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.
This show should be tried in a different time slot. The CW does a lot of reruns at random times too, and sometimes I’ll forget to check the following week to see if it is new. This time slot put the show up against a bunch of shows like Dancing with the Stars, so it is understandable that ratings would be low. It deserves a shot. It is such a great show and I cannot imagine how everything can be wrapped up by episode 13. At least make a movie for the 2 million viewers that are in love with… Read more »
Please don’t cancel Life unexpected…I look forward to this show every week…you need to give it time….I agre, it’s a classic like the Gilmore Girls…it’s so original!!
Save Life Unexpected! It is a well-written quality show.
Life Unexpected and One Tree Hill are my favorite shows on CW. They are the only shows that I actually look up to watch. I only use Netflix otherwise, so I don’t catch new episodes of most shows, but I do catch these ones on Cwtv.com every Monday (or sooner, if they are up sooner.). Please continue with season 3, because I know there are a lot of us out there that actually enjoy Life Unexpected.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! This is one of my absolute favorite shows! I love life uexpected. The storyline is amazing and i love the cast. The show is just amazing in general. Please don’t get rid of it!!! I watch it every week. I agree with everyone else its the time slot/day its on. It competes for shows that have been on longer. Its not fair for the people who have loved this show from the beginning. please keep it on air!!!!
This is sooo upsetting. Life unexpected is one of the good show drama shows in any channel . Who bases the quality of the show to its viewers . They kinda wanted to die after putting one tree hill . They can’t cancel this show it draws attention to me and other people. I hate when shows get canceled . Why can’t they sell tthe show to ABCFamily people will watch it there ? CAn you even do that >?
This is one of the best shows I have seen on the CW, the only time i turn my TV to this channel is to watch this show and One Tree Hill, all the other shows are poorly maintained… This is one of the best since probaly 7th heaven…. please dont cancel this show….
I knew this would happen when they moved the show from Monday to Tuesday, plus they put it after OTH which is on it’s way out. putting LIFE on after OTH was a death sentence.
NNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO I cant believe out of all the shows I watch this one is one of my fav. please oh please dont cancel Life UneXpected. Please oh please keep it , it one of the most interseting shows ive seen in a while.
I just don’t see how the CW can expect a show as new as LUX to compete in the time slot its in. Its competing with Dancing with the Stars on ABC, The new NCIS- Los Angeles on CBS, and The Biggest Loser on NBC. These are really big hits that have been around for while or a spin off of a show thats been around for a long time and gets excellent ratings just for that. Plus all of the shows that are doind better in that time slot have a much bigger demographic than LUX. If they put… Read more »
No surprises here. When the strongest show of a network is Vampire Diaries, one should see what kind of demographic targer the network is aiming at.
I actually thought the best show of the CW was Life Unexpected as far as acting, writing and directing. It did made me feel like there was a desire of telling a good story. Too good to be true.
And the time slot, for heaven’s sake!!!
I think is an absurd to cancel this serie…It’s amazing, the best serie at the moment.In opposite to others series, there is a good and rich history in life unexpected, showing things that could happens anyone’s life.And, that’s a good written history, with a good plot…would be a pity cancel it…I hope this don’t come true.
I really hope the third season of life unexpected
ps:from Brasil
One more thing! TRY A DIFFERENT TIME SLOT!!! Who moves this show to the same time as soooo many other hits out on tv prime time right now?? Seriously, its like CW wanted Life Unexpected to fail!! try a different time…day…day and time..something! Its WORTH SAVING!!!! 0
Also, I don’t think the Lux teacher thing is that far fetched! First of all, it happens in real life, and second of all when they met they DIDN’T KNOW they were going to be teacher/student!!!! It’s not like their age difference is so unimaginable!!
I am seriously wondering who in the world do they base their viewers off of! This is ridiculous! Life Unexpected is one of my favorite shows ever!! Why does the network have to cancel good shows? Its a a show the whole family can watch, and relate too!! I love this show,they are working up to so many new opportunities or directions they can go with it!! Please renew this show for a third season CW! All the posts I have read on here are saying the same thing, so if we aren’t viewers then WHO IS???? Take what all… Read more »
I agree, This show is intelligent, realistic (as in no undead creatures or aliens with superpowers) and it speaks to an audience of a range of ages. Move the time slot, keep Shaun Sipos (he’s gorgeous), not just different time but different day. Pick a day and time that is weaker for other networks so a fan base can grow instead of putting a new show up against some of the heavy hitters of the other networks. Consider the online pull as well, why can’t I watch any of the CW’s shows the next day online like with other networks?… Read more »