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 like the show. I also liked Jericho that was on CBS and they to cancelled it. So what its different. do we need another CSI, Law and order, or Medical Drama. Get real what something like “Happy Town” that isn’t your normal Televsion.
ABC is really stringing people along. They come out with new programs, let people
get interested and then cancels them. No wonder the cable shows are kicking butt!
Surviving Sur. , should have made it. Ugly Betty should still be on. This show is off
to a good start if ABC can figure out how to write it. Give It A Try!
Viewers haven’t picked up on this show yet, unfortunately when they do it will be gone. Typical of ABC and the other networks. We lose great shows because of the ratings. What these guys don’t get is TV isn’t watched like it was 5 or ten years ago. We now watch streaming and DVR recordings..! Get the ratings to reflect that! We still have to watch commercials for cryin out loud! I for one am getting sick of trying new series for fear of liking them and watching them get pulled without getting the chance to mature.
They did it again. I swore that I would not watch another new show on network tv ever again because they cancel the shows that are good & keep the ****** ones on. The last great show they canceled was Life on Mars & I have not watched any new shows except Happy Town & again they cancel it. That is it screw ABC they can’t tell when they have a good show if it bit them on the ass. They wonder why they are losing viewers?? Duh!!! They just lost this one. Good by ABC.
I really like this show. It’s got more of a Stephen King feel to it than David Lynch (characters seemingly unrelated, yet sharing a common strength of character, an evil villain with a happy name, etc.), and I thought it was a nice take on an established and respected master. I knew it would be cancelled, though. This is usually why I don’t get into a show until it’s been out at least a year…
Very interesting show. If ABC decides to drop it, maybe Fox and pick it up and pair it with Fringe. I really enjoy watching something other then reality tv or crime shows that just have different letters for their names. Wake up ABC!! This is a different kind of show and it takes more then three weeks to figure out what people want!
I read somewhere that “Ugly Betty” premiered to the same type of ratings, and they gave it a shot. Isn’t more costly to give a show the chance to find its audience than to pay for more shows to be created and produced? If ABC execs are smart, they will listen to those who are watching it, and not to those who aren’t. Word of mouth goes a long way.
Within two episodes this show went off the rails. I don’t know if they were hurrying to tie up first episode plot lines in the second show to demonstrate they could commit where Twin Peaks never did, or if they were rushing to get something resolved because they knew right away they were as doomed as the sheriff and Chloe. A fast-paced, jumbled mess.
I loved this show, it had great characters and was creepy and mysterious. I wish that it was still on. I would like to see where it goes.
I don’t see it being picked up next season. I rather enjoyed the weirdness of the show and yes it has that Twin Peaks fill to it. I just think the timing was WAY off with this show. Maybe they should have bumped it up next to LOST earlier this year, pulled it, and then put it along side LOST for May sweeps. Whatever happens, I either hope that another network, SYFY, picks it up or they give us closer.
First Twin Peaks, then Reunion and now Happy Town. I’m bummed. I think this show is more interesting and less predictable than Harper’s Island. At least Harper’s Island got to play out the plot. I am a little confused though because I thought the set up for Happy Town was going to be like Harper’s Island, several episodes and then the story wraps up. I did not realize it was supposed to have a second season. I hope they end up showing the remaining 5 episodes and the writers can give the few million watchers and ending to the story.
This is ridiculous!!! We need more shows like this on television. Ive been waiting for the second coming of Harpers island and this is it. Harpers islan was amazing and we nee more of it. Happy town can deliver that!!!! Ive been a huge Greys fan and I have to say thats gone to ****. I actually watch that over FOX’s Fringe! Only because I have been a fan of greys for so long. Please do not take away Happy Town!!!!
If I want to watch Transformers I’ll watch the DVD without constant commercial interruption. So what repeats will ABC air in place of Happy Town? Theres already to many news shows and reality shows. I’m sick of network TV!!!!!!!!!!! CBS, NBC, ABC, and Fox you all suck and it always comes down to the all mighty dollar. So why is 3 to 5 million viewers not enough? That is the 10% unemployment rate here the government uses in the US. Apparently that is enough for the country to worry about their jobs and the economy. What the hell do you… Read more »
The show doesn’t have the appeal of ‘Twin Peaks’ or even ‘American Gothic’, so the decline in viewership isn’t really much of a surprise. Perhaps it could end its run on SyFy or something.
this show sucks! ha