Extreme Makeover: Home Edition: Should the Show Stay Cancelled?

Tonight, ABC airs the newest installment of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. The show was cancelled late last year but ABC brought it back for four special two-hour episodes. Should they bring it back as a regular TV series, make more occasional specials, or let it stay cancelled?

As you may remember, ABC ended Extreme Makeover: Home Edition after 200 episodes of “Move that bus!” and helping families in need. The show had declined a great deal in the ratings and the final season ended up averaging a 1.5 rating in the 18-49 demographic with 5.77 million viewers. That’s a far cry from the show’s first season, when it was averaging a 4.3 in the demo and 10.81 million viewers each week.

ABC may have been hoping that, by taking the show off the air for a year, audiences would be ready to watch new episodes this holiday season. That hasn’t been the case.

With a lead-in from the final performance episode of Dancing with the Stars on November 26th, Home Edition attracted just a 1.2 rating in the demo with 5.92 million viewers.

Then, without the benefit of a lead-in, last weeks’ two-hour episode drew a 0.9 in the demo and 4.42 million viewers.

These are the worst numbers that Home Edition has ever generated — even worse than when the show was airing on Friday nights at the end of its run.

Clearly, there’s no reason for ABC to make any more episodes of the show from a ratings standpoint. They could try bringing it back in a few years but clearly the audience isn’t seeing these new installments as “special.”

But, what do you think? Would you like to see the show return as a regular weekly series, annual specials, or should it stay completely cancelled?