To no surprise, NBC has cancelled its latest foray into reality television. The show that has been on the “chopping block” since it premiered has come to an end. The network series has cancelled The Chopping Block.
Based on an Australian reality series of the same name, The Chopping Block stars celebrated chef and restaurateur Marco Pierre White (from the UK’s Hell’s Kitchen). The British Michelin star chef splits eight newbie cooks and restaurateurs up into two teams of four couples each. Each side is given an empty restaurant space in the middle of Manhattan. Working together, they must plan, open, and operate a restaurant in the most competitive city in the world.
In some ways, the series is similar to FOX’s Hell’s Kitchen show — except that it didn’t attract nearly as many viewers. The March 11th premiere attracted an embarrassing number of viewers, just 3.77 million with a 1.4/4 rating/share in the 18-49 demographic. The following week, it dropped to 3.46 million and a 1.3/4. This week, Chopping Block fell much further, to just 2.58 million viewers and a 0.9/2 rating/share.
Chopping Block has been cancelled effective immediately. For the time being, NBC will fill the timeslot with repeats of Law & Order: Criminal Intent, installments that first aired on the network last year. Newer episodes of the drama are still scheduled to debut on April 29th.
The remaining five episodes of Chopping Block may air at some point in the future but it doesn’t look very likely.
UPDATE: Beginning April 1st, NBC started releasing a new episode online each Wednesday. While this is good news for those with high-speed Internet connections, this ensures that the network won’t be airing the episodes on broadcast television. To watch, go to hulu.com.
Image courtesy NBC.
Why support a TV network that leaves it’s viewers hanging out on a limb? That is very rude, and to show some bs reruns of some boring show, that just adds salt to the wounds! 🙁
It’s their own fault if they didn’t have viewers, they only showed previews for a short while before the show came on the air.
Yes, I highly agree with previous posters…………….
As I am not suprised a bit they gave Chopping Block the “CHOP”, at least give the followers of the full 3 eps (as I was ) the decency of at LEAST A WEBSITE to view the final outcome…………………………….(throws up arms and rolls eyes up)………….
NBC does it again..No backing for the choice they made. No stick it out and promote it a bit..Where were the efforts to find food sponsers that would have seen the value of sticking with it..
I am at the top end of your demographic desired range..should I just be buried with my T.V. at 50..
Law and order is “old news”..At least put it on the net..Full shows on the net!!!
Show it!!!! I want to see who wins!!!!
I hope they will run the last episodes on some other channel…
I’m quite disappointed that this show has been cancelled. It isn’t right that the people who were following the show do not get to see the results. I live in Philadelphia and a few of our hometown people are on the show and could be the winners. Would like to know what happens. Please let us know, as it is not right to remove show before the session is over.
I watched because ilike shows like Top Chef and reality shows in general. The fact is, this one was absolutely awful. Good riddance. I was looking forward to a TV show with Marco Pierre White (though not as much as a dinner with him), but this was unwatchable. Of course, since I hate the whole Lawn Order/CS aye yi yi franchise garbage, I won’t be watching NBC any more than I would have, had they continued with The Choking Block.
I looked forward to this show! Chef White has such class and patiently tried to teach the contestants. Another good show down the drain. Wish there was a way to gauge viewership from Tivo and DVR viewers.
Why is anyone actually suprised? In general, NBC lacks compelling programming and the tepid ratings are a testament to that observation.
The show was not up against March Madness. Directly. It aired on Wednesdays, and MM was on Thursdays.
I agree that those who did watch should get to find out what happened. There are all kinds of other networks that NBC is affiliated with…USA, Bravo, etc. The series could run on one of those channels.
Look at some of the potential bombs from the past that had lousy ratings but grew into mega hits, like Saturday Night Live, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, Seinfeld, Etc. Lisa was spot on when she remarked about airing a new show during March madness. If the network is dumb enough to do something like that, why not give the show a chance to get some legs under it. I fear that Kings will be next, because it’s a cerebral show that doesn’t pander to the lowest common denominator. I’m sure it will be replaced by a show that is… Read more »
NBC made the right move here. They could have kept it on air and risked losing millions of dollars on it b/c of sponors and such. Advertisers aren’t going to pay to sponsor show with less than 3 million viewers on a “major” network. And the demos were under 1, which makes the matter worse. If you want an example of a premarturely cancelled show, see the WB/CW’s ‘Reba’. #1-rated sitcom on the entire network, but the network head didn’t like the show so she cancelled it. Reba had 3+ million viewers a week, a couple times 4+ million; those… Read more »
So the 2 to 3million people that were into the show don’t matter? This is unfortunately so typical of NBC to pull the plug and leave viewers hanging! NBC seems far more interested in the people who don’t watch their network, than they are with their faithful viewers! I have 500+ cable channels, yet 99% of the time, I’m watching NBC, thanks for the slap in the face, yet again. I’m embarrassed to say NBC is my favorite network, obviously they don’t give a tinkers damn about their viewers, just their sponsors. I’m disgusted.
NBC = No Balls Club.
You air a new series during March Madness and cancel it in the same month? And it was a good show! What’s wrong with you idiots? Scared of success? And you’re filling the spot with .. wait for it… Law and Order *YAWN*. I’m running out of reasons to stayed tuned in at all. You only have four freaking episodes left! RUN THEM!!
How do we find out who won?