ABC announced their new schedule for the 2009 – 2010 season this week. Compared to its competition, the network is doing reasonably well but several long-running shows are losing steam and ABC still has some trouble spots in the schedule. There were a few surprises at the upfront presentation.
ABC has a history of renewing one or two struggling freshman shows. This time around it was Castle and Better Off Ted. They’re keeping Scrubs around for another year, surely because of syndication profits. And they’re also bringing back True Beauty, likely because it’s inexpensive and is compatible with other ABC shows. Word is that there will be some changes made to the series’ format when it returns.
Coming back next season are 20/20, America’s Funniest Home Videos, The Bachelor, Better Off Ted, Brothers & Sisters, Castle, Dancing with the Stars, Desperate Housewives, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Grey’s Anatomy, Lost, Private Practice, Scrubs, Supernanny, True Beauty, Ugly Betty, and Wife Swap.
Over the Summer, you’ll be able to see The Bachelorette, Here Come the Newlyweds, I Survived a Japanese Game Show, Primetime, Surviving Suburbia, and Wipeout. Who Wants to be a Millionaire is returning for a special run in August. New Summer fare include Dating in the Dark, The Goode Family, and The Superstars.
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ABC is bringing out a lot of new programming next season, looking for a new hit. In fact, they’re completely revamping their Wednesday night schedule. New shows coming next season include Copper, Cougar Town, The Deep End, Eastwick, FlashForward, the forgotten, Hank, Happy Town, The Middle, Modern Family, Shark Tank, and a new version of the NBC classic, V.
And now, for the bad news. There are quite a few casualties. Here are the shows that won’t be back next season.
According to Jim
This old-style sitcom about a headstrong contractor and his beautiful wife was successful in its early seasons but, by season five, the ratings really started to decline. Still, the network kept renewing it and the sitcom managed to survive for eight seasons.
Boston Legal
The quirky legal drama that centers around attorneys at the Boston law firm of Crane, Poole and Schmidt. Due to a decline in viewership and attracting an older demographic, the network closed the show after five seasons.
Cupid
A remake of the short-lived 1990s series of the same name, this show didn’t last as long as the original. Will we ever find out if Trevor is really Cupid — in either version?
Dirty Sexy Money
Even lawyer Nick George couldn’t save the Darling clan from being cancelled. ABC opted not to order a full second season and hasn’t gotten around to airing the remaining four installments.
Eli Stone
A successful lawyer begins to have visions that put his life in turmoil and take him on a personal and spiritual journey. ABC decided against ordering a full second season.
Homeland Security USA
A documentary-style show that follows men and women who help to keep our nation safe. ABC thought that the public would find this interesting. They didn’t and the network cancelled it.
In the Motherhood
Based on a web series, this sitcom looks at the challenges of juggling motherhood with work and love lives in a complicated modern world. The sitcom was pulled after four episodes and the last three installments will run next month. It won’t be back for season two.
Life on Mars
A remake of a UK show of the same name, the series was struggling to hold onto its audience for its first handful of episodes. Then, the network put it on hiatus for three months and things got even worse. Thankfully the producers had enough time to wrap up the ongoing mystery.
Opportunity Knocks
The Aston Kutcher reality game show was pulled from the schedule after three installments were aired. The rest may see the light of day eventually but they aren’t making any more.
Pushing Daisies
The piemaker with the magic touch couldn’t save his own series from the grim reaper. It ran for two short seasons and the network has yet to air the final three installments.
Samantha Who?
This sitcom looked very successful when it had a strong lead-in like Dancing with the Stars but few bothered to watch this Christina Applegate show without it. The final episodes are likely to air this Summer.
The Unusuals
An off-beat cop show that took over a Wednesday night timeslot from Life on Mars. ABC wanted this one to work but not enough people were interested. The show won’t be back next season.
Will you miss any of these cancelled shows? Has ABC made any mistakes or have they gotten these right? See any they shouldn’t have renewed but did? Be sure to leave your comments below!
Images courtesy ABC.
I cannot believe Eli Stone and Dirty Sexy Money is cancelled. ABC is making a big mistake. Those are the 2 shows that my husband and I both agree to watch.. FOR THE FUTURE…..PLEASE DON’t CANCEL GREYS and Private Practice
I LOVE the Unusuals! Why would they cancel that show- they haven’t even aired that many eps, so that more people can love it too. I liked Samatha Who but never found it after it moved.
Hate that Life On Mars is being cancelled. Loved it. Will miss Boston Legal.
I’m amazed that ABC is doing so well (if in fact it is) b/c they keep cancelling all their good shows. Pushing Daisies is the new Freaks and Geeks….the little show that everyone will lament for years to come. Eli Stone was a wonderful, sweet drama with a message as good as Earl’s (as in “my name is” – also dead). It seems like the nets quickly cancelled all their hopeful shows just as the country returned to hope from the depths of darkness and despair. We need shows like there more than ever but what do we get? More… Read more »
im really sad about quit a few shows. i know this sounds stupid, but im a stay at home mom and i love watching all my dvr’d shows during nap time. my all time favorite show was dirty sexy money. on the last episode that was aired they bring up a whole new story line and leave you hanging. i love samantha who, it always made me laugh out loud, it was just a clean funny show that was not stressful to watch. cupid, i only got to see it once and loved it, it was like watching a minny… Read more »
please don’t cancel the unusuals. we love it. you don’t give shows a chance anymore. people have dvr’s and tape shows when they can;t see them live. the unususals was quarky. we looked forward to seeing it every week.please give it a chance.
The unusuals is really funny.
I’m dissapointed by the cancellation.
another good show has gone.
I’m really disappointed with ABC cancelling Eli Stone and The Unusuals. The cast in the unusuals had such great chemistry with each other and really made the show enjoyable. It also wasn’t a tough as nails cop show and had plenty of humor in it. Eli Stone unfortunately I saw coming, but I saw every episode from the beginning and I can see how an audience might not understand the story if they hadn’t seen any episodes and starting watching on say the 8th episode, it could be kind of hard to get used to. I am pleased that they… Read more »
ABC – what are you doing? You have some wonderful shows that are now being cancelled: Samantha Who is the best “fun” on tv. The entire bunch are fun and exciting to watch. Please do not cancel it. The Unusuals are funny too – better than Castle and good actors – let us try for another year!
Are we ever going to get shows that last longer than 2 seasons?
I think ABC made a mistake on The Unusuals, ElinStone and Samantha Who. The Unusuals was quirky and just needed a little time to catch on, Eli nStone was alois different from the run of the meal shows. Samantha Who kept moving around and wasn’t surewhen it was on.
I am very perturbed with ABC cancelling my favorite shows. One I never even found once it came back on – Dirty Sexy Money. A person just gets interested in a story line and off goes the show, either to a different day or it’s cancelled. Samantha Who? Eli Stone,Life on Mars and The Unusuals. If I could have only 1 channel, I always said it would be ABC, but now I wonder. And now, they’re killing off 3 of my favorites on Desperate Housewives and Grey’s Anatomy. Edie, George and the nervous baker, Izzie. I absolutely hate the thought… Read more »
The first of the final three eps of Pushing Daisies airs on May 30.
I really enjoyed Eli Stone, Dirty Sexy Money, and Samatha Who those are some great shows to me. Why are all the good shows being canceled and alot of these boring shows are being brought back? Thats just not right!
pushing daisies definitely shouldnt have been cancelled. it was soo god.
it was hilarious and interesting and a different kind of show. there was nothing like it on tv.
samantha who was also a super good. it was extremely funny and a short half hour that gave you a good laugh and lifted your day without taking out a lot of time.
I don;t have access to cable tv, so I am forced to follow a show/tv series by waiting until it is published on the online video website of a tv network. Sometimes they don;t post the full episodes. So I am always disappointed when a show gets cancelled. Thank you for the information.