‘Almost Family’ & ‘Flirty Dancing’ Relegated To Saturday En Route To Likely Cancellations By Fox

Nellie Andreeva

It’s the end of the road for Fox’s freshman drama series Almost Family. After not getting a back order and being left off the network’s midseason schedule, the family drama is now being pulled from its Wednesday slot for its last two episodes, which will air on Saturday. Also headed to Saturday is Almost Family‘s lead-in, Flirty Dancing, whose last two episodes also will air on the low-trafficked Saturday night.

Originally, Almost Family, from creator/executive producer Annie Weisman and exec producer Jason Katims, was supposed to finish its 13-episode order on Wednesday, paired with Flirty Dancing, before being succeeded in the post The Masked Singer slot by Lego Masters on Feb. 15.

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Almost Family aired behind The Masked Singer in the fall and followed the six-episode Flirty Dancing in January, the reality series that is bridging the two cycles of The Masked Singer.

Flirty Dancing and Almost Family‘s next episodes will still air this coming Wednesday, with the final two installments of Flirty Dancing slated for Saturday, Jan. 25 and Feb. 22, respectively. (Fox will air repeats of the first two episodes of 9-1-1: Lone Star on Wednesday, Jan. 22 and 24 Hours to Hell and Back, Last Man Standing and new comedy Outmatched on Jan. 29, according to listings obtained by the Futon Critic.)

Almost Family was a soft ratings performer in the fall, not taking advantage of its Masked Singer lead-in. Things got worse when the drama returned in January behind Flirty Dancing, matching Live+Same Day season lows pf 1 million viewers and a 0.3 in adults 18-49

Earlier this week, Fox Entertainment President Michael Thorn talked to Deadline about Almost Family‘s performance and possible fate.

“We have been talking about developing a series about how DNA affects who you are and your journey and it’s something that people are talking about all the time, with 23 and me for example,” he said. “When you get a chance to do a show with Jason Katims and Annie Weisman, you take it. We are really proud of the show. We gave it a great time slot, we really tried to set it up for success. The ratings could’ve been stronger but right now we are concentrating on finishing the first order of episodes and then we will discuss afterwards.”

After an OK start in a preview behind NFL football on Sunday, Flirty Dancing has been stumbling, also slipping to a 0.3 in 18-49 (L+SD). The show, based on a Channel 4 format out of the UK, is hosted by Jenna Dewan. The dating and dancing format follows complete strangers who are each taught half of a dance routine, then meet for the first time on a blind date, where they will then dance together without saying a word.

“The first number was great, the second number went down,” Fox Alternative President Rob Wade told Deadline at TCA on Tuesday. “I have never done a show ever that has had so much positive press on it. It looks like no other show on television. I obviously want the numbers to be better, but I believe in the show, I’ve made a commitment to myself to try and bring new ideas. We have an opportunity in unscripted, I don’t want to play it too safe.”

 

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