroying a truly excellent and outstanding rare thing and replacing it with unoriginal regurgitated ****.
Because of ratings. It is really sad if we see yet another reality show get high ratings. Sad because it shows how many mindless people feed mindless unoriginal reality shows all of the ratings, keeping a very rare and fulfilling show like the Black Donnellys from airing. If anything can be done to save this show, even if it would become exclusively online, NBC needs to make it happen. Realistically they wont because its all about money. This show deserves much better and it’s a real shame to see it go.
229. sean said,
Finally a show that deals with real life issues,truth and consequences… bring on the Donnellys…. we the people can handle it…
228. marco said,
Love this show.
227. Anonymous said,
the black donnellys are such a high calibre show!!!!! It is up there with my other favourite show 24!!!!
both the black donnellys and 24 are the best shows on T.V.!!!!
226. Anonymous said,
What the hell is NBC thinking…? This show is great
225. Sharon said,
Seriously? It was nice to be able to have a choice to watch something other than a CSI, hospital/Dr. or reality show. Obviously the exec’s at NBC don’t have a clue of what the viewers want! The Real Wedding Crashers?????? Thank goodness NBC has Hero’s, ’cause thats all you have left worth watching. Even ER ran out of “good” plot lines 3 seasons ago! Someone, standup, take charge and BRING BACK THE DONNELLY’S!!!!!!!!!!!
224. Rick said,
TV sucks now. There is never anything good on anymore. The Black Donnellys was the only show I was excited to watch and I would actually make time for. The Wedding Crashers sucks! I didn’t laugh once. Someone please pick up this show!!!
223. Anonymous said,
Screw NBC, and all of those mindless idiots out there that make shows like American Idol and Dancing with the Stars, so damn popular. And now here we are stuck with yet again another **** a$$ reality tv show. I don’t even know why I bother turning the damn TV on anymore, its nothing but idiots making a$$es out of themselves.
222. Derek Trine said,
Bring back the Black Donnellys. It was the only thing i want to watch On Monday.
Bring the F in Show back. Maybe if they put more work into showin off the show, like they did to the Real Wedding Crasher(Hate It). Maybe more people would watch it.
I Stop And think, maybe this is a good reason why NBC is one of the worest networks out there. Finally people start gettin into a show and they pull it. You really cant tell if a show is goin to do good or not just by One Season.
Who knows maybe some nonpussy network will pick it up…. I think FOX would do it.
I Love the Show I Still watch it online.
221. chris said,
fx please pick up this show, its your chance at the next shield