The future looks bright for many of ABC’s Wednesday night sitcoms. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for Mr. Sunshine. The mid-season replacement series has been cancelled after one season.
Mr. Sunshine follows the life of the Manager of Operations at San Diego’s Sunshine Center sports arena, Ben Donovan (Matthew Perry). His job isn’t easy nor made any easier by his crazy boss (Allison Janney), marketing director (Andrea Anders), crazy new assistant (Portia Doubleday), best friend (James Lesure), or his boss’ less-than-skilled son (Nate Torrence).
The sitcom got off to a strong start with a 3.7 rating in the 18-49 demographic and 10.52 million viewers. Unfortunately, the TV series lost 30% of its audience demo in week two and another 15% in week three. Future episodes went up and down a bit but also experienced a couple of serious declines. The May 30th installment registered a truly horrible 1.4 demo rating with just 4.02 million viewers.
The nine episodes that aired averaged a 2.2 rating in the demo and 6.02 million viewers, making it ABC’s lowest-rated sitcom.
To no surprise, ABC has cancelled Mr. Sunshine after one season. Only nine of the 13 episodes have aired and the sitcom left the schedule back in early April. There’s no word on if ABC plans to ever air the remaining four episodes. ABC has released their summer schedule plans and the leftover installments of Mr. Sunshine don’t appear to be a part of them.
What do you think? Are you sorry that there won’t be a second season for Mr. Sunshine? Why do you think the sitcom failed?
Wondering where the rest of your shows stand? Check our ABC cancel/renew page.
Image courtesy ABC.
It was by chance while I was searching for any shows to watch in my laptop when I saw Mr. Sunshine. Mr. Perry’s a good actor but it takes a team (including those behind the camera) to make a good show.
I am so upset to hear this show is being canceled! It had GREAT potential.
It needed better writers to pull it all together, but it was unique and some of the material
was very, very funny. I think with a better chance to catch on, it could have become a hit.
That SUCKS… Why do all the good shows get cancelled?
[…] TV show dates: February 9 – April 6, 2011 Series status: Cancelled […]
I’m somewhat infuriated. The Nielsen boxes rule again. It’s been shown that 20’s and 30’s somethings are not being found in the demographics as well as they could because they tend to watch more online and on mobile devices and aren’t tethered to TV boxes. Everyone I know watched this show and LOVED it (I’m 27, my parents are almost 50 just to give a range). This has happened with several shows in the last 6 years for ABC – Invasion being one, it had a draw for younger people but we weren’t represented. That was the beginning of the… Read more »
Unfortunately, Matthew Perry was expected to carry off a show which didn’t have a very strong storyline or very likable characters (including his). His charm was completely lost in this rather cold comedy full of tired jokes. What it needed was some other characters (maybe a more socially functional man-friday for Perry) with an equally strong presence.
I will miss this show. Bring it back!! Perry is great and so is the premise.
There is so much junk on TV these days, and Mr Sunshine was a show I actually enjoyed. Too bad
There is so much junk on TV these days, and Mr Sunshine was a show I actually enjoyed. Too bad
Only heard about this show yesterday (I don’t watch a lot of regular TV, so I don’t see the commercials), and had planned to check it out because of Matthew Perry, and now today I find out it is cancelled. Shows do not even get a chance anymore; if the ratings are not there in the first couple of weeks, they get flushed down the toilet. They’ll probably put on some “reality” crap instead.
When dealing with a creative show like Mr. Sunshine, and a proven audience favorite like Matthew Perry, I wish networks would give shows a chance to find their audience. This show was rife with possibilities in both plot lines and guest stars. It was an obvious standout in a world of cookie-cutter TV shows. Nine shows, and out? Not a good choice, ABC.
I really liked this show, and am disappointed it’s been canceled. ABC should reconsider.
This sub par sitcom had no chance, starring a fraud playing Mr. Sunshine who needs to get back to rehab, stay in rehab until he conquers his addictions, and learn how to spot a project that has a chance to be successful. Alums from Seinfeld and Friends should be more discerning when picking their next projects.
Besides, I am the real Mr. Sunshine.
I think the show was clever and all of the acting superior. Mathew Perry CAN carry his own how and the supporting cast was absolutely AMAZING…this show should have gotten more of a chance.
Matthew Perry is a really funny actor, but couldn’t carry this show on his own. He does well when has a strong counterpart actor/actress, but there was no one strong for him to work with on this cast, he was left trying to carry it alone, and he could not do it. The show just was old and reused material and simply not funny.