It’s that time of year when TV shows are getting canceled, and outraged viewers are vowing they’ll never watch (insert network here) again.
Yeah, nobody believes you when you say that. All the research shows that we watch shows, not networks. No matter how incensed you are about the cancellation of (insert show here), it won’t keep you from watching that network again.
(Photo: Guy D'Alema/ABC) After three seasons, ABC canceled "Quantico."
And here’s more truth. A lot of really bad shows got the ax. Like “The Brave,” “Inhumans,” “Kevin Can Wait,” “9JKL,” “Quantico” and “Valor,” to name a few.
I don’t celebrate any cancellation, because it means a lot of people — mostly regular folks behind the scenes — are looking for work. But I’ll admit I’m thrilled that “Designated Survivor” got the ax because I was dumb enough to keep watching it, even though it really sucked.
(Photo courtesy of ABC/Jack Rowand) Steve Zahn stars as Sheriff Jude Ellis in “The Crossing.”
Yes, it’s annoying when series end without giving us closure, but that’s the risk we run. If you’re mad that ABC is going to leave you hanging by axing “The Crossing,” you’ve got no one to blame but yourself. I told you that would happen.
The really sad cancellations are not shows that have aired 100-plus episodes (like “The Middle,” “New Girl,” “Once Upon a Time” and “Scandal”). The sad ones are like “Rise,” which got the ax after 10 episodes. Or “Deception,” which has been surprisingly good but won’t go beyond 13 episodes.
(Photo by NBCUniversal) "Rise" premiered Tuesday, March 13, but was canceled after 10 episodes.
Viewers have feelings about their shows. Network programmers can’t afford to make decisions based on that. It’s a business, and it’s all about the bottom line. Most shows were canceled because of bad ratings. Some (like CBS’ “Elementary”) survive with weak numbers because they’re owned by the network and they sell well overseas.
Yes, some shows survive cancellation. It makes sense that NBC picked up “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” after Fox canceled it because NBC owns the show. It makes sense that Fox picked up “Last Man Standing” after ABC canceled it because Fox owns that show. It’s weird that Fox did that a year after ABC axed “Last Man,” but TV is weird.
And has anybody told Tim Allen that Disney/ABC — which made him so darn mad — is in the process of buying the Fox TV studio that produces his show?
(Courtesy ABC) Tim Allen starred in "Last Man Standing" for six seasons.
But not everything will find a new home. Not everything deserves a new home. Nothing lasts forever … except, maybe, “The Simpsons.” So take a deep breath and move on.
Here’s a list of what won’t be returning to network TV in the fall as of this writing:
ABC • “Alex, Inc.,” “Kevin (Probably) Saves the World,” “Marvel’s Inhumans,” “The Mayor,” “The Middle,” “Once Upon a Time,” “Quantico,” “Scandal,” “Ten Days in the Valley,” “The Toy Box”
CBS • “Kevin Can Wait,” “Living Biblically,” “Me, Myself & I,” “9JKL,” “Scorpion,” “Superior Donuts,” “Wisdom of the Crowd,” “Zoo”
Fox • “The Exorcist,” “Last Man on Earth,” “Lucifer,” “The Mick,” “New Girl,” “X-Files”
NBC • “Brave,” “Great News,” “Night Shift,” “Rise,” “Taken”
The CW • “Life Sentence,” “The Originals,” “Valor”
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