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.
Related links
The Black Donnellys on iTunes
300. jo-ann said,
I’m so gald that HDNet picked up this show. i do no have cable i want to know if it is going to be available on DVD when its over, like prison brake NBC has the lowest ratings this is due to the garbage they put on
299. kfizzle said,
that show was fantastic! the plot was EXCELLENT! and it’s just to be replaced by some dumb reality show that will run it’s course in one season only to be replaced by some other dumb reality tv show! tisk, that was a very quality tv show! ALTHOUGH, it was semi-violent but it is really any worse than any of the other trash we see on tv?¿ if this show does not get aired again is there any chance of it coming out on DVD?
298. Moontres said,
You guys suck!!! i love that show you need to bring it back!! thats BULLSH*T!! october road is stupid as hell. wedding crashers is even stupider. you cant replace the best for the worst!! BRING IT BACK ********
297. WG said,
Once again STUPIDITY reigns supreme. How in the world do they know how many people watched BD? Every single person I spoke to, EVERYONE, said it was a GREAT show, AND IT WAS. Now go ahead and give us another bs reality show.
296. Anonymous said,
I don’t get it. Every time a show a comes along that I like it gets cancelled after one season. The BDs should definetly be picked up for 2nd season.
295. Razor Ray said,
Oh, thank Christ they are getting rid of this show! Don’t get me wrong, I am a HUGE BD fan, but I have been waiting for the fall of ABC, NBC and CBS for years and years now. I don’t watch regular tv as the best shows have been on cable since the onset of the cable based drama came into effect. Put this show on HBO or somewhere where it will be appreciated. Meanwhile, I have it on ITunes and cannot thank Steve Jobs enough.
294. Nancy said,
I don’t get it! What are you thinking. This is good quality entertainment. Finally, something original and NBC kills it? It doesn’t make any sense. ‘Chuck’ and ‘The Bionic Woman’, are you kidding me? I wonder how badly someone is going to pay for this error in judgment. I am telling you now, you should see it coming when they call you in to can your ***!
293. Waltz said,
NBC is retarded if they don’t bring it back, shows like this don’t come along all the time, great actors and a good story, why would you cancel something like that?
292. Alex said,
I don’t even watch tv. I buy all my stuff off i-t unes. I had never even heard of this show, but it is one of the best i’ve seen. I hate that every time I find a show I like It gets canceled. Arrested Development and Firefly. They should at least turn it into a movie or something. I hate nbc. ********
291. Anonymous said,
This show was ALMOST good enough for me to watch online episodes. Wedding Crashers has got to be one of the lamest shows ever. How can these shows be pulling more viewers than BD?
290. ryan said,
Ha … weding crashers sucked and no one watched it … now bring back BD … dumb sh*ts
289. Matt said,
Even being stationed overseas, I see new people turned on to this show on a weekly basis and they all love it and are perplexed why NBC would throw away a potential top 5 show on TV. Ridiculous!!!
288. Mitch said,
NBC, you suck! You wouldn’t recognize a good show if your ratings depended on it… oh yeah, NBC doesn’t have any ratings!
287. pn said,
Very disappointed in NBC for pulling the plug on one of the best new shows to come along in quite some time. Luckily you can catch the unaired episodes on the internet. this show is so good I’m going to rewatch it over the summer on HDNet TV. I suggest everyone who reads this does the same and while you’re at it turn all your friends and families on to it too!!!
286. Jonny May said,
I can’t believe NBC is pulling BD out…
285. aj said,
big mistake. this show was kinda reminds me of the sopranos and was more exciting. just think if it was on hbo, uncensored. i hope it gets picked up by fox or something though because i don’t have cable
284. tj said,
This show and 24 are the best on TV. That sucks they pulled it for some dumb reality tv show that only people with an IQ below 80 will watch. NBC really screwed up this time. replacing donallys with a reality show? thats just dumb.
283. Johnny Sánchez said,
PLEASE don´t cancel de the black donnelly´s.
282. Meg said,
Not to totally rag on the idea of wedding crashers but come on people. I’ve watched it a little and usually turn it off before it’s over. Give us something else to watch other than another reality show. The Black Donnelly’s was well written interesting even though violent television. I really like Heroes and TBD is a great follow up show. Now I just go to bed early on MOnday nights.
281. Tiahane said,
How on earth could NBC let this show go???? OMG! The Black Donnelly’s is the best thing I have seen on television in years! The finale was way too much of a cliffhanger to not bring it back. Come on. Reconsider. NBC has made the biggest mistake ever by not keeping this show on the air. I need to see more!!!!!!!!