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.
This is the only show that my boyfriend, my family & I watch regularly. I know tons of people who will be really pissed if it is really cancelled.
thanks charmaine I signed the petition and saw it almost up to 6,000 and hope everyone else signs, s60 shouldn’t even be mentioned along with the black donnellys,the donnellys is so much better
I am so disappointed that NBC is cancelling such a great new series. It’s the only show on NBC that I care to watch anymore. I cannot believe they would throw away the best new television series. Do we really need another reality show?? I’m so sick of those. I feel that it hasn’t been given a proper chance to gain additional viewers. It has so many loyal viewers..just look at the NBC message boards and iTunes. I hope NBC wakes up and realizes what a huge mistake they are making..or that another network picks this series up.
Hopefully, you’ll put the Black Donnellys on at a different time. I really looked forward to seeing this series and more!!! It is a great show, and much better than the reality crap. At least finish out the series, and let it continue beyond that. If it’s not put back on, I will not watch NBC. You’ve pulled too many movies.
I don’t believe this show needs to be cancelled. This is a great show, so its violent and tough-so is the real world. If people think it’s too violent, then you don’t have to watch. But for those of us who can handle it and love the show, please keep it on. Really-another reality show, are you kidding me-how original. Lets join the masses and not come up with something new. I’m so sick of reality shows. If NBC wants to do this, they’ll just mess up their ratings.
dont cancel the best show on tv!
Personally I’m glad that NBC is cancelling this show! I for one…well…find it stupid from what I’ve seen (which was the pilot episode),it was all fighting and it moved too slow and I thought “What,is this commerical-free or something?” IMHO,it was THAT bad! Maybe it did get better from what I’ve seen the show wasn’t that good.
I can’t believe this! I have never, in my life, posted a comment about the cancellation of a show. Mind you, I watch and own every episode of every series I’ve ever enjoyed (that’s about 60 shows or so spanning the last 30 years). I thought this was one of the finest shows on TV, and am outraged that NBC would do this. What are they trying to do? Become FOX? Could this be racially motivated… cutting into the irish? ;(
The last BD show went up against the NCAA basketball championship on Monday 4/2. Did NBC expect it to have good ratings that night. I’m a huge BD fan, but I still watched hoops. This is one of two shows that I make time to watch. The show was great! Pretty soon TV is gonna be all reality shows, WWF, and NASCAR. I’m pissed.
This is a great show! Before you go canceling it why not try it on another night. Monday night at 10pm is a tough nut to crack. Moving it to Thursday or Friday night for either ER (when it returns) or Law and Order that have an established fan base already would help the ratings.
I can’t believe it! Finally a decent show to watch and NBC pulls it. Maybe another Reality show will make it, NOT!! Wise up and rethink the cancellation.
What a shame that a well written, ENTERTAINING show has been axed to be replaced by another mind-numbing “reality” show.
As some stated previously, I hope another network picks up the show and lets it become a hit.
Really sad.
http://petitionspot.com/petitions/Donnellys
Sign this petition to save The Black Donnellys!
I’m a huge fan of s60, so I don’t care about BD. But NBC really shouldn’t keep changing the show in that time spot….We don’t want our favour replace by somethin else. It feels like NBC don’t care about audience at all. AND…. enough reality show already!!!!!! Wedding crasher just don’t sounds attractive to me. So just bring back S60! That’s the show I and lots of people want!
Man, f**k NBC! Black Donnellys is an AMAZING show and Paul Haggis+Bob Moresco=GOD! I hope they either pick it back up, or it gets taking to s studio worthy of its awesome-ness!