Though it was promoted ad nauseum during the coverage of the Summer Olympics, NBC could find few friends for their My Own Worst Enemy series. The TV show has been cancelled after airing just four episodes.
My Own Worst Enemy follows the strange life of Henry Spivey (Christian Slater), a hum-drum suburbanite with a wife and two kids (played by Madchen Amick, Taylor Lautner, and Bella Thorne). Unknown to Henry and his loved ones, he has a dual identity as a secret operative and trained killer named Edward Albright.
Edward works for a superspy organization under supervisor Mavis Heller (Alfre Woodard) and is partnered with friend and fellow operative Tom Grady/Raymond Carter (Mike O’Malley). Others in the series include Omid Abtahi, Saffron Burrows, James Cromwell, Sarai Givaty, Mark Ivanir, Mindy Sterling, Missy Yager, Eugenia Yuan, and Louis Giambalvo.
The show debuted on October 13, 2008 on NBC. Despite a lot of high-profile promotion, the premiere attracted only 7.27 million viewers and a 3.0/8 rating/share in the 18-49 demographic. The following week, the numbers dropped to 5.69 million and a 2.6/6. The most recent episode hit a low of 4.27 million and 1.8/5. Though Heroes has been struggling this season, Worst Enemy has been losing over 40% of its lead-in audience and more than that in the key demographic.
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NBC has announced that they are cancelling the series following the completion of its ninth episode. It’s been confirmed that the network plans to continue to air the series until all of the episodes have been shown.
If Worst Enemy goes uninterrupted, the series finale should air on December 15th, the same night as Heroes’ so-called “fall finale.” Because of the abrupt cancellation, fans of Worst Enemy aren’t expected to be given any kind of conclusion to the show’s ongoing storylines. That’s enough to make even mild-mannered Henry angry. Stay tuned! 
Image courtesy NBC.
I love this show!!!! I am so upset, last week I went to watch it and had to watch another reality show….. mom butting into their son’s love life!!! OMG.
I am hoping maybe Fox will pick it up
# 114 dropped an atom bomb of knowledge for everyone. I agree totally n was gonna say something similar between technology n the fast pace world I dont watch my shows live but thanks 2 my tivo I don’t nor should I be forced 2 for fear of lack of viewers or ratings canceling my shows. I watch my Monday programming including “My Own Worst Enemy” on Wed my day-off. I think that it was an excellent show dat had lots more room fro growth n potential….put out 2 pasture b4 it ever reached its prime what a shame Im… Read more »
I didn’t think I was going to like this show, even though I’m a huge Christian Slater fan, since the days of “Legend of Billie Jean”. I forced myself to watch the first episode, and when it was over, I said to myself, it wasn’t bad. I decided to watch the second episode, an undoubtedly became hooked on it. This became the third show in my Monday night lineup, after “Sarah Connor Chronicles”, and “Heroes”. This show was my closer for Monday night!!! Now it’s over? If people want bad reality shows they can watch “YouTube” if you want Great… Read more »
I agree this show was very good and the plot could have 100 different directions at any given time, and the way they ended it really made me angry. Maybe NBC feels like intentionally pissing off all their viewers.
This is a huge disappointment! I know I watched every week and was interested in it. It’s a shame they would cancel a good show and leave bad ones still on. I didn’t even know until I didn’t come on tonight and searched for the season finale date online!!
Sickening. My favorite shows the the winter 2008/fall 2008 seasons combined were 1.New Amsterdam 2.Terminator 3.My Own Worse Enemy. Now 2 of the 3 are gone and Terminator is moved to friday deadzone, so it will be canceled soon as well. Guess i should thank TV execs for forcing me away from the TV. I already dont watch tv Tuesday-Saturday. (even stopped watching all 3 Law and Orders) Monday was the best nice with Terminator/Heroes/MOWE all in a row.
Sigh. I swear
I actually took the time to join the NBC panel — something I would rarely do. NBC (and ABC) have lost the ball for what makes good television. It’s not reality TV — those shows aren’t even allowed on in my household — none of them! Thought provoking storylines and great character development makes a show great — and that can’t be done in 4 episodes when they cancelled it. And — everyone in the last 30 yrs have changed how we watch TV — VCRs, TiVos, DVRs, and the internet — I don’t have to sit in front of… Read more »
…and did you notice that the show was really hitting it’s stride in the last few weeks. They canceled this show just a few in before getting a chance to build. Seinfeld was not great the first few episodes…but it hit it’s stride and went on to be HUGE. I wonder if the show was called Law & Order: My Own Worst Enemy, if that would have allowed it to stay. Seems like they have a half dozen shows (and it works for CBS with CSI spin offs). SUCKS!!! Same thing happened last year with Journeyman.
This show was so good, I don’t understand how people couldn’t watch it. I hope someone picks it up or at least they put the first season on dvd.
You finally put something on that people will watch (other then reality shows for teens) and you drop it this quick… I am sure you do not care about me wasting 5 min of my life to make these comment, but I for one will be removing your channel from my TV listing. I guess if enough people did that, you would reconsider, but there are far too many teens watching your reality shows for this to make an impact. I hope your sponsors do well with the big spenders. Back to watching re-runs on TBS .When will the reality… Read more »
So how long til Kath & Kim gets cancelled? I’m surprised it is still on. Maybe this will get picked up by FOX or CBS. NBC has to lose at least 5 shows from their primetime lineup since Leno will be going to 10 o’clock.
I completely agree with what you guys are saying, this show went into emotions which no one felt like feeling, so finally a great cast on a show which made you think a little bit gets cancelled, that’s what some people who don’t like this show are coming to, and it sucks for us who like shows like these that are this interesting.
Seriously. This is a great show, one of the most original in years. Plus Madchen Amick is hot. It really needs an audience. One of the networks needs to pick it up, quick.
is that the way it goes? copy seinfeld and you’ll stay on forever do something original and you will last a month. how many more seasons will we have to watch fat people lose weight?
Why is it that every show that is different gets canceled! I am sick and tired of the same ‘comedy’ shows done over & over again.