To no surprise, ABC’s Better Off Ted has been cancelled after two seasons on the air. Though it was a hit with critics and a devout group of fans, it just never found a mass audience.
Better Off Ted follows Ted Crisp (Jay Harrington) and his fellow employees at Veridian Dynamics, a strange and heartless technology company. The rest of the cast includes Andrea Anders, Jonathan Slavin, Malcolm Barrett, and Portia de Rossi.
Last May, ABC decided to show some faith in the freshman sitcom and renewed Better Off Ted for a second season. At that time, the ratings weren’t great and they got even worse after the renewal announcement.
When the network began airing the remainder of season one during the summer months, they averaged a terrible 0.74 in the 18-49 demographic and 2.09 million viewers.
For season two, Ted debuted with a 1.5 rating in the demo and 3.82 million viewers. As bad as those numbers sound, they got even worse.
Paired with Scrubs, ABC decided to burn off the remaining episodes of Ted in January. Despite campaigning from some loyal fans, viewership hit a new low for the season — a 0.8 rating and 2.17 million viewers.
The writing’s been on the wall for a long time and realistically, based on the numbers, the TV show shouldn’t have been renewed for a second season. Many in the cast have taken other jobs and the series has now been cancelled by ABC.
What do you think? Many really loved this show but it never attracted a big audience. Why?
Image courtesy ABC.
me and my wife loved the show we always recorded it because we were never able to catch it they shoulda tried changing times and days or something not cancelling it we are very dissappointed
No one should be mad at ABC. Numbers are numbers, and that’s just the business these days. Yah, I’m pissed at people! People just don’t know a good show… granted, the pilot didn’t do a great job of introducing the show to the public. The show did pick up, but no one was patient enough (makes sense since no one is anymore). The humor was fantastic. The writing was just absolutely phenomenal, as well as the acting (though I argue it was the writing that made that show hands down). It’s a real shame it won’t be coming back. …… Read more »
Simply amazing!!!
Poorly promoted!
BRING IT BACK!
I just finished both seasons. Wow this was a great show. ABC is too short-sighted for canceling this so soon. Like Family Guy, it should be brought back.
Pretty pissed at ABC for cancelling this show. SUPER LAME ABC!!! This was one of our favorites.
too bad, this was a great show. solid humor, acting and writing. apparently the only shows to survive appeal to middle america, you know, the blue collar, come-to-jesus type with little else going on in life.
Such a shame this show was awesome and kept the laughs rolling. The problem was that it was never adviertized. Me and my family found it through netflix and are devistated it is not going to be back for a third season.! I hope showtime hbo or someone will pick it up so we can watch this show again it will definitly be missed
Again, another supper funny, no sex, no violence, no verbal attacking and so forth kind of show gets cancelled. Over the last few years went, “1973”, “Samantha Who” and a few other clean adult shows. Does anyone see the pathetic trend in main-stream network mindset that cares nothing about good clean/semi-clean shows and & only rating for sex, violence and verbal/physical abuse, guns and destruction, demons and the occult in some form or another and gay couples show (nothing against gay/lesbians as I’ve had several friends in past work environement who were GREAT people of both – but Not what… Read more »
I think your ideas on the show are great. Really don’t know why you had to put your incredibly ignorant views on the gay community in there… how off putting.
LOVED the show!!! I was just looking up to see when the next season was going to air. I cannot believe that it has been canceled! Just when I thought that tv was turning around….
Just discovered this show through Netflix and found out it is cancelled! What is wrong with American TV. We lose this, Arrested Development, The Unusuals, etc…but got multiple seasons of How I Met Your Mother and According to Jim (or whatever that Jim Belushi thing was called). The title of the show was lame and gave no hint to what the show was about or how awesome the writing would be. Plus Portia DeRossi! Ugh. This is why the American public is leaving network television. Maybe Showtime could pick it up?
Just looked this show up to see when it’s next season will air… Cancelled!!!! BOOOOOOO
Stupid americans, can’t watch clever sit-coms?? This was the BEST missunderstood sit-com in recent history. Shame on you ABC!
ABC you suck for cancelling this show!
I thought it was great. Very tongue-in-cheek humour. Give it back!
I just realized that the show has been canceled. That just goes to show you that good writing and excellent acting are not what the American public want to see. I LOVED show: the writing, the acting, the humor…… I thought it was the best show on TV. Too bad for all of us loyal fans:(
dis show was awesome.great cast and great comedy all together.i hate ABC for canceling it. will miss u ted,linda,veronica,phil and lym 😀