After lots of ups and downs in the ratings, ABC has decided that the ride is over for Eli Stone. They’re not ordering any additional episodes for the drama, essentially cancelling the TV show.
Eli Stone follows a handsome attorney (Jonny Lee Miller) with an ideal life and promising future. He works for the law firm owned by prestigious attorney Jordan Wethersby (Victor Garber) and is engaged to Jordan’s daughter, Taylor (Natasha Henstridge). Eli’s life radically changes when he starts to experience strange hallucinations. Is he a prophet or sick? With the help of his brother Nathan (Matt Letscher) and an acupuncturist, Dr. Chen (James Saito), Eli learns the truth about his condition and starts to understand his new life. Other series performers include Loretta Devine, Sam Jaeger, Julie Gonzalo, Jason Winston George, and Tom Amandes.
Stone debuted in January 2008 as a midseason replacement series on ABC. The premiere attracted 11.83 million viewers and a 4.2/12 rating /share in the 18-49 demographic. The second episode fell to 9.38 million and a 3.6/10. The ratings continued to fall after that, hitting a series low of 5.88 million and a 1.6/4 rating/share towards the end of the season. It was a hit with some viewers and critics so ABC decided to stick with the series and renewed it for a second season of 13 episodes.
Season two debuted on October 14th and the numbers were higher than they had been at the end of the previous season — mainly thanks to its Dancing with the Stars lead-in. The season started with a high of 8.82 million viewers and a 2.3/6 rating/share in the demographic. The numbers have been sinking ever since and Tuesday’s episode fell to 6.36 million and a 1.6/4. Those figures look even worse when you consider that Dancing attracted 17.59 million viewers. That means that over 11 million viewers would rather change the channel than watch Stone. Consistently losing a large percentage of its lead-in audience is ultimately what’s killed the show about the attorney with visions.
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ABC has decided against ordering any additional episodes of Eli Stone. Though they are not calling it a cancellation, there is little to no chance that the network will ever revive the show.The cast and crew are currently finishing up their 13 episode order and it’s not known if producers will try to give the show any sense of closure. Executive producers Marc Guggenheim, Greg Berlanti, and David Petrarca broke the news to the cast and crew earlier today.
For now, the series remains on the network’s schedule. If ABC pulls Stone before the remaining eight episodes have aired, the network will likely air them at a later date, post them online or, at the very least release a season two DVD set. Stay tuned! 
This is the best show on television……I am truly disappointed in your decision to cancel this smart, quirky, entertaining tv show…
ABC – are you listening? Poll results:
Should Eli Stone be cancelled?
No! I love this show! (94%)
Yes! I can’t stand it. (2%)
Maybe. It’s okay. (4%)
Total Votes: 1,341 – PLEASE DO NOT CANCEL ‘ELI STONE’ !!!!!!!!
No – don’t cancel Eli! I love this show – please keep it on the air – it’s the most inventive thing around lately on TV!
A show that my sixteen-year old son and I have bonded with. The messages are inspiring, the talent impressive, and the storyline is engaging. Please do not cancel this show. Don’t let your only demographic be those who watch Wife Swap and The Bachelor.
I’m so disappointed in ABC. You’d rather continue to create plot lines revolving around the end of the world, violence, gay romances and sex than give the rest of us something to watch. I don’t want those storylines shoved down my throat all the time! I genuinely enjoy Eli Stone. A show about people taking care of other people regardless of what it costs them. And, now to know it may not “end” in a way that would give us faithful apparently few a sense of closure!?!?!?!?! Now I know why I stick with Food Network and HGTV. Every show… Read more »
I am in the demographics ABC is targeting with this show. I watch over-the-air TV via TIVO. Eli Stone was my #1 favorite last year. The writing was very clever. The plotlines were interesting but the dialog and character interaction was what made it great. The cast is nearly perfect. Season two had a very rough start. The opener had so much plot that the characters couldn’t really act, all they could do is play stereotyped roles with dialog that tried to explain the plot lines. The introduction of God in the first episode was heavy handed. That idea is… Read more »
I’m so tired of seeing smart and funny story lines about doing the right thing get cancelled because others would like to watch something about sex, drugs and violence. Just because the majority jumps off a bridge does that mean the rest of us have to?
Please don’t cancel Eli Stone. It is such a positive and hopefull show. Very creative and smart. Something that the whole family of all ages can watch. Please, please don’t cancell. Please changes times or nights. You could even move the time up to 8 :00 slot. It is such a family friendly show – you could air it that early . Please don’t cancell.
Why Abc is doing that? Are they crazy? Eli Stone is the most wonderful and different show on TV. We need more shows like that. We are so said about this. Please, please, please save Eli Stone.
I’m from Brazil
I can’t believe ABC is doing this. I just cancelled cable and went back to an antena because I was tired of paying big bucks for a whole lot of nothing, and now one of the three shows I watch every week is being taken away. Maybe ABC should consider moving it into an earlier time slot where more families can enjoy it together.
I feel that because ELI STONE has a good message and is in relation to visions from GOD, it is being cancelled. It seems that God is being taken out of everything and it really is a horrible thing to do. This show really has a great message about outcomes and real circumstances, like trying to see the real truth behind struggles. God is always there and it is sad that everything is trying to push him out.
God bless!!!
This is such a good show, and to learn that ABC has decided to cancel Eli Stone is heartbreaking. It’s one of the best shows in the past year. They should keep it!
It’s a real shame that 6 million of us watching are not enough. If you set your standards for all shows to have ratings like Dancing your setting your self too high people have different tastes in shows and what they feel is worth watching. I for one don’t turn on the tv until Eli comes on!
This is the only tv show I watch. That figures that it will not be continuing. Thanks a lot!
I am sorry to see this show and pushing daisys both go. They are fun because they are diferent. Is there any chance they could end up on another network?