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.
Please don’t cancel it …it needs to be advertised way better …I luv that show
I loved the show and am really upset it is finished. I think the finale was horrible. Since day one, the viewers have been waiting for cate and baze to get together. All we get is 2 yrs later they end up together. No passionate love scene or anything. I was greatly dissapointed. I will miss the show and NO!!!!! I don’t think that the show should be cancelled.
The ending was too wrapped up, I knew something was up. I love this show. I can’t believe that it would be cancelled. This sucks! I watched since day one and haven’t missed a single episode. CW, I sure hope your paying attention because a lot of people are very disappointed…this is where it could get really interesting…I’m crossing my fingers and hoping they come to their senses.
I absolutely loved this show and was so disappointed to find out that it was going to be cancelled after the first season. I was really upset at how the last episode of the 1st season ended because i was so hoping that Cate and Baze would get together. They are meant for each other. But somehow after the bad news, i got over it and then I kind of got distracted with other shows. But now that I’m getting into the show again I find out that once again its going to be cancelled. I just don’t think that… Read more »
I absolutely LOVE this show!!! My husband even lives it! I’m very upset about them cancelling
What a disappointment! We were faithful viewers and will really miss ‘Life Unexpected’. The actors were great and the story line was really good. At least the show had a happy ending…….though there are many ways that this story line could go. I agree with everyone else- don’t cancel this show. 🙁
What the heck!!! I can’t believe you are not continuing this show. I watch it and so do my sisters. We love it. My daughter who is 21 and her 6 room-mates also watch and love it. When they are counting viewers do they factor in people who dvr the show? So very sad that it isn’t being picked up for another season. Even my 15 y.o son enjoyed watching it.
Unbelievable that it is the lowest rated show on your network. It doesn’t make sense, but we also loved Veronica Mars and you got rid of that show too.
CONGRATULATIONS FOR COMING UP WITH SUCH A SATISFYING, FULFILLING SHOW, SUCH AS LIFE UNEXPECTED. However, I would like to express my extreme ire on the cancelling of LIFE UNEXPECTED. All the other reponses before mine, expressed my feelings so well. The issues of this show are hard to face, but they are a reality of life, and LIFE UNEXPECTED provided at least one good answer for each problem. Life IS unexpected and doesn’t always have a happy ending. It is in most cases, a struggle that made this show personally gratifying and encouraging to those who try to live to… Read more »
I can’t believe that CW would cancel this show. My husband and I looked forward to this show on Tuesdays. The other shows on CW cater only to teenagers. Ratings is all these TV stations care about. It is a shame to cancel this show.
It’s sad having seen last night’s season finally and a dirty trick to play on it’s loyal viewers. No offense to the CW network,but the vast majority of your programs are lacking in morality. With all the shows catering to the belief that people’s wealth excuses them for their bad behavior it was refreshing to see a show about typical people trying to get buy with realistic problems. This was the first show to my knowledge that even addressed the harsh realities of life within the foster care system. It’s sad to say the least, but if it’s over than… Read more »
I agree with everyone else! I loved this show. CW always does this, canceling shows that a lot of people love.
This was a wonderful show and should really not be canceled. The CW does this to too many of their shows and needs to realize that people watch it from their website after the original airing. Life Unexpected should certainly continue on for another season. KEEEP THE SHOW!
The season finale is super. That last couple of minutes, you’re trying to figure out who is with who (and not enjoying that much) but at the very last seconds: Cate&Baze together? I fell in love by the show all over again. But how did it happen? We missed all the fun!!! Come on! I love the show, truly, (the central subject is so original, so “unexpected”, right?), but I think we should be fair, and the ratings don’t lie, this season was so-so, sometimes less that that. Maybe because we had so less of Cate & Baze? I love… Read more »
Please dont cancel it i love that show i jsut started watching it i didnt even know it was on there maybe if there was more promoting it,it would have more cause i jsut decided to watch it one day after One Tree Hill and know im hooked
I agree with all of the above; Life Unexpected is one of the best shows the CW has ever produced – I mean, this IS the network responsible for America’s Next Top Model – need I say more?! I am surprised and disappointed to hear this show is likely not returning…and to whoever commented about the show Veronica Mars…I couldn’t agree more! That was another good show that seemed to get pulled without notice!
I have watched Life Unexpected since the very first show. If i was not home i would dvr it. I am very diapponted that you cancelled the show. HEAVEN KNOWS MOST OF THE OTHER SHOWS ON YOUR NETWORK SUCK.