After a season of lackluster ratings, The CW took a chance last May and renewed Life Unexpected for year two. They hoped that the audience would grow this season but it certainly hasn’t.
Season one of Life Unexpected averaged 2.0 million viewers and a 1.6 rating in the network’s target demographic of women 18-34. This season, the show’s lost more than half of the demo audience, averaging just a 0.7 rating with 1.53 million viewers.
As the network’s lowest rated show, CW execs asked for a couple additional scripts but didn’t order them into production. Life Unexpected is the only series on the network that’s been limited to 13 episodes this season.
While The CW has not officially cancelled Life Unexpected yet, it’s impossible to imagine that they’d renew it for season three. The ratings have just gone too low. Series creator Liz Tigelaar thinks so too. She told the TV Addict back in September that she believed that, if they didn’t get an order for a full season, the show was finished.
The season (likely series) finale will air in January. Deadline is reporting that the writers are treating it like the series finale and will wrap up many of the ongoing storylines.
Tigelaar was skeptical about how fulfilling the end could be. In September, she said, “Obviously if you were doing the end of this story, what I feel the fans want are Cate and Baze together, so that would be a natural series end in someway. Unfortunately, that is not going to to happen by episode 13, at least I don’t think in an artful way. So we’re just going to hope for more and if 13 ends up being our last one we will have some closure, it will feel good and the end, but it won’t be the true end.
What do you think? Should The CW have renewed or canceled Life Unexpected last spring? Why have so many viewers stopped watching? How would you like the series to end?
Image courtesy The CW.
Life Unexpected is a really great show, but it has got off the track of dealing with a daughter and her parents getting to know each other. Instead they have come from left field with the whole Ryan and some ex-love of his life, Lux falling for a teacher which has already been done on “Pretty Little Liars” and “Gossip Girl”. Please writers come up with a better, smart storylines think Gilmore girls.
This show was wonderful during most of the 1st season, but then the writing started disapating towards the end of that season. By the 3rd episode of the 2nd season, I just could stomach it anymore, and it looks like others agreed with me based on the ratings. Once I started watching Raising Hope (funniest new show this year IMO) and Running Wilde, I never looked back. So if anyone’s to blame for the show’s downfall, it’s the writers. And guys, OTH wad picked over LUX because of RATINGS, not fan response. Even this article clearly says this show’s ratings… Read more »
Life Unexpected is so much better than One Tree Hill. That show has run its course. They should move Life Unexpected to Gossip Girls night. It would do so much better and reach a younger audience that night.
They don’t PROMOTE the show and they stuck it in a crappy timeslot. God, the CW is the worst thing to happen to television since Fox “News”. They get shows with RIDICULOUSLY huge fanbases (SUPERNATURAL) and don’t bother promoting it, instead relying on the FANS to do the job of the executives and ad agencies, and then they take a genuinely GOOD show, one that OTHER networks could do wonders with, and they put it up against powerhouse shows and expect it to do well – WHEN THEY DON’T PROMOTE IT, so how the hell could anyone know it even… Read more »
They don’t PROMOTE it, because the CW
I VOTE THAT THE SHOW SHOULD NOT BE CANCELLED!! I LOVE THE SHOW, THE SHOW HELPS ME UNWIND AFTER A STRESSFUL DAY. PLEASE PLEASE DONT SAY GOODBYE JUST YET. I HAVE FAITH IN THE SHOW!!
Im so so sad that they are cancelling it, i they do!
I think the way they ended season 1 was good enough if it did not come back. It seems like a reach of a storyline in season 2. Lux and her parents always seem to end up at the same place and Ryan always gets upset. Here is my prediction, Lux gets pregnant by the teacher and Kate and Baze can’t say all that much because that was how they had Lux at such a young age. It may pull K & B together more and Ryan will just exit stage right and go back with his ex. The Baze/Boss… Read more »
I Love Life Unexpected!! It’s is one of the best shows on tv!! I never miss it and can’t believe they are thinking about cancelling. Please don’t cancel!!! It has huge potential to be another long running show like one tree hill. Life Unexpected, in my opinion, gives one tree a run for the money! I think that if the cw would just wait it out and continue producing more AMAZING episodes like the one this week, that it would definitely pick up more viewers!! PLEASE DON’T CANCEL LIFE UNEXPECTED!!!!!
Please don’t cancel – it’s a great show and maybe is just in a bad time slot.
I’ve been watching one tree hill since the 1st episode, and as a true fan I can say the show has now became AWFUL!!! Life Unexpected is a great, don’t cancel it!!! It is young and fresh and keeps you on your toes now.
I don’t understand how one tree got renewed, and life unexpected didn’t! Verrrryyy sad!
-nicole
I love this show. I think that it is one of the best on the CW.
I don’t understand why a network like the CW/WB/UPN cancels series when they have viewers around 1.5/2 million. The network is not a big one, and your average show is around 2.5 maybe viewers! then they put a show on tuesday nights up against dancing with the stars which brings in 23 million viewers or close to it, and i admit i love dancing as well but i dvr life and dancing at the same time. Try putting the series on a night other than monday or tuesday and maybe the ratings will boost. The CW is just going to… Read more »
Seriousy, this is the BEST SHOW EVER! I just wish there was a way to get it more publicity. It’s not just the best show on the CW……it’s the best show on television. FOR REAL. IMHO. 🙂 I can’t believe it’s not more popular. If it ends this year, I will be beyond bummed. I love every minute of every show. Every story line is awesome and different. Not your typical show. SAVE LIFE UNEXPECTED……PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEZ! 😀
I NEED LIFE UNEXPECTED! It’s one of the BEST show’s out there, as a 25 yr old mom, LUX is how I unwind. Life UnExpected is the show that I look forward to threwout the week, better than Grey’s Anatomy, Private Practice, 90210, Top Model, etc. If this show really ends in January, I will not watch ANYTHING else on The CW and I hope that another network picks it up.