ABC has pulled their ratings-challenged sitcom, Man Up!, from the schedule. While their pulling the surely-cancelled series certainly isn’t much of a surprise, the timing is a bit odd.
Starring Christopher Moynihan, Dan Fogler, Mather Zickel, Henry Simmons, Teri Polo and Amanda Detmer, Man Up! debuted on October 18th and attracted an underwhelming 2.4 rating in the 18-49 demographic with 7.78 million total viewers. The second week saw the demo drop by 17%, followed by a 10% decline in week three, and another 6% after that in week four. This week’s installment, the show’s eighth, hit a series low with a 1.6 in the demo and 4.82 million.
Man Up! has averaged a 1.9 in the 18-49 demo and 6.44 million. It’s the network’s second-lowest rated show this season (just below Body of Proof and just above already-cancelled Charlie’s Angels). On our ABC ratings report card, it has a “D” and the way things were going it was due to drop even further.
Last month, ABC announced their mid-season schedule and Man Up! was scheduled to go off the air by January 3rd, replaced by a cross-dressing workplace comedy called Work It. At that point, only 11 of the 13 episodes of Man Up! had been scheduled to air. Now, ABC is leaving five installments on the shelf. Until Work It takes over, reruns of Last Man Standing will fill the 8:30pm timeslot.
Considering that we’re heading into the holiday season, when viewership is typically lower, it’s a little odd that the network would bother pulling Man Up! a few weeks early. Still, if ABC is considering airing the remaining episodes during the summer months (as they sometimes do with failed shows), it makes sense to have more episodes in the can than just two. Either way, this show is certainly cancelled and won’t be coming back for a second season.
What do you think? Will you miss the Man Up! sitcom? Why do you think it didn’t catch on? Should ABC run the extra episodes during the summer or just forget them?
Image courtesy ABC.
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I hope they change their minds last minute and decide to give Man Up another season to pull its ratings up. This was, in my opinion, the best new sitcom of the year. I wonder how much of its dwindling ratings had to do with its timeslot. I know I was never able to watch it. In fact, I hadn’t heard about it when I stumbled across it on the free streaming site set up by my employer, DISH Network, called dishonline. That’s also where I watched every subsequent episode, and I actually just got done watching the 11th episode for the second time and I laughed until my side hurt. If you missed any of the last episodes, or if you’d like to check out the other content on dishonline, I’d definitely recommend checking it out. A lot of the shows are even available to watch for non-subscribers.
I vote for cancelling ALL ABC execs. This was definately a show for a 10pm timeslot. Hey, I would have loved to see it follow Happy Endings. The show grew on me [age 57] and I ‘On Demanded’ every episode I missed at air time, seeing that ‘Last Man Standing’ is such a drab/crappy show that I just can’t watch before it.
This is a well-crafted amusing show and should have been given a chance to find its audience. I can’t believe they’re replacing with a Some Like It Hot ripoff/copy. Must be produced by a relative of an ABC exec. Remember: dying is easy, comedy is hard. ABC will follow its demographic chase into oblivion. Cable channels are eating the networks’ lunch.
Loved this show. Man Up was the only show that I looked forward to watching on Tuesday nights.
Man up! grew on you and it was getting better, and I agree the timeslot was a good spot. At least Hulu as the last 4 episodes.
This show had a slow start but like Happy Endings it started to find its grove. What is really driving me crazy is the trigger happy execs that pull shows before they can find their audience. They rarely bother even trying a different time slot for a show to see if it works. And i am very disappointed that its being replaced with a cross dressing show. There is a reason they haven’t done it since Bosom Buddies, the public isn’t interested in guys dressed like women, that’s what Bravo and Logo channels are for. i don’t see this show lasting either.
This sucks!! i loved this show. And now they are replacing with a men in drag show!! only tom hanks and peter scolari were able to pull off this sort of show. This is just crap. once again ABC screws themselves. Dont even get me started on them pulling No Ordinary Family!!!!
Will really miss the show, was constant laughs. Loved kenny (dan fogler), first i’ve seen of him, found him hilarious. Me my brother and mom would watch it every week the past few, were looking forward to watching it tonight. Unfortunate it got canceled, not sure exactly why. Hope they do air the remaining episodes, would definitely like to see them. Dan Fogler definitely carried the show to me (couldn’t not laugh at him), but I thought it was funny in general.
Sad to see this show was cancelled, my wife and i thought it was one of the more entertaining programs on at this time slot. The content was hilarious and of the wall, which pertained to my sense of humor which i liked. Sorry that all households aren’t middle class families of four who want to be spoon feed a moral message and lesson at the end of each episode. A show like this was destine for the floor because it’s outside the box. R.I.P
Hell yes I will miss this show! It was one of the few new hilarious shows unlike the snooze fest that is Last Man Standing. Can you say Home Improvement remake. I am a 28 year old male and I love Man Up! It will be sorely missed.
I personally loved “Man Up!” it came on after “Last Man Standing” during auto-play on my HULU account and I’ve returned to watch it every week. I think it’s hilarious and is definitely for the 18-45 Male demographic, however I think less of that demographic are probably sitting in front of the TV during prime time any more. So fair well “Man Up!” hope I get to see those last couple episodes somewhere!
Bummer. This was one of my & my husband’s favorite shows. It just had a crappy timeslot.
While I do think it improved since it started, it’s definitely not a “must watch” for me, so I won’t be missing it.
I’m not surprised it’s canceled I’m just surprised it was canceled after 1 season I figured maybe 2 if they were lucky 3 seasons it was funny another to get a second season to meet at least dan fogel carried to the series I loved him in the balls of fury and I also love him in fan boys I wish he was bigger he is so funny
I was not surprised to hear this news and I never liked Man Up. Work It is going to do even worse, and if it finds an airdate, the same will go for Apartment 23.
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