At the recent Television Critics Association press tour, ABC Entertainment Group President Paul Lee reflected on cancelled mini-series The Assets.
He said that he was proud of The Assets creatively and as a business model, even though the ratings were a disappointment. “That one was actually a great experiment [with our news division] and we’re going to continue with that experiment even though the show didn’t work.”
Lee noted that, “In the end, what we need do as we test out different pieces [of programming] is to find ones that work both financially and creatively so that we can have programming the whole year-round.”
The network president also said that the remaining episodes of The Assets would be made available at some point in the future — either on the broadcast schedule or via one of ABC’s digital platforms like ABC.com.
What do you think? Are you open to watching limited series — even though the network may still pull them early? Would you like to see the rest of The Assets?
I agree with Gregory you never know what is on at any given time and late at night it is all info commercials 27% at last count also re the Assest I liked the show and had hoped to watch it but sadly ratings are geared to imbeciles
My fault for watching a series on broadcast TV. I should have stayed with cable. Networks need to play to the lowest common denominator to justify their ad rates. Cable networks and especially premium networks user higher production values to justify their subscription rates. Kind of like PBS playing to those who contribute during fund drives. Broadcast networks have to air schlock and that is all we can expect from them.
I have been looking for the show each week on Thursday and just decided to google it tonight and to my surprise it has been cancelled. I would love to see how this mini-series ends.
I watched the first episode and dvr’d the second because I was going to be out of town. It seemed like it was going to be a great dramatic (fact-based) mini-series and I was anxious to see it. I wondered why additional episodes did not record & I finally discovered the series had been yanked after 2 airings. Very annoying! ABC – I am NOT interested in Shark Tank. Give those of us who’d like to see the mini-series an opportunity to watch it – even if you put it on after the late night shows. How about- 1am? At… Read more »
Mini-series have this problem: you have to watch from the beginning. I think ABC’s timing was bad – starting a mini-series on January 2, when kids weren’t back in school and people are still out. I myself missed the first episode, but only realized it when the 2nd one was about to air, so I DVR’ed it and downloaded the pilot on demand. When I learned of the cancellation I was upset because it seemed like a really good show, and so I watched it so I would decide whether to buy it when they release it to DVD next… Read more »
I was recording the series The Assets to watch when i could and was very disappointed to discover that it was canceled after two episodes. Now im hooked and cant watch the rest of the series. I would be very interested in seeing the rest of the entire mini-series
My wife and I looked forward all week to seeing Assetts. We saw 2 episodes and it took me 2 weeks to find out it was cancelled!! It seems that everhy time I watch network TVn (don’T HAVE CABLE) ALL I FIND IS SHARK TANK OR SOME STUPID REALITY SHOW. We don’t get any really good network shows except the mini-series. When I grew up we had 39 weeks of a season of Bonanza, Gunsmoke, Combat, Lassie, you name it , followed by reruns in the summer. Now you get a show like Marvel and every 3-4 shows is a… Read more »
What a shame. This is a mini series. I think the problem was not the limited viewers but the publicity leading up to it. I think each season there should be mini series and this was a good one to go with. Just as I was getting others to watch, you pull it.
If ABC isn’t going to air this let Amazon or Netflix have it so I can see it. I thought the show was off to a terrific start – and yes, I remember Star Trek. IFC is running the Spoils of Babylon, which isn’t at all funny and an insult to a good cast. Just shows us our American standard of entertainment.
We watch mostly PBS dramas, and The Assets seemed to be of that caliber. So of course it gets cancelled. Maybe a public station could pick it up?
So the episodes will air sometime in the future! What good is that if people perhaps aren’t aware when they show up? Good grief, it was only 8 episodes. Stick it out for the sake of that audience who watched and now are left hanging. I’ll think twice before watching a new show again. I like the idea of limited episode mini-series because you see the end of the story in 8 or 10 episodes. BUT YOU’VE GOT TO FINISH IT AND NOT LEAVE PEOPLE HANGING. It’s a short time span and you owe it to the audience!
this was such a mistake. I will never trust abc again to entice me into a historical mini series ever again. abc should come up with a nonsense reality show and cancel it before it even airs.
This show had the makings of a great series. Who exactly has these Nielsen boxes and or makes decisions about programming, and what criteria do they use anyway. I agree with Don……….. Remember Star Trek??
ABC had a winner on its hand – whoever the idiot was that cancelled it should be fired. Remember Star Trek – it too was to be cancelled -good thing NBC changed its mind millions of dollars were made.
Bring back the final six episodes of The Assets
Way to go ABC, finally a solid show for you and you give up on it 2 episodes in. Good luck convincing us to commit to watching another new show or mini series.