Last week, ABC pulled Happy Town from the schedule for the remainder of May sweeps period. Though things didn’t look good for the mystery TV show, the network didn’t officially cancel it. Now they have.
Happy Town follows the residents of a small town in Minnesota who are terrorized by a killing spree from the mysterious “Magic Man”. The cast includes Sam Neill, M.C. Gainey, Geoff Stults, Lauren German, Amy Acker, Steven Weber, Ben Schnetzer, Sarah Gadon, Jay Paulson, and Robert Wisdom.
On April 28th, the show got off to a bad start with a disappointing 1.7 rating in the 18-49 demographic and just 5.25 million viewers. For episode two, viewership took a nosedive to a 1.2 in the demo and 3.79 million viewers. ABC announced they were putting the TV series on hiatus and the third episode’s numbers dropped further still, to a 1.1 rating and 3.04 million viewers.
This week, ABC announced the new 2010-11 schedule and, not surprisingly, Happy Town wasn’t on it. The show has now been cancelled though the network still plans to run the remaining five episodes. They’ll start airing on June 2nd.
What do you think? Are you surprised that Happy Town has been cancelled? Will you still tune in to see the remaining episodes?
Image courtesy ABC.
I am so disappointed that Happy Town has been canceled. My husband and I (both over 65) really liked the show. I thought ABC would at least show the last five episodes; however, after airing 3 of the last 5, I’ve heard that the last 2 will not be aired, except on the internet. How sad for us faithful viewers. I’m about ready to pull the plug on ABC!
I have just about had it with ABC. It seems to me that the Weds slot has been a problem for them for some time. The Sci fi show “Invasion” was cancelled, “Eastwick” cancelled, and now Happy Town. Seems just as the shows start to develop and you get interested in them ABC pulls the plug. I hope they don’t do it with “The Gates”.
Just when you get a good show started, you pull the plug! Try a different time slot. The show is different and is good. Much better then The Gates.
Come on, Give it another chance. I really liked the show.
I just have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed Happy Town and I am disappointed that ABC has cancelled yet another great show! ABC seems to want instant gratification of shows that are coming out now. Happy Town was a great mystery suspense TV show; just like Harpers Island. I think ABC has set a bad precedent for itself. ABC cancelled so many highly regarded shows pre-maturely (Pushing Daisies and Eastwick) that early adapters simply are not tuning in and being invested from day one. ABC likes cancelling the hour-long dramas don’t they? ABC should have given the show a… Read more »
I loved the show and sad that it is gone look forward to the last shows on-line
My husband and I are very sad it was pulled. We both looked forward to watching it every week. Go figure that the first actual series I’ve tried to watch in years, gets pulled after 5 episodes…. bummer.
Totally bummed!!! Yes I will agree it was a slow start but the last few episodes were great….. Please give it another chance:(
I just want the show back….loved it. I just started to tell my friends about it.
I am really disappointed that happy town is cancelled, why do you air these shows if you dont give them a chance i agree with one of the reviews it does remind me of harpers island which was very good, we need a bit of mystery now and them when you do these shows, you must not be reading the script i mean you dont even give them a chance, just like the other networks show them for a few weeks and the cancel so much for the viewer. i am so dismayed.
Silly, silly me—as usual, just like October Road and other shows ” YOU INTELLIGENT PEOPLE” have cancelled Happy Town, with a great story and something that I really like, as usual. I am almost to the point of just watching the upper channels on my satellite server because I am so tired of stuff being cancelled for some unknown reason to me——oh excuse me— I am the wrong age—I am not between 15 and 33, I forget people of my age do not count as people who watch television.
Its just another ABC mistake. They worry all together too much about winning the monthly “sweeps”! They are going to fill in with some real junk as they have in the past, and they can’t seem to understand that they’ll always be in fourth place in the network standings unless they give shows time to work!
I agree… I really think the show is great and think they should give it more time. I am so disappointed!
I hate it when I get hooked on a great and interestingly different series…then they pull it.
What a waste of a great cast. Try moving it. Maybe a cable station will pick it up. Can we get it on video?
Disappointed in ABC.
I am really disappointed with their choice, it could be a great summer show. I was just starting to get to know the characters and getting intrigued by the mystery of the “Magic Man” Oh well, maybe someone will come up with something to get us through the summer re-run season!
Although the show tended to be a bit drawn out, it reminded me a lot of last year’s Harper’s Island. It followed the same premise of a mysterious murderer everyone thought was dead. I really enjoyed it. I am sad to hear Happy Town will not make it. I was really getting involved in the characters and looking forward to watching it every Wed. night. I think it is a really good idea to bring out new shows for the summer. It used to be all there was to watch was re-runs. I hope the networks continue to give us… Read more »