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 love the Unusuals, it was such a great and unique show. The only two shows I watched on abc was the Unusuals and Castle, at least they saved one of them. They need to get rid of the stupid reality shows and bring back some good shows.
I can’t believe Pushing Daisies, Samantha who, and the Unusuals are all being canceled!!! I do not get into too many new series and finally found some that I really enjoyed and now they are going away!! So bummed. The Unusuals was something that both me and my husband actually watched together and really enjoyed. I absolutely love that show!!!. I wish ABC would reconsider. We need something other than reality TV for me and my family to watch!
Please order the second season of Eli Stone!!!!!!
We will miss The Unusuals. I am going to call to try to save it. I agree that ABC is not giving a lot of good shows an oppurtunity to build a fan base. With constantly changing time slots and random scheduling, it is impossible.
I can’t believe they canceled Cupid! I was starting to get into the plot; hopefully they’ll at least tell us what would have happened…
Save The Unusuals! Call ABC at 1-818-460-7477. Pick 1 then 2 then 2 then 868 and leave a 30 sec message. Thanks
Dancing with the Stars is about the only good show that ABC has. These networks should know that there are intelligent people out there wanting shows that don’t insult their intelligence and without extreme gore and violence. Thanks goodness we have the Discovery Channel, two PBS channels that provide programming for intelligent people but we still need some good entertainment programs. We, I think, are the silent MAJORITY that seem to be getting lost in the process because we aren’t out there yelling and screaming.
Definitely sad about Sam and Daisies! 🙁
While i will miss Eli Stone and it’s quirkiness, I am terribly upset about Samantha Who.
Can’t believe that ABC can’t get it right….good shows like Dirty Sexy Money, The Unusuals, Life on Mars….all of which had some substance….gone…and worse yet…replaced with dumb reality shows. Afraid to get involved in any ABC shows because it seems when you do, they’re gone. Thank goodness they have kept Castle.
Maybe the Unusuals was a good show, but after refusing to renew Life On Mars, I refused to watch its replacement, as a mild protest, and so did alot of other people from what Ive read online. Cmon ABC, quit cancelling good shows, and leaving us with more Dancing With the Stars, I Survived a Japanese Game Show(you’ve got to be kidding me!), Dating in the Dark?, etc…yeah, this is what everyone wants, more reality shows! NOT!! Life On Mars was such a great show, and needs to be brought back to life(no pun intended!). You had killer soundtrack music… Read more »
The Unusuals was a great show with a great cast that played off of each other well. The first cop show in a long time I could tolerate and then it gets cancelled, definitely a bad move ABC
Bring back The Unusuals – quirky, funny and original!! How could they keep Better Off Ted (which I tried to watch twice and found extremely unfunny both times) and cancel The Unusuals? What a mistake!!!!
I think it is ridiculous that ABC canceled The Unusuals! I really enjoyed it. The show is much better then NBC’s Southland!
I definitely agree with katie. Those were my favorite shows too. And they were both just getting so good. The anonymous posters just before me made a good point too. I’m usually not home when my favorites are on, so I watch them online. And they’re are many more like us who do that. Maybe ABC should take that into account before letting a good show go. ABC should also pay attention to these posts and other posts on their website who love these shows. So many people I know loved Pushing Daisies and Samantha Who? They provided a refreshing… Read more »