Last spring, ABC renewed venerable comedy Scrubs and newbie Better Off Ted, despite their low ratings. Now that they’re back, the network is in a hurry to get rid of them.
Scrubs follows hospital life as seen through the eyes of Dr. J.D. Dorian (Zach Braff). After having left Sacred Heart last season, he’s returned to help teach a new crop of med students. Others in the current cast include Donald Faison, John C. McGinley, Ken Jenkins, Sarah Chalke, Eliza Coupe, Kerry Bishe, Michael Mosley, and Dave Franco.
Better Off Ted follows Ted Crisp (Jay Harrington) and the other employees at Veridian Dynamics, a heartless technology company. The rest of the cast includes Andrea Anders, Jonathan Slavin, Malcolm Barrett, and Portia de Rossi.
Based simply on the ratings, neither ABC sitcom should have been renewed last season. Scrubs had dwindled to an average of 4.97 million viewers and a 2.2 rating in the 18-49 demographic. It was ultimately saved because ABC’s production studio produces the show and another season would bring more money in syndication.
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Last May, Better Off Ted had only aired half of its completed episodes and was averaging a disappointing 1.76 rating and 4.39 million. Though the ratings were quite low, ABC decided to bring the sitcom back for another season. The network programmers supposedly liked the pairing of Ted and Scrubs and hoped that the ratings would improve. When the network began airing the rest of Ted’s first season during the summer, the ratings dropped much further, to an average of 0.74 in the demo and 2.09 million viewers.
The sitcoms have now both returned for the 2009-10 schedule and the ratings are still terrible. Scrubs kicked off this season with a low 2.0 rating in the demo and only 4.5 million viewers. The numbers have dropped since then and last Tuesday’s episode brought in a 1.8 rating and 4.26 million.
Ted debuted with a 1.5 in the demo and 3.82 million. Last week’s installment attracted just a 1.3 and 3.18 million.
To little surprise, ABC has decided to burn off the unaired episodes of both series as quickly as possible. Single installments of each sitcom will air tomorrow night and on the 29th. On New Year’s Day, two episodes of Ted and one of Scrubs will follow the Rose Bowl Game. Then, beginning on January 5th, two installments of each sitcom will run on Tuesday nights. By the end of the month, both sitcoms are expected to have run through their full 13 episode orders.
While the network hasn’t indicated that either series has been cancelled, the decision to burn through the seasons in 60 days certainly isn’t a vote of confidence. Neither Scrubs nor Ted is expected to return, especially in light of the much better performance from newcomers Modern Family and Cougar Town.
What do you think? Do you think Better Off Ted and Scrubs will be cancelled? Will you be sorry to see either one end?
Image courtesy ABC.
Better off Ted is the only thing that i watch on ABC!!
I love Better Off Ted as much as I like Modern Family and The Office. Don’t take it off the air, ABC! Please!
Better Off Ted is my favorite sit com and my husband really loves it too. I think it is really witty and it always makes me laugh. I can’t believe they want to cancel it. I agree they should promote it more. I haven’t seen one advertisement on this show.
Seriously, I am in complete shock that they would cancel Better Off Ted. It is without a doubt one of the funniest shows on tv right now and the only show that I make a point to watch every single week. My girlfriend feels the same, and we would both miss it dearly if it is not renewed for a 3rd season. ABC really screwed the pooch with this one, they completely stopped advertising it and repeatedly changed its time slot and date. No wonder noone watches it, noone can figure out when it airs. ABC, SAVE TED!!!
i do not see how either of these shows is getting such low reviews. Scrubbs is just as funny as the office or 30 rock, and better off ted is just off the charts. Better off ted has me laughing out loud every time I watch it and I find myself not wanting it to end. Ever. I own DVR, and would gladly watch these programs four or five times, each. Every time I watch these episodes I cannot stop quoting it untill the next episode. But, I guess it’s not MY and/or OUR fault we enjoy quality Television.
I absolutely love both Scrubs and Better Off Ted. My husband and I would both be very disappointed to see either show go.
Better Off Ted is the best show on TV. It should be shown between Modern Family and Cougar Town to give the proper audience a chance to see it. Even drop or move Cougar Town if necessary and have Better Off Ted precede Ugly Betty.
Please don’t cancel one of the funniest new shows you have ever put on the air! Better off Ted is hilarious! Love the Veridian Dynamics ads!
Better off Ted is the funniest sitcom on TV easily on a par with the Office and vastly superior to Cougar Town and Ugly Booty. The writing is crisp, the characters, especially Veronica are fascinating, and the situations are always amusing. I hope cable picks it up, or it goes into syndication. Please! Since ABC won’t commit to good writing, they can languish at the bottom of the sitcom scrap heap on every night but Wednesday for all I care. I do like the Middle. But I really like BOT.
Better Off Ted has me in stitches almost every week. The cast is fantastic, the writing and premise are creative, and ABC should be promoting this show more and encouraging more viewers, not trying to “burn it off.” Add Ted to a lineup with Modern Family and Cougar Town, and you’d have a night of Must See TV again.
Better Off Ted is a well scripted, well cast show. I do not know exactly how they get their ratings but I find it hard to believe that they (the ratings) are an accurate portrayal of the shows popularity. The Veridian Dynamic commercials are funny and original and overall I think Better Off Ted is as funny as 30 Rock, Big Bang and even The Office. I know of many people who love Better Off Ted and I would be very dissapointed to see it canceled, especially considering some of the other low quality programming on the network. I have… Read more »
BETTER OF TED IS WAY BETTER THAN EITHER OF THE TWO “NEWCOMERS” MENTIONED. THE PROMOTION OF THE SHOW IS TO BLAME. IT’S AS GOOD AS TWO AND HALF MEN.
I totally agree. Better Off Ted actually makes me laugh out loud. It’s been a long time since a TV show made me do that. ABC needs to advertise their shows and stop randomly changing time slots. It’s their own fualt their shows fail. I’m so tired of investing myself in ABC’s good shows only to have them canceled after 1 or 2 episodes. After Lost is over, I’m boycotting!!!
I’m almost angry that they cancel this most hilarious show in several years. Finally there’s a really good show that is worth watching and they just kill it? Try moving it to Wednesday time slot or put some money in advertising! Air one of those Veridian Dynamics ads! I just love this show and apparently a whole bunch of other people do too!
Better Off Ted is the funniest sitcom on television right now! I can,t believe thay would keep Cougar Town which is terrible and cancel Ted! NO!!!!!!!!