After just two weeks on the air, ABC has decided to pull Happy Town from the schedule. The TV show will be back but, for how long?
Happy Town follows the residents of a small town in Minnesota. After being plagued by kidnappings years ago, it seems the mysterious “Magic Man” has returned to start a killing spree. The cast includes features Sam Neill, M.C. Gainey, Geoff Stults, Lauren German, Amy Acker, Steven Weber, Ben Schnetzer, Sarah Gadon, Jay Paulson, and Robert Wisdom.
The series got off to a poor start two weeks ago with a 1.7 rating in the 18-49 demographic and 5.25 million viewers. Last week, for episode two, viewership took a nosedive to a 1.2 in the demo and 3.79 million viewers.
To no surprise, ABC has pulled Happy Town for the remainder of May sweeps. After tonight’s episode, the series goes on hiatus for two weeks and will return on June 2nd.
While this wouldn’t necessarily be a sign that the show will be cancelled, the ratings are. They’re terrible and there’s every expectation that they’re just going to get worse — especially with warmer weather coming and people spending less time in front of the TV.
After tonight’s episode, there are just five episode left. With numbers like these, fans of Happy Town will be lucky if the network shows the rest of them, never mind a second season.
Next week’s episode will be replaced by an edition of Primetime: What Would You Do?. On May 26th, ABC will present the network premiere of the Transformers movie.
What do you think? Why isn’t Happy Town performing better? Is it just not a very good TV show or are viewers just missing the boat?
Image courtesy ABC.
I liked Happy Town! And I want to know how it ends! Why not try putting it on another night and not up against the Fri. night line up.
Wow. I was really getting into this show as well. I just found out it got canceled. I guess we will never know who the magic man is…..
I was really starting to get into the show and the characters. It seems the networks don’t give REAL shows a chance and replace them with all the REALITY shows that are stupid and mindless. I hope the fans keep this show on!
I am really disappointed that they are cancelling Happy Town. Dancing with the Stars, American Idol and other mindless, reality crap seems to thrive, but well-written, provocative TV shows often get the axe prematurely. Give it time to generate some buzz! I didn’t start watching Lost or How I met your Mother, two of my favorite shows, until I started hearing postive reviews about them. Futher, I would think Lost fans would gravitate toward this show, as it has the same eerry, on-the-edge-of-your-seat vibe. I guess you can’t apply logic when it comes American tastes.
SAVE HAPPY TOWN!!! If you actually want viewers, then why not advertise the show!! I had no idea that this show was on until last week when I read a post on another website then decided to watch the first 2 episodes on-line. This is a VERY smart show that leaves me wanting more after each episode.. Every ten minutes ABC shows a clip of Dancing with the Stars, which is already one of the highest rated shows on the network, why not show an advertisment for Happy Town so that people can be aware that this new show is… Read more »
I love the show! I hate it when they pull shows off the air before we can see the ending!
Love, love, love this show. Everytime a good mystery come on, they pull it. Twin Peaks, Harper’s Island and now Happy Town. Such creative writing….it just takes people time to get into it. I also think putting it on right now at the end of May was not a great choice. There is so much going on, that many people don’t have time to focus on a show like this right now. Perhaps January would be a better time to start.
So i really loved that show. i was really getting into Happy Town–i recorded it every week. 🙁
I AM STILL UPSET THAT THEY PULLED EASTWICK!!!! PLEASE DO NOT PULL HAPPY TOWN TOO!!!!
The same thing happened with Harper’s Island. Just leave the show on the same night. If the show isn’t on when I expected I turn the TV off.
Wow, they always cancell the best shows! Im so sick of reality tv. Okay Abc, I have stuck with you thru thick and thin! Wed nite is the best nite for the comedy line-up, maybe slide Happy town in the 9pm slot and put the Middle on at 8pm and Modern Family on at 8:30! It is worth a try! Plese, pretty Please!!
I love this show. They leave all the STUPID reality shows on and when something good comes on they cancel it… If they put it on earlier more people would watch it..
This was a decent show if you hadn’t seen Harpers Island. It is the same plot, probably same writers, and will probably end the same way. Just another remake with the names changed, same exact plot, boring.
I liked Happy Town, I thought it was pretty interesting. The networks always do this crap, they leave shows on that don’t belong on and cancel the good ones and in most cases they don’t even let the viewers finish what they have already shot. Do you remember Push Nevada? Great show but also canceled.
I love the show. My husband and I were really getting into it when we found it wasn’t going to be on againn for a while if at all. When will ABC and the other networks learn that they pujll good shows off the air too quickly? It takes time to get an audience. America has lost too many good shows already because of stupid, too quick decisions.