Hallmark Channel has opted not to renew the daytime show due to high production costs and low ratings. Martha averages only about 225,000 viewers.
On the positive side, The Martha Stewart Show will remain in production and new episodes will continue through April. Stewart and her staff are planning a lavish series finale which will air in May. Reruns will continue to air for the remainder of the season, through the summer months.
Distributed by NBC Universal Domestic Television, The Martha Stewart Show debuted in first-run syndication on September 11, 2005. The series moved to Hallmark in the fall of 2010 as part of an overall deal that included a commitment from Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia (MSLO) to produce original new series and specials to compliment Martha and the rest of the cable channel’s lineup.
Hallmark initially scheduled an eight-hour block of Stewart programming but the ratings were poor so it was quickly scaled back to five hours.
The cancellation news was first reported by the NY Post. In response, MSLO’s Lisa Gersh told employees via email that the company will continue to do business with Hallmark, “we are currently exploring programming concepts for Martha Stewart and other MSLO brands beyond this fall.”
At December’s UBS investor conference, Gersh said, “Our expensive studio lease is expiring next year, and we will either bring television in-house or find lower cost space, which will significantly reduce our TV operating margins.”
The fate of Hallmark’s other MSLO-produced shows is still up in the air — including Emeril’s Table, hosted by Emeril Lagasse.
What do you think? Are you sorry that Stewart’s show has been cancelled? Did you follow it to Hallmark?
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