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.
Add my name to the list of people who will miss this fantastic show. I can’t understand why it’s ratings didn’t soar – however, as some have pointed out, most shows nowadays are aimed at the lowest common denominator. These people (can you say nielsen box in the trailer park?) mold the TV schedule for the rest of the country (world), and we’re forced to put up with it.
An intelligent, witty, clever comedy, with a great cast. Strike that – awesome cast! Naturally, Billy-bob and Brandene didn’t understand one bit of it, so it got cancelled. Figures.
Sadly it will be hard for a live-action tv show to do what Family Guy did as a cartoon since it will be hard to reassemble the cast, however Arrested Development is actually coming back on Netflix, so hopefully if there’s enough push for this Netflix might pick this show up too. It’s amazing how many good tv shows fail to pick up audiences these days. This show would have had an easier time surviving on a network like FX or HBO. Broadcast is a horrible platform for a high-brow comedy like this. Even then good shows like The Riches… Read more »
There are MANY great TV shows that are cancelled due to the ratings and numbers. I think its pathetic, I have introduced many friends to Better off Ted and many other series and they have all loved them. Why cant America continue these series for everyone else overseas, after all it seems that we appreciate smart humor when we see it. Stop being so selfish America and give us Better off Ted season 3!
Unfortunately for the us with high intellects, US networks fill their TV slots with brain dead reality TV (for the truely brain dead audience). Unfortunately, brain dead executives at these studios and stations (e.g., ABC, Fox, etc.) are only interested in the ratings and numbers, and since clever shows like “Better off Ted”, “Samantha Who?”, etc. are not catering to the insane number of brain dead Americans, the few of us with high intellects suffer. Another sad day for us thinking few…
I think it was cancelled becuase…The hero was an actual Hero, not some stupid, fat couch potato like the majority of American Men. So we get a whole bunch of shows that show these type of men as the hero, getting the hot wife and winning in the end. So they are all fantasy for them.
Why the hell did they cancel this show!? It was amazing! I wish ABC will make a season 3 and soon too. I agree that it got low viewing numbers because the average American wouldn’t find it funny, but I’m sure some of them do!
I WANT SEASON 3!! How can people NOT love this show??
I have become convinced that there is an entire genre of really great American TV that just doesn’t do it for mainstream America but which has a tremendous global audience in respect of which there is no viewing figure feedback. I wonder whether it makes sense for them test the economics of providing shows like this for the global audience via internet based services. Brits in particular favour the quirky comedies. I loved Better off Ted and Back to You (Fox). These shows are TOO smart and funny for mainstream America but go down well elsewhere.
This is one of my favorite shows and I am so upset it got cancelled.
It has been proven that great shows get cancelled. But do they forget that some shows come back, and have proven themselves to be hits. For example they cancelled “Family Guy” when it originally aired and now competes with “The Simpsons” as the number one cartoon show of all time MoFo (cursing emphasizes my passion) I’m a fan of the show, they picked the perfect staff for each character and I wouldn’t mind seeing Linda in some more revealing outfits. Sham wow!
So sad I’m from Croatia and I love season 1 and 2
show is so funny and creative. Love Portia a lot
PS. they did the same with Arrested Development – SMARTEST AND FUNNIEST SITCOM ever.. too bas US people dont’ get anything but stupid reality shows!
FFS why?!!! This show is addictive and I also live in Europe, there’s a lot of viewers here! The best show since Offcice. Seriously!
ABC, you suck. This show was awesome! All the good shows are getting canceled, and we get stuck with crap like desperate housewives…WHY?!
WTF?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? this was a f@#kin awesome series!!!!!!! f@#k the ABC i would have like to see more of this show!!!
It so sad to see great series like this get canned so fast.
I dont live in USA, and most of the cool series have veiwers over the oceans too..But since we are not connected to the american kabel net, they dont know how much theese great series make us laugh… and how many who actually watch and appritiate them.
There should absolutely be a solution that can make our veiwer-numbers visible..
But until then..