Over the past few days at the annual Television Critics Association gathering in Pasadena, the network chiefs have been racking up the body count with their announcements of axed shows. In case there was any doubt, they confirmed that this season will be the last for The WB’s 7th Heaven and Fox’s Malcolm in the Middle, and That ’70s Show. And ABC is halting production on Heather Graham’s Emily’s Reasons Why Not (pictured) after just one airing; no word on whether the five remaining completed episodes will ever air. ABC’s Jake in Progress is also on indefinite hiatus.
Ironically, the threatened show that’s most likely to have a future is Arrested Development, which Fox is sending off with a four-episode blowout on Feb. 10 (opposite the Olympics opener on NBC; thanks a lot, Fox), but which is still in negotiation with ABC and Showtime for a possible pickup. While we cross our fingers for a resurrection of AD, will you be mourning any of these other shows, or are they getting while the getting is good?
Comments (1-30) of 33
Now granted, I had no intention of watching “emily’s reasons…” but to pull a show after one airing seems like a stupid move to me. What if NBC had pulled Seinfeld after one show, or Cheers? At least air-out the remaining 5 and see what happens.
It’s crazy the way they works this stuff. They never even let a show build a word of mouth audience. You never know what’s going to happen but no one can wait that long.
Cheers to Fox for having Arrested Development on for so long. Sure it’s not getting the audience but at least they and the critics tried.
Bring back Firefly, dammit.
Maybe I missed it, but where is the explanation given for pulling Heather’s show? The title of the blog on the main EW page says “Why ABC is shutting down Heather Graham’s new show.” And no reason is given.
Was it a little too gay to start out (I myself don’t mind at all)? That was the same week that boys kissed on Desperate Housewives AND Crumbs, with Doug Savages closeted character, also aired. I thought the pilot for Heather’s show was good.
I’ll mourn ‘Malcolm.’ The last 2 seasons have been totally fantastic and completely under the radar. Having Dewey be revealed as a musical savant was a stroke of genius, and this is still such a talented group of actors working with top-notch writers and directors. It is a great shame that Fox buried this show in invisible timeslots on Sunday and Friday for this period. Ah well, 7 years is a good run.
It’s obvious why ABC canceled the show – it STUNK! The bigger question is why they would invest so much on a pilot that bad.
They are seriously putting on the AD episodes against the Opening Ceremonies?
Fox’s disdain for AD continues. They wanted to create the illusion of support, but they never actually, legitimately tried to make it a hit.
I watched the premier of “Emily’s Reasons” and it deserves to go….
“Emily…” wasn’t a great show, but it had potential. It’s certainly no worse than “According to Jim” or “Yes, Dear.” And “Jake” has some good moments too. I would have watched those 2 shows Monday nights instead of 2.5 Men
i didn’t hate emily’s reasons why not. i’m not a big heather graham fan, but after seeing her hysterical guest spot on scrubs, she kind of won me over. the show wasn’t great, but it did make me laugh a few times. i would have at least given it a few more takes. same with jake in progress. the show isn’t the best… it just needs support from a network, dammit. cumbs will go next… even though the show was funny, it’s not going to get support from abc in it’s terrible time slot.
i’m just crossing my fingers that freddie stays. that show is one of the best out there. and you’re not watching it, so you don’t really know.
I actually liked “Emily’s Reasons Why Not.” I appreciated the more adult, low-key humor, liked the ocncept and particularly enjoyed how they used background music to punctuate some of the jokes. I thought Heather Graham was charming and felt the show had some promise. Guess I was in the minority.
I couldn’t have said it any better than Jason S Chicago.
Can Fox keep a show that isn’t some sort of reality show. Head Cases, Kitchen Confidential and Reunion all gone before their seasons could finish. Something tells me there is something up in the promotion department…all I see is ads for Prison Break and American Idol. Where are the ads for Arrested?!
Please someone pick it up!
Heather Graham and John Stamos are total jinxes! Have either ever starred in a bona fide hit? And yet, because of their looks, they keep getting projects thrown at them. And yet a thespian like
I hope Arrested Development gets picked up by ABC! That show is genius!
Jake and Emily were both hip shows but not ABC material. It was like watching “The Six Million Dollar Man” and “The Bionic Woman” get drunk and laid. Secondly Jake has been done before. Does anyone remember “Dream On”?
Jake and Emily were good shows but not ABC material. They both might has well have been called “The Six Million Dollar Man and the Bionic Woman go bar hopping.”
I’m really hoping that Arrested Development is picked up by one of those two networks.. the show is amazing to say the least, I’m not so sure that Fox has supported the show 100%. This is the funniest show out there.
I don’t get why they build a show around one actor. They get one “name” and surround them with bit players and they just can’t pull it off . The best sitcoms always work as an ensemble (Seinfeld, Friends, Will and Grace, Arrested Development and so on). When it’s centered around one person, it just doesn’t work!! Network excutives really should read blogs.
Please, enough with the Arrested Development worship! It has to be the most over-rated show on TV. Come on guys – it’s not half as funny or clever as it thinks it is…
I’m completely okay with Heather Graham taking leave. John Stamos, too. But if they can’t figure out this whole Arrested Development fiasco, I’ll riot.
I have mixed feelings for Fox. Its hard to get mad at a network that gave us three years of a show that probally lost them millions but I feel like they could have tried a lot harder at finding out why it didnt work. I think if it was a year later when it was moved to after the Simpsons it would have taken off. Last year there was nothing after Simpsons and Arrested, and this year there is Family Guy. A Simpsons, Arrested, and Family Guy night would have done better than The War At Home, ugh what a waste of a half hour for me while waiting for Family Guy! Go SHOWTIME, pick up this great show!!!
I have mixed feelings for Fox. Its hard to get mad at a network that gave us three years of a show that probally lost them millions but I feel like they could have tried a lot harder at finding out why it didnt work. I think if it was a year later when it was moved to after the Simpsons it would have taken off. Last year there was nothing after Simpsons and Arrested, and this year there is Family Guy. A Simpsons, Arrested, and Family Guy night would have done better than The War At Home, ugh what a waste of a half hour for me while waiting for Family Guy! Go SHOWTIME, pick up this great show!!!
I usually hate overrated shows just for the sake of dissent, but Arrested Development is just so frickin’ good and so hilarious that I can’t help it. I respect Fox’s decision, being that it sticked to AD for 3 years and that really took balls. ill put in my own money to have it saved by Showtime. Uncensured, baby!
I don’t understand why Fox does what it does. I mean, it often is able to find some really good shows – critically acclaimed, award-winning, what have you – and it doesn’t stick with them. If ratings are down, oh well. I mean, there should just be some shows you know you have to keep because it gives you credibility as a network. “Arrested Development” isn’t the first good show Fox has decided to do a away with, and it is certainly won’t be the last. “Prison Break” seems to be suffering the same crisis. Fox needs to stop teasing its viewers with great fare if it isn’t going to stick with them in the long run. It just isn’t fair. Not the viewers, and certainly not to the people behind these shows. The network is trying to look for instant success TV shows, but it just doesn’t work like that. Stick with the more artful stuff that we’re used to getting from FOX and we’ll stick with the network. It’s that simple.
Seriously, I cannot remember a show that was as overrated as “Arrested Development.” It is not nearly as clever as people make it out to be. And I’m tired of having to read something about the possibility of ABC or Showtime picking it up in every single issue of EW. “Arrested Development” seems inspired, but it’s actually the most crass, cynical, unfunny show to come along in a long time. Plus, Ron “the Hack” Howard is attached to it. Do the hipsters who swear by this show realize that? No amount of horribly unfunny David Cross can negate the fact that the tool who made “A Beautiful Mind” is one of the guiding forces of this horribly overpraised show.
I was so excited when I read online that AD was being given a two hour block on Feb. 10th. I was picturing a Fox media blitz full of advertisments, talk show guests and magazine ads. Now that I know it’s up against the Olympics opener I realize that Fox is just giving it a throwaway night. Fox sucks! I really hope that AD fans ban together and watch the whole two hours – tape the freakin opening ceremonies! AD needs to live – I just hope if Fox dumps it, ABC or Showtime is there to pick it up. To those who say it’s overrated, enjoy your evenings watching Two and a Half Men – I guess that’s the highest level of intelligence your (little) brains can handle.
No big surprises here. AD just hasn’t found an audience. It’s a show that would do well on Premium channels (Curb your Enthusiasm’s ratings can’t be on par with say, Seinfeld’s, but the show is still a hoot),but that is just too naughty and niche-ey to stay on Monday night at Fox fare.
As for Heather Graham’s shallow show about a shallow woman? Not a shocker it didn’t last, and Jake isn’t worth the words I’ve already wasted writing this sentence.
That 70’s show should have stopped after season 5, because technically by then it was the 1980’s. Plus, Eric and Kelso left yet they kept the show on. Did them wankers at Fox learn NOTHING from the X Files? WTF?
Finally, Malcom. Has anyone been watching that show since the end of season 2? Once they married off the older brother and got the mom knocked up again I knew the show had jumped the shark. I’m impressed it lasted this long. Ciao Frankie Muniz, see you in the next David Spade movie!
I am bummed that “Emily’s Reasons Why Not” got the AX. Like everyone else that watched I realized very quilcky that it was a terribly written show. I was rooting for Heather Graham. Watching her on Scrubs I could see she could be good on TV given the right project. This ovbiously was no it. I wish her the best of luck in her future endevours.
Ok, we have three shows that have run their courses and their casts are absolutely elderly (“70’s”, “Malcom”, and “7th”), one show that was a blatant rip-off (“Emily’s”, and I don’t have much hope for “Love Monkey” as they are what? SATC rip-offs now that all of the fat secretaries in Omaha have tired of the re-runs and want to live the dream! Besides, how long is Heather Graham going to try and convince us she’s cherubic when she’s practically geriatric. You’re puching 40 bitch, have a kid and make a normal facial expression!), and one show that is too smart for all of the people living in middle America who don’t get it (“Arrested” is comic gold, and the populous is ungrateful.)
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