Late today, ABC released their mid-season 2011-12 schedule and it contained a few surprises. For one thing, Cougar Town was completely MIA. Has the Courteney Cox sitcom been cancelled?
Last January, Cougar Town was one of six shows that were given very early renewals by ABC. Season three was initially expected to debut sometime this fall but ABC decided to hold it until late November. The programmers planned to air it Tuesdays at 9pm, once Dancing with the Stars had finished in the fall and before the new spring season had begun. It was to be paired with Apartment 23 (now called Don’t Trust the B– in Apartment 23).
Creator Bill Lawrence has said that he hounded ABC head Paul Lee to give the show the chance to lead-off an hour rather than rely on Modern Family’s coattails. He was happy to be paired with Apartment 23, the network’s favorite new sitcom of the season.
The schedule change meant however that Cougar Town’s 22 new episodes might not air during the regular season, simply because the network might not have enough slots left in the schedule. Lawrence said that he was fine with a few episodes airing during the spring or summer.
Cougar Town’s return was then pushed to later in the season and was expected to kick off in early 2012, still paired with Apartment 23.
Flash forward to today’s announcement and the Tuesday night schedule is very different than expected. Neither Apartment 23 nor Cougar Town are on it. ABC initially maintained that both would air sometime in the Spring.
Now, Deadline reports that ABC has cut the show’s order from 22 installments down to 15. The sitcom’s expected to return in March, once Work It completes its Tuesdays at 8:30pm run. (If that show tanks, it seems very possible that Cougar Town could return sooner.)
Lawrence, who’s expected to leave the show after this season, has been tweeting since the announcement and he doesn’t seem all that happy. He wrote, “Look, ABC put this show on for three years, and it’ll be on for at least three more. I’d bet on it. Really? Yes, and I’m sober. Sort of.” Lawrence followed that up with, “Will vent later. Must go edit episode that will be on in… sometime. Enjoy Celebrity Wife Swap on ABC. Your kids should watch.” Then, “6 seasons and a movie…? please…” and finally, “I’m not embarrassed to be proud of… #cougartown”
What do you think? Is this a bad sign or a REALLY bad sign? Will this move end up getting Cougar Town cancelled?
Image courtesy ABC.
I love this show and yes people are out of work and the economy has tanked but thats why we watch its called escapism. Cougar Town is funny, original, scripted, and has real actors and not knocked up 16 year olds trying to become celebrities. the writing is great and i will be very disappointed if it gets cancelled, and im sure it will get replaced by some pathetic reality show.
I love cougar town. ABC bring it back. Best sitcom on tv. Love love love it!
cougar town was one of the best sitcoms I ever watch, I had a glass of wine ready for when it show time,please dont cancel, I need my penny can.
Please just put Cougartown back on already! If I have to channel flip through any more “reality” TV garbage, I’m gonna barf. We’re on to you, network execs: everyone knows you continue to substitute those programs for real shows because it’s cheap to produce. So stop playing with your spreadsheets and regain some dignity. Cougartown is hilarious, quality programming and we viewers are chanting for it out here in Consumerland.
I love this show. I cant wait till it comes back!
I’m a wino and this show cracks me up!!! Please come back soon Cougar Town….
My girls and I miss you!
Cheers!
I love this show I can’t remember the last time I laughed so hard that I actually stopped breathing! Love it!
well said all. Apart from the guy who said the show is ‘disgusting’. I love it. Its humour cheers me up after a hard day at work, when, mr J s, i am at risk of losing my job, so you should take your poncey words, and stick them back where you found them, your arse.
I loved Christa Miller. She was wonderful as Jordan on Scrubs and she great as Ellie on Cougar Town. I am so tired of all these reality Tv shows and just want alittle comedy in my evening line up’
I’m boycotting ABC until Cougar Town comes back on!!
Cougar Town is hilarious, and further who wouldn’t want to watch nice looking babes in bikinis.. which is the way the show started out and was a winning format… bring it back in the original incantation which worked! or just the bikinis…
[…] you concerned when ABC decided to cut Cougar Town’s season three episodes and delayed the TV show’s return? Official word was that this was nothing to be worried […]
I love Cougar Town. I was wondering what happened to it. Come back soon!
this show started out funny but is now a train wreck and should be put in the trash pile if courtney cox is trying to replicate seinfeld’s formula of a “show about nothing”, she is doing a good job because there is no point to this show and unlike seinfeld’s, it has no comedic elements to it, just a lot of contrived nonsense oops, i forgot that Tom, the neighbor with self-esteem issues, can be funny and Barb, the older cougar, is hilarious it looks like ABC has figured out that this show is a waste of time and will… Read more »
Cougar Town is awesome. It makes me feel better about being a wino housewife with a nanny.
It was the worst show I’ve ever seen. With people out of work and trying to get some form of entertainment out of television, who wants to watch middle age people get drunk and never go to work. I never laughed once while watching and where is that baby when they are all inebriated, it’s disgusting. Because you have a previous success series does not mean your future endeavors will be successful. It is a mockery of our society and I am appalled it ever had a second episode. Good bye and good riddance. America doesn’t need another show to… Read more »
Dear J s,
How about 30 somethings and middle aged people who wished they could “get drunk and never go to work”, this is television. Television is fantasy. Seriously you need to reach around and pull that giant stick out of your behind because this comment is just so off base. Honestly, if you really feel this way you should head on over to the Fox News website where you will be appreciated.
ooooo snap
You said it Wonton! I loved the show!!!!!
Boo hoo.