To no surprise, FOX’s The Good Guys has been cancelled after one season and 20 episodes. The series stars Bradley Whitford and Colin Hanks as an unlikely team of Dallas detectives.
The Good Guys debuted last Spring to a disappointing 1.5 rating in the 18-49 demographic with 4.93 million total viewers. Over the summer months, the ratings seemed to drop each week, hitting a low of a 1.0 rating and 3.42 million viewers.
Despite the poor showing, FOX kept the series on the fall schedule. On Friday nights, the numbers continued to slide. Good Guys hit a series low on October 22nd with a 0.6 rating and just 2.31 million viewers. Episodes typically ranked in last place for the demo in the timeslot. Realistically, no one has been expecting a second season renewal.
The series was shot on location in Dallas. Janis Burklund, head of the Dallas Film Commission, says that her high-ranking contact at Fox Television Studios has confirmed the show’s cancellation. The network hasn’t officially cancelled it but the production studio won’t be making any more episodes. The local area hasn’t had much luck this season. FOX’s Lone Star was cancelled after just two episodes and the episode order for NBC’s Chase has been reduced.
Of The Good Guys, Burkland said, “We liked the show. And they had a great experience here. But the ratings weren’t good. I asked if there was any shot at cable, and he said there didn’t appear to be any shot at that either, and I think it would have done well on cable. It’s not the kind of show network viewers understand — it’s too quirky. It’s one of those shows where either you get it or you don’t. Where cable viewers are more apt to go sampling and try out different stuff, network viewers are looking for more traditional shows. And it had a horrible time slot.”
The TV show’s sets are still intact at a local Dallas studio but will likely be struck in January. The final episode of Good Guys, titled “Partners,” aired on December 10th.
Update: Hanks confirmed the cancellation via his Twitter account on 12/27/10.
What do you think? Are you sorry that Good Guys has been cancelled and won’t be back for season two?
Image courtesy FOX.
Yup another good one bites the dust. Unfortunately, I’m part of the problem as I only caught two episodes on tv and it was always by accident. Just a horrific time slot imo. I watched a lot of episodes via torrent though. Definitely sad to see it go.
My daughter (age 20) and I (age 50) were right in their target demographic and we loved this show. I said at the very beginning — it’s too good, they’ll probably cancel it. Sorry I was right. This was such an intelligent, side-aching-funny, feel good show. And the character, Dan Stark is soooo sexy — in a way that isn’t presented as sexy anymore in our ultra-buffed, perfect-teeth, youth-worshipping stepford TV. One of the things it made me think of is how utterly serious and humorless we see ourselves now as compared to the 70s. I’m so tired of good… Read more »
Very disappointing news!!! The show had great writing, funny characters and a good heart. What is wrong with people!!! They like reality TV crap and all the good shows get cancelled. What a shame, we will miss you Dan and the “stache”!!!
this cancellation is extremely disappointing this was the best new show I have seen come out in at least 10 years . I really hope another station picks it up. Other that this show I had no use for fox
Great show. Will really miss it. Only just found it before the last episode. So clever and well written. Please someone pick this show up, give it another run and a chance to find its audience. “Two and a Half Men” is the highest rated comedy in the US? Really. I’ve never seen it. But I did see this one and loved it.
So bitterly disappointed. My husband and I loved this show. We just had a hard time finding it. Wretched time slot. Hope someone else picks it up and runs with it. If it had been on a different channel and well hyped, it would have been the season’s break out hit. Well written, clever, interesting format, exceptional acting. Who knew I loved Bradley Whitford? That guy is hysterical. His timing is dead on and it seems he is also an excellent producer, writer. Please someone pick up this show and replace some of the Housewives or some of the other… Read more »
I’m HUGELY disappointed! Viewers are told when to laugh on other st televisions by either a live audience or a timing thing. Good Guys had new humor, great writing, and deep character development. We laughed at real humor. This show showed the versatility of Whitmore as an actor. Did anyone even see the difference between this character and the one on West Wing? So Good Guys is gone and we have to suffer through Housewives, Jersey, Kardashians, Bachelor, and so on. The idiot shows continue.
I loved the show. I was very disappointed that it is gone.
I am so disappointed. Good Guys was a great show. I really miss it!
It’s one of the best series I’ve seen in a long time, and there is only one season? like everybody else I’m disappointed. It was a great show and It’s sad it just went for one season 🙁
This is insane! This show was hilarious! If any show should be cancelled it should be Jersey Shore and all those American trash T.V. shows. China is building skyscrapers, and better technology while my generation watches Jersey Shore, 16 and Pregnant, and all the other crap on M.T.V.. What a joke.
As a young person, I find that equally frustrating. And I weeped, figuratively speaking, when Firefly was canceled, so I know how you feel.
But honestly, the best thing we can do is just go out and change the world – and if every young person tries, someone is bound to succeed.
Forgive my idealism, but we don’t just have to sit around and watch the world pass us by.
I thought it was a pretty good show. Sad to see it go.
Very sad news. Whitford was hilarious and Hanks was perfect as his exasperated sidekick. I liked the way they did the “1 day earlier, 20 minutes earlier” thing. It was such a fun show with lovable characters, great acting and good writing. I guess they will fill that time slot with another crappy “reality” show, which I will not be watching.
It figures. There were only two shows on television fit to watch. (in my opinion)
Now there is only one.
My wife and I are extremely disappointed. So many channels to watch and so little quality. AND they always cancel the good stuff. Whitford and Hanks had good chemistry, great writing and the writers tried to keep the violence on the light side. Why are decisions to renew a show based only on the ratings when good marketing can sell such f*@#ing “oo-la-la.”