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 like the unusuals it a great characters and laugh outloud humor and just enough seriousness to keep in it. so please dont cancel it.
Please save the Unusuals. It was one of the best shows on this past season. All the characters were great – truly unusual – and the show never failed to make me laugh.
I hope the powers that be pay attention to what the viewers think and give this show a decent chance to get an audience.
Eli Stone and Pushing Daisies were great! Very original, not something you usually see on TV! Life on Mars was better in Britain and Boston Legal had best writing on network. Oh well back to videos.
I absolutely LOVE Cupid! Please don’t cancel this show!!!
I sure wish ABC would bring back Homeland Security USA. I cannot believe they canceled a good educational and entertaining show like that, but allow stupid shows like True Beauty and Better off Ted. Maybe Fox will pick it up.
I love the quirky characters on The Unusuals. Please give it a chance. I look forward to each episode. DON’T CANCEL!!!
ABC how I loved ABC now I say ABC what a pain ABC why do you torment me so? I fell for ELI, now he is gone, oh and the UNUSUALS gone before we could really create a true love affair and the lovely PIE MAKER gone and you leave me with unintelligent nothings WHY?????? Please reconsider carefully I am going to ask for a veiwing divorce if you dont stop teasing me Please reconsider bring back the UNUSALS at the very least PLEASE!!!!!
Unfortuneately the “networks” go by Neilsen ratings which have never been a true indicator of what the public has wanted. If you ever seen, as I have, the people who participate in the studies it’s NOT what they watched or recorded or viewed at a later date on another medium. The whole Neilsen system is antiquated but still used regardless, the poor networks are being duped into beleieving that Neilsen numbers are what people are actually watching,.They have no idea what really happens, just blindly go by the numbers given to them by Neilsen. DVR, DVD, Internet streaming are not… Read more »
The unusuals is a great show with compelling characters and story lines. SAVE IT.
The unusuals is a great show with compelling characters and storylines. SAVE IT.
OK… MANY OF THE DECISIONS THAT ABC MADE WERE CORRECT. BUT THEY MADE ONE DRASTIC MISTAKE IN CANCELLING THE NEW SHOW, CUPID. I LOVED THIS SERIES. IT WAS BEYOND GOOD. THERE WAS SO MUCH DRAMA, PASSION, AND CURIOUSITY TO THIS STORYLINE. I LOVED ALL OF THE ACTORS WHO PLAYED THE CHARACTERS, I THINK THEY DID AN AWESOME JOB. I WATCHED CUPID SINCE ITS SEASON PREMIERE AND I WAS HOPING TO WATCH MORE OF THIS SHOW, BUT IT WAS CANCELLED. ABC SHOULD HAVE NEVER PULLED THE PLUG ON THIS SHOW. IT JUST LEFT OTHER VIEWERS LIKE ME, HANGING. ARGH!!!!!! I LOVE… Read more »
For sanity’s sake, ax The Bachelor/Bachelorette already!! I can’t believe that garbage like this keeps getting picked up! I can’t even stand watching the commercials!! “Who’s getting a rose tonight?” Answer? Who the heck cares!!
C’mon ABC, leave shows on that ACTUALLY have a plot and storyline!
I have never posted a comment on the internet about a TV show, but I happened to be looking for info about when Eli Stone and Dirty Sexy Money would begin airing again and read that they are probably going to be cancelled. I am so bummed. I recorded them on my DVR faithfully every week and loved the characters and the storylines. I thought the shows were fantastic, the writing brilliant and will miss them dearly. Especially Eli Stone. It was refreshing to watch a show about the presence of a higher being and how He could change the… Read more »
My favorite shows, Eli Stone and the Unusuals are cancelled– nothing looks interesting in the upcoming seaons– abc will lose me as a viewer– I am tired of liking shows that have multiple storylines and are quirky-just to have them cancelled-I really wish they would reconsider the unusulas or that someonelse will pick it up.. give viewers actors and writers time to connect —
I really liked the Unusuals.
And that list of summer shows suck. Cancel some of those and bring back the ones that are actually interesting.