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.
Seriously? It was nice to be able to have a choice to watch something other than a CSI, hospital/Dr. or reality show. Obviously the exec’s at NBC don’t have a clue of what the viewers want! The Real Wedding Crashers?????? Thank goodness NBC has Hero’s, ’cause thats all you have left worth watching. Even ER ran out of “good” plot lines 3 seasons ago! Someone, standup, take charge and BRING BACK THE DONNELLY’S!!!!!!!!!!!
TV sucks now. There is never anything good on anymore. The Black Donnellys was the only show I was excited to watch and I would actually make time for. The Wedding Crashers sucks! I didn’t laugh once. Someone please pick up this show!!!
Screw NBC, and all of those mindless idiots out there that make shows like American Idol and Dancing with the Stars, so damn popular. And now here we are stuck with yet again another crap a$$ reality tv show. I don’t even know why I bother turning the damn TV on anymore, its nothing but idiots making a$$es out of themselves.
Bring back the Black Donnellys. It was the only thing i want to watch On Monday. Bring the F in Show back. Maybe if they put more work into showin off the show, like they did to the Real Wedding Crasher(Hate It). Maybe more people would watch it. I Stop And think, maybe this is a good reason why NBC is one of the worest networks out there. Finally people start gettin into a show and they pull it. You really cant tell if a show is goin to do good or not just by One Season. Who knows maybe… Read more »
fx please pick up this show, its your chance at the next shield
I loved the black donnellys. I have to get up very early for work and so usually go to bed early. but, on mondays, i stayed up just for this show. there really is nothing on tv anymore worth watching.
Loved this show, hope they bring it back.
I have watched the BD since the beginning it is the most cutting edge show I have seen in a long time. I along with thousands of other people have downloaded the episodes to our Ipods, I hope the creators of this show shop it around because all the have to do is look at it being the Itunes top ten of tv shows.
Another message from Canada. This show was(is) great. Piloting it against CSI Miami was stupid, especially during such a difficult time(season) to compete against others.
I’m tired of the reality shows. Friday Night Lights and BD were two of the best shows aired during this season. Move the BD to another day and time slot and watch the following grow.
I am so disappointed. Look at 24 on Fox, what day did they originally start on and develop a following and then they changed their slot.
Bottom line, give it another chance and put it on the air.
this show rocked and nbc replaces yet another spot w/reality t.v cant wait .u suck nbc if you cancel this show
BD was a great show I am annoyed to say the least that NBC pulled the plug. I seriously think that is some of the best TV I have seen in 10 years
Not that it matters but here’s a message from Canada. We have been subjected to enough mindless reality programing, and just when I thought a large network was getting it right by airing a fabulous program like the Donnellys, they go ahead and pull it for more mindless s#*t. What is NBC thinking? Pioliting a show during march madness, even I know thats ridiculous.This is extremely disapointing and very frustrating that networks and obviously the general public are more interested in watching people embarassing themselves on reality T.V. rather than watching a well put together,and creative show. Anyway thumbs down… Read more »
I love this show. The only one I really watched. Go to nbc.com/Footer/Contact_Us
Let them know how you feel.
Why is it that all the good shows and the addicting shows get canceled. But the truly stupid shows replace the good shows.Do the people that run these stations even watch TV?
This was the best show ever.. now its replaced by the real wedding crashers… i saw 5 min. of that show n turned off the t.v… it sucked…how could you replace the blace donnellys with rubbish like a reality t.v. show… i loved watching heroes then the black donnellys… now i have to watch it online…