It looks like the axe has fallen for the Paul Haggis/Bobby Moresco drama The Black Donnellys. But does it have to be replaced by a reality show?
The Black Donnellys follows the story of four young Donnelly brothers — a clan of Catholic Irish-American siblings who are involved in organized crime in New York’s infamous Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood. The story is told by unreliable narrator and Donnelly childhood friend named Joey “Ice Cream” while being incarcerated. The series stars Jonathan Tucker, Thomas Guiry, Olivia Wilde, Billy Lush, Michael Stahl-David, Kirk Acevedo and Keith Nobbs.
The series debuted on NBC on February 26, 2007 and took the place of Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip on Monday nights. The series’ initial half hour did well (10 million) but viewership fell off significantly in the second half hour (6 million). The series’ initial hour ranked #50 for the week. The subsequent episodes lost viewers and attracted as few as 5.5 million.
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While many hoped that a Donnelly dismissal would mean the return of Studio 60, NBC has other plans. The Real Wedding Crashers will debut at 10pm on Monday nights beginning April 23rd, just in time for May sweeps. It seemed like the Crashers reality show would air on Sunday nights but, NBC execs like the series enough to give it the benefit of a post-Heroes debut.
Unless NBC pulls the series even earlier, only eight episodes of Donnellys will have aired on network TV. The series’ third episode, entitled “God is a Comedian Playing to an Audience Afraid to Laugh,” was considered too violent for network TV and was released as an NBC.com exclusive.
The network has ordered 13 episodes and its unknown at this point what will become of the remaining four segments. They may air over the summer or could be released as online exclusives.
Whether we get to see the rest or not, it looks unlikely the series will be back for a new season in the Fall. NBC will announce their Fall schedule next month. Stay tuned! 
UPDATE: NBC has now pulled Donnellys’ last scheduled episode due to low ratings. The unaired episodes will be made available on NBC.com, presumably on a weekly basis.
Bummer! Finally something worth watching on NBC and they pull it! The execs really had a good thing here and they spoiled it by yanking it before it had a chance to really take off.
It was truly refreshing to see something other than Italian based crime family drama on television. Been there done that, Donnellys was a great opportunity to see it from another perspective. NBC please reconsider!!
Please bring back the show – I really enjoyed this intense & realer than reality drama.
I can NOT believe NBC is pulling this show! My husband and I love this show and thought it was a definite hit! Being replaced by The Wedding Crashers… I mean come on!
Bad decision NBC. Take a look back at one of the best shows in History…”Friends”. They didn’t receive good ratings until the episodes were re-aired over the summer. Imagine if you would have cancelled that show. Open your eyes and ears….people are sick of Reality shows. You had a great show….bring it back and give people a chance to see it again.
They really should reconsider cancelling this show. They cancelled the Black Donnelly’s without even giving time for it to catch on. I had told family and friends to watch and they never got the chance. Please reconsider — if not for prime time sweeps, how about for summer when everyone is just showing re-runs anyway?
This show is the best show on TV bar none!
This is a bunch of sh#t that it’s being cancelled. For another stupid ass reality show. I love this show and it’s a shame its gone.
Who the hell is running NBC, abunch of retards? They finally come out with an awesome show like the black donnelly’s and they pull it for some pull sh*t reality show. Me and all my friends loved this show and evan had watch party’s. NBC should of done more advertising for this show or something it was poorly marketed. Bring it back before you screw up more.
One of the best dramas to air in a long time. I hope cable picks it up. Rivetting and well acted!!!
NBC= No Balls Corporation
NBC AINT EVER GONNA BE ABLE TO COMPETE WITH THE “BETTER” NETWORKS IF THEY KEEP CANCELLING QUALITY MADE SHOWS BEFORE THEY HAVE A CHANCE TO TAKE OFF DUMBA55E5!
The purpose of all television is to generate an audience to whom advertisers can show commercials. Other than commercial-free premium channels like HBO, that’s how all television shows, and thus their networks, make money. A show can be brilliant, but if only a few million people watch it, advertisers won’t want to waste their money paying to put commercials on during that particular time slot. The quality of a show is completely irrelevant to a broadcast network. If they could get their best ratings with a test pattern, then that’s what we’d be seeing all through prime time.
This f**king sucks
i am sick of reality shows that is all that is on the tv now.No one can come up with new show ideas, so they just make these stupid shows or have a spin-off for another.
that is ridiculous, that they would replace a strong show with good writing for more mindless reality crap-a-vision. I hope it gets pulled fast and the donnellys can return!
NBC made a huge mistake cancelling the Black Donnelly’s. They suck