TV Cancellations: Which Broadcast Shows Have Been Axed (So Far)
Beware: The upfronts are coming. While many fan-favorite series have gotten renewed, networks are also canceling a bevy of shows, from “Speechless” to “Lethal Weapon.” Look below for the full list of cancellations, and keep checking back as more announcements are made.
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“The Kids Are Alright”: Obvious and heartless pun aside, the family comedy won’t see a second season. The series was inspired by the childhood of creator/executive producer Tim Doyle, and focuses on a traditional Irish-Catholic family in the 1970s.
“The Fix”: About a district attorney’s redemption after suffering a “devastating defeat,” the freshman drama won’t get a second chance to make its case. It starred Robin Tunney, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, and Scott Cohen, and was executive produced and co-written by Marcia Clark (lead prosecutor in the O.J. Simpson case).
“For the People”: ABC has canceled the legal drama after two seasons, which was the second lowest rated of the Shondaland series, averaging almost 3 million total live viewers and a 0.51 in the 18-49 demo.
“Speechless”: It’s the third and final season for the single-cam comedy. Maya DiMeo (Minnie Driver) is a mother who will do anything for her children, especially eldest son JJ (Micah Fowler), who has cerebral palsy. While the show was a solid part of ABC’s family comedy lineup for the past few years, the recent season has ranked the lowest rated of the network’s scripted series, averaging 2.3 million total live viewers and a 0.49 in the 18-49 demo.
“Splitting Up Together”: ABC has pulled the family comedy after two seasons. The show, starring Jenna Fischer and Oliver Hudson as exes who live together and redevelop feelings for each other, was the second-lowest scripted series for the network. It averaged 2.77 total million live viewers and a 0.66 in the 18-49 demographic.
“Fam”: CBS said “It’s a no from me, dawg” to renewing “Fam,” the comedy about an engaged couple (Nina Dobrev, Tone Bell) whose lives are disrupted when their 16-year-old relative comes to live with them.
“Happy Together“: It’s a sad future for “Happy Together,” which CBS pulled after the first season. The comedy starred Damon Wayans, Jr. and Amber Stevens West as a 30-something couple who reconnect with their younger, cooler selves when a pop star (Felix Mallard) is drawn to their ordinary suburban life and unexpectedly moves in with them.
“Life In Pieces”: Created by Justin Adler and starring Dianne Wiest and James Brolin, the comedy revolved around one big, happy family and their milestone moments. The cancellation arrives only five episodes into the fourth season, which is averaging a 0.84 rating in the 18-49 demo and 5.75 million viewers per episode, representing a dip from last season.
“Murphy Brown”: Unfortunately, Candice Bergen’s return as the news legend was short lived. The first season of the sitcom concluded after 13 episodes, and CBS opted out of ordering more. The revival saw Brown entering back into the journalism ring amid the 24-hour news cycle and a vastly different political climate than when she (and the show) was last on.
“Proven Innocent”: The Kelsey Grammar-starring legal drama didn’t light any fires at Fox, where it was canceled after one season. David Elliot served as writer and executive producer on the project, while “Empire” co-creator Danny Strong and Stacy Greenberg also executive produced. The series centered on a legal team, led by Madeline Scott (Rachelle Lefevre), that reopened investigations, putting their own lives in danger to exonerate the innocent that were ‘proven’ guilty.
“The Cool Kids”: The comedy proved lukewarm for Fox, which canceled the multi-cam after one season. The show hailed from executive producer Charlie Day and starred David Alan Grier, Leslie Jordan, Vicki Lawrence and Martin Mull as four friends in a retirement community who are determined to make the third act of their lives the craziest one yet.
“The Gifted”: Set in the Marvel “X-Men” universe, the drama about teenagers with mutant powers couldn’t prevail at Fox. Following the show’s first season, the average rating for Season 2 almost halved down to 0.59, while the average viewership dipped to 1.95 million.
“Love Connection”: There was no love for the unscripted series, which Fox canceled after two seasons. It was hosted by Andy Cohen and premiered in the summer along with “Beat Shazam.”
“The Passage”: The network also closed the chapter on “The Passage,” based on Justin Cronin’s trilogy of novels. It centered on a young girl (Saniyya Sidney), who is taken by agent Brad Wolgast (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) for a mysterious government experiment, and ends up trying to save her from the same project.
“Rel”: Creator and “Get Out” star Lil Rel Howery couldn’t escape the show’s fate. Canned after one season, the multi-cam comedy featured Howery as a self-made success who has to start over when he finds out his wife is having an affair with his barber. After returning solid ratings for its premiere, “Rel” saw a severe ratings dip for the remainder of the series, ending up with an average rating of 0.77 and a hint over 2 million total viewers.
“Lethal Weapon”: Fox has put an end to the one-hour “Lethal Weapon” adaptation after three seasons, which might not come as a surprise to those following the drama surrounding the series. The show originally starred Clayne Crawford and Damon Wayans as a buddy cop duo, but the stars’ off-camera fighting led to Crawford’s dismissal. Season 3 continued with Seann William Scott replacing Crawford, but it was the beginning of the end, with Wayans announcing he was quitting, coupled with a steep decline in ratings.
“I Feel Bad”: NBC’s cancellation of the comedy will no doubt leave fans in a sour mood. The show starred Sarayu Blue as a “perfect mom, boss, wife, friend and daughter” who in real life is far from perfect but figuring things out.
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