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 bring back the show!!!!!!! I LOVE THE SHOW! First Peyton and Lucas on One Tree Hill are taken off the show and now THIS?! C’mon CW! This show is great for people of all ages, you would be dumb to not bring it back… =(
fiddle, our favorite show is now over.
I am very disappointed that Life Unexpected is going off the air. Although I am not in the target demographic at 55, I loved all the characters and the storylines. If it had to be canceled, I am grateful that the writer’s tied up the loose ends even though I was completely stunned when I realized the show I was watching was the series finale rather than the season finale. It made the last five minutes upsetting rather than uplifting which I believe was the writers’ purpose in showing all the positive relationships which came to be in the two… Read more »
For once there was a show both my teenage daughter and I could relate to! Please bring back Life Unexpected!!!
I loved this show! It was gritty without being trashy like so many other CW shows. This show was a bout a high schooler but it had a more adult vibe that I could really appreciate and get into. I am very sad and shocked to find that episode 213 was a series finale! I was watching it looking forward to next episodes in the season…only to find the entire show hastily ended in a way that left the characters that I have rapidly grown to love patched together (which is great…but now the way it happened.) This show should… Read more »
I’m so disappointed that this show is over! Why didn’t they advertise for it more? It was so good!
Boycotting the CW for taking this off the air…I loved it!
Way to go CW for canceling yet another GOOD show! I suppose you could fill the open space with “reality tv” like every other network… and that last episode was a joke. I feel sorry for the writers having to stuff in an ending like that. I suppose losing the 1.6mil. viewers that enjoyed the show is worth it…?
Very upsetting!
I hope CW chooses to sign on for another season. If not then I’ll be done with them as well. First Lucas & Peyton were taken off One Tree Hill – totally changing the entire show – and now this. I’m 26 and love this show. Even my husband watches it with me. Maybe if they would give the show a chance and not have so many breaks and reruns, it would have had a chance. I’m glad the writers chose wrap it up just in case, but I would have loved to seen the build up of Kate and… Read more »
Agreed!! It is the only CW show my boyfriend will watch!! I would love to know how everything ends up the way it does. Please bring it back!!!!!!
Don’t cancel this show! It is my absolute FAVORITE and apparentley everyone else’s too! Come on CW don’t be idiots!
As with everyone, I will be very disappointed if this show ends for good. It the only AMAZING, incredible show and I LOVE it. Crossing my figures that by some miracle this show will continue!!
Just watched the last episode of series two…I savoured everny minute I was watching and was shocked when I realised this was it…what a rip off! It was such a good show with so much potential, Im devastated thats it over!
My favorite show and now cancelled. So disappointed.
This show needs to stay on air! CW please continue this show. Life Unexpected could really could really head to great places and teach your audiences wonderful things. I am very sad to hear that this show was even concidered to go off air.
I came across watching this show just by chance in the middle of the first season. I am a mother of three children who are almost grown. This show had a great affect on me and the raising of my 15 year old daughter. I just finished watching the season finale and cried my eyes out at the end, especially when it skipped forward to 2012. It is a really great show and I believe there was not enough publicity for the show and maybe that is the cause of so few viewers. It truly does represent to me what… Read more »