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.
I LOVED Better off Ted!! It was smart, quick humor that not everyone understands. I think that is why it had so few viewers. Too many idiots out there.
We’ve just started watching season 1 here and it’s the best show I’ve seen in ages! Very smart and witty. Only problem is there has been no promotion of it at all … Everyone I tell about the show hasn’t heard of it, so I guess the powers that be shot themselves in the foot. It’s by far one of the funniest and most original shows I’ve seen in a long time … RIP!
ABC is a show killer, they ruined scrubs and I never saw promotion for Better Off Ted. If they marketed it better it could have a bigger following than The Office (which is an awful show)
Because the majority of the population is ignorant and they don’t understand good humor. Remember Arrested Development? Brilliant show. We shouldn’t have to suffer because people are stupid, that’s their problem.
They don’t know how to bring in an audience to well written smart shows!
I would suggest promotion, but since the broadcast networks have lost so many viewers already, the promotions won’t be seen. Just look at how many people have commented on this site that they didn’t even know about the show until they found it on Netflix!
We just simply don’t waste our time watching broadcast TV any more!
The same disease that killed The Office’s ratings with the “main” audience of America has done the same thing to Ted: Stupidity. People have just become too mindless to understand some of the hilarious puns and subtle humor that Ted’s writers so beautifully wove into each episode. It’s disappointing that a great show like this had to bite the dust so early.
Someone should stert a petition to “BRING TED BACK”!!! Have them put it on Wednesday night at 830pm. That would have The Middle at 8pm, Ted at 830, Modern Family at 9, & Cougar Town at 930. The best night of comedy on tv!
Meant to spell start…sorry 🙂
I loved this show soooo much!!! I wish they hadn’t cancelled it!! I LOVED it!! It was smart, funny and I don’t understand how anyone couldn’t watch this!!! =(
I truly loved this show. It was laugh-out-loud funny. It was too smart for people today.
Better Off Ted was the most cleverly written show I have ever seen. I am so upset that it’s gone now. I think that if there had been more advertising for it, maybe it would have gotten more viewers. I don’t understand how Americans can waste their time watching lame reality shows, and completely overlook comic gold like Better Off Ted. It’s sad.
It seems clear that there is only room for a few sitcoms out there and this couldn’t bump any of the others off the air.
Most viewers are watching reality TV to try and live vicariously through others, since their lives don’t involve much more than work and TV.
For the few Americans who have a life, they need something funny to relax with at the end of the day. Those FEW Americans are the viewers of this show and other sitcoms. No surprise it had low ratings.
Really cannot believe that they cancelled one of the few remaining sitcoms and left on all of the “no brainer” reality TV shows! No wonder ABC keeps loosing audience to USA and TNT networks!!!
I loved this show. Why did it get cancelled??
I just started watching this show and it is really good. I really wish they had a season 3.
why are the good ones cancelled? bring back better off ted and flashforward!