THIS JUST IN: ABC cancels 'Romantically Challenged,' 'Scrubs,' 'Better Off Ted,' and 'FlashForward'

We are Better Off TED! Dont let him go! Its the best show in decades.

Better Off Ted was hysterical. It’s too bad the network couldn’t see how brilliant it was to keep it around. I loved the quirky-ness to it…but quirky doesn’t last. Just look at My Name Is Earl or Testees (which was more raunchy but still funny!!!)

This.

it was losing to the vampire diaries on the cw, so survivor was the least of its problems.

No. “V” has gotten worse. It only gets decent ratings because it follows “lost”, but you’ll notice that the one week it lost its “Lost” lead-in that it tanked in the ratings and I think that speaks volumes to how it’ll do on its own next year. It’s a terrible show that will undoubtedly tank next year. “FF” was a much better show.

But where the hell are the last two episodes of “Better Off Ted”??? They’ve been filmed, but not yet broadcast! BROADCAST THE MISSING EPISODES, YOU BASTARDS!

While I heartily disagree with Joe that Community and Modern Family are overrated, I certainly agree with Chels that it’s surprising Ted made it this far.
Not that it was a bad show … it was remarkably witty and funny … just very poorly promoted and obviously not viewed by too many people. Ah well, time to add it to the Brilliant But Canceled list with Arrested Development, Firefly …

And I guess this means the chances of Portia De Rossi winning an Emmy for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy (and yes, she IS better than Jane Lynch) just went down the toilet too.

Does anyone know if they aired all the filmed episodes of Ted? So sad it’s going, but not surprised!

Flashforward is an excellent show. Would have made a good alternative once Lost is gone for good. The rest of the shows I can do without.

Again with ABC, what’s their deal? Just a couple weeks ago they play a re-run of “Lost” mid-season even when they said they would air the whole season uninterrupted. ABC is going to lose more and more people with these shenanigans. Now they cut “Flashforward”…they should have put a little money into the advertising for it.

I created a Facebook page to honor “Better Off Ted”. ABC must stop canceling good shows prematurely!

Join “ABC should stop canceling good shows like “Better Off Ted”" on Facebook!

Flash Forward should’ve been on at 9 or 10 instead of going up against Survivor at 8. I DVR’d the first part of the season, but by the time it came back I didn’t care any more (and Survivor was excellent).

Jim, I agree — between V and FlashForward, I’d much rather watch the latter! I was hoping they’d cancel V and renew FlashForward….

I’d rather watch a Lost spinoff than either of these lame shows

FlashForward is one of my favorite new shows, and I think it is far superior to V. Oh well. I hope the talented cast ends up on something else soon!

V is definitely getting better.

I know! I LOVE FF and hate V. Please trade!

YES.

I love Flashforward! It got really good when they came back from the break. I was hoping they’d at least ride the momentum into another season. There’s gonna be a lot of loose ends left hanging

If the creators wanted to finish the story, I bet it would make a pretty rockin’ video game…

I agree! V is awful!

I wish they had done what FOX & CW each chose with two of their shows: Pick up both for half seasons. Flash Forward could have had the fall, and V the spring. ABC continues to FAIL!

I’m too stupid, have you looked in a mirror lately? it’s people like you that ruin television for us smart people with great taste. better off ted had 2 seasons and no one watched it..so it’s obvious it sucks..and common sense prevailed

Agreed!

How will I get my weekly John Cho fix now? He’s so handsome ;D

as a huge scrubs fan. HUGE. i can’t help but agree. this past season ruined the finale last season. sure it might not have been the best, but it was still a fitting end to the show. speaking of the best, i’m obviously the only one here mourning the loss of better off ted. at least jay harrington (ted) has a new pilot coming up soon so here’s hoping.

ABC gave TED no love.
Sticking it behind “Scrubs”, especially this past season was no fair. They had a perfectly good spot for it on Wednesday after “Hank” got axed. It would have worked great at 8:30 between “The Middle” and “Modern Family”. “Better Off Ted” was never given its due.

Agreed, I really loved Better off Ted but never saw it promoted and could never find it on tv.

Better Off Ted was great. I like The Middle, but can’t find anything funner about Modern Family or Cougar Town.

Everything sucks compared to Arrested Development (except for Ted).

Better Off Ted was freakn HILARIOUS. One of the best comedies to air in a long time. Never understood why it didn’t get more run.

I’d be more annoyed if it weren’t obvious your definition of “overrated” is “anything I don’t like.”

Not only is Modern Family not overrated, I would say it’s UNDERrated. Lots of people have no idea how good the show is. (And I have no idea why a show like Cougar Town should have been destined for success, but somehow it has gotten so good.) A real shame about Flashforward, but no surprise with Scrubs – they had a great “finale” last season and should have ended it there.

Modern Family is so much better than any of the shows that got cancelled. Not sure what some of you are watching.

I’m numb! I was holding onto a small glimmer of hope, but the idiots at ABC can’t tell when they have an excellent show on their schedules. I agree they never gave Ted any love. I wish there was another network out there that would pick up this wonderfully funny show.

V was a miniseries in the ’80′s.

In that case I would chose V. I don’t find it so atrocious that I have the change the channel. People are exaggerating

RIP Better off Ted. SUCH a funny show!

What’s wrong with Joseph Fiennes?

Agree completely! I tried to get into Flash Forward and I liked the reboot when they came back after the four month break. But then it started meandering down too many roads with too many characters and storylines. I tried to keep up with it, but finally gave up. And Joseph Finnes was horribly miscast; couldn’t stand his mumbling and terrible attempt at an American accent.

Fiennes was badly miscast. He didn’t have the charisma to carry this show.

I am SO disappointed in the FF cancellation. Things got a little rough after the pilot but what an improvement after the break — they finally did some character development and made me care about these people! The plot was moving along nicely and there was some humor, too. I think it deserves a second chance — those who were disappointed and didn’t stick with it could have been enticed to come back.

I watched the first two eps. back of V and found I simply didn’t care any more. While I admit to being behind on FF, I’m at least still interested and intrigued. Way to go, ABC.

I GAVE V a chance, even with the countdown clock. That show sucks, and it will most DEFINITELY die without Lost. I recorded most of my episodes of FlashForward, knowing the plot could only give two solid season at best, but how that show gt canceled instead of V is beyond me. Here’s to hoping they wrap it up nicely. Also, Grey’s Anatomy can go ahead and end next season. I’m done with all their love issues.

Yep, ABC is not trustworthy at all. Back in a November issue of EW, Elizabeth Mitchell said that she thought what they did with the first four eps rated a 6, and she thought the last 9 eps rated a 10. I don’t think they’ve gotten to the 10 level, but V steadily has gotten better, more interesting. What with Lost signing off & Ted getting a ridiculous axe, if they cancel V, there will only be one, maybe two shows on ABC that I’d care to watch.

Jany Lynch should be in the Lead actress category, while Porita will be in supporting.

It is a shame that Ted never really got a legit chance, can they sneak it onto ABC family maybe?

I like Jane Lynch, her character is great, but is she really a great actress? She is the same character in every show or movie. Not saying she’s not perfectly cast, but she hasn’t changed since 40 year old virgin.

Looks like we’ll have to wait for the DVD to come out.

Sorry to hear about ‘Ted’ but sadly not surprised. As for the suggestion of inserting it into the Wednesday lineup, it may have not worked because Ted is a completely different type of comedy from the other three shows that air there. Had Ted been paired with Scrubs circa 2004 it might have had a chance to prosper, but not with the Med School Generation.

In all seriousness, Fox ought to make a reach for this show. Don’t know what they’d pair it with, but Portia was a good fit with Fox the first time around on AD.

I second that. I’d rather see more Flashforward than V.

totally agreed! i had high hopes for V but when i tried watching the first episode i was bored after 10 minutes… although FF wasn’t amazingly good in the beginning it still had something that intrigued me and kept me watching and i’m glad for that cause these last episodes have been amazing! i’m so bummed this show is ending way too quickly and just when it’s starting to get really good!

I am in agreement and love FF and with lost gone I hope to get my fix with FF. V is just a typical Scifi show and you can see those a dime a dozen. Please keep FF it is a great show.

Heroes? Not yet cancelled. Not mentioned in this article.

Scrubs was actually better this year than last year. As soon as Braff left, the show got better and was actually pretty funny. The season with the “finale” reminded me of “Friends” back in the day; it just wasn’t funny anymore, but had iconic characters so you watched it anyways. This season got rid of the annoying JD (liked him earlier, but never grew), gave the blond doc more lines, and her boyfriend basically replaced JD’s screen time.

I LOVED FLASHFORWARD TOO WHAT THE….THIS REALLY SUCKS IT WAS GETTING SO GOOD TOO ABC RETARDED

Ain’t that the truth!

I am totally holding out hope of a Sawyer and Miles cop show.

Then you must need to evolve some more. Ted was one of the funniest shows in a long time.

You’re right, but network execs are congenitally unable to feel shame. But that shouldn’t keep us from pelting them with brickbats for their stupidity. Ted was the best comedy ABC and they royally bothced it. I agree with earlier poster who said it would have fit great to fill the canceled Hank slot (or switch with the Middle).

I love Flashforward. There are so many plot points I want answers to!!! Like what happens in the next blackout? Who will live, who will die? I’m bummed.

Just wait for the Blackout and all will be revealed, for those who see a future.

Finally some FF supporters! I really liked it, and it was just starting to pick up steam again…maybe another network like TNT will pick it up!

i’m so bummed they cancelled FF..especially since it’s really good now too bad people didn’t give it a chance..

I AM TICKED that FF is being cancelled! And I TOTALLY AGREE it was a nice filler for us Losties that are going to go through some SERIOUS withdrawals!

Ireally got into this show.
Will they resolve the story or just leave us hanging.

Count me in among the FF supporters. The story has become very interesting and I truly think the show deserved a second season. I hope we get some answers!~ bummer.

I agree that Flash Forward should stay. The only problem is it is an ABC Production and not a network production.

They had a built-in date to end it and if they had wanted to they would have ended it on April 29th.

However, I would like to see how they reconcile the end.

I agree — I liked Flash Forward. The problem was when it went off the air. People forgot what had happened previously. Also, the timeslot could have been an issue. It really should have been on later in the evening.

I tried SO hard to get into FlashForward when it started. I just couldn’t get into it- even after I forced myself to watch a few episodes to be fair. Not even Charlie and Penny helped make it bearable to watch. Like a lot of others, I was looking for a show to help fill the void after LOST. Not that ANYTHING could even remotely come close to being as fantastic as LOST! I’m just glad I didn’t waste too much time investing in FF.

Maybe syfy will pick it up

I recently read the book the series is based upon. The story line in the series is better than the book, but it sacrifices the internal consistency, discussions of the implications of latest discoveries in physics, and the philosophical discussions of free will vs. destiny or an immutable future; all done really, really well in print.

They have introduced so many holes that the explanation for the FlashForward provided in the book can not possibly be the one used in the show. I hope they give us something that is at least adequate even if it is scientifically unbalanced (i.e., not completely full of crap).

Alright stop with the silly “V” vs. “Flashforward” arguements! They are both simply attempts to replicate the genius of LOST, and they are both failed attempts at that. I’m going to wait for something innovative and original to come on network TV again(cuz cable TV is too dark and cynical for my taste). Oh well, I shouldn’t hold my breath.

Oh, I forgot – ABC has made some very stupid strategic decisions to introduce shows in the fall, then taking a “midseason break”, and picking up the story in the spring. They promised to do it uninterrupted, but like someone else noted, they stuck a rerun of Lost in the middle of the final run to the end. I don’t have the time to “keep track” of when shows I like go off the air, and when they are going to return, then sticking with them, just to see them cancelled. They have done this more than once, and I guess “ratings” would teach them it doesn’t work, but…….

Unfortunately, it was quickly apparent that it was “Lost” for dummies – poorly executed and without the trust that the audience could figure things out wihtout being pounded on the head with reminders of the basic plot every ten minutes.

FlashForward could never get the basics right. “This ring is the most valuable thing on earth.” FBI doesn’t trust Charlie. Charlie walks out of headquarters w ring, totally unhindered. Week after week, plot stupidity like that destroyed a potentially good show.

They had a bad habit of not building on the excitement created by a good episode. There was that episode where that guy jumped off the building and then the next episode consisted of little more than characters saying to one another ‘we can change things now! isn’t that great?’ It was like they were providing their own meta in the show. A lot of time it felt like they were stalling for time. It’s too bad because the premise was rather gritty and shocking and awesome.

…..think you meant to abbreviate, ‘AM (for ‘Ally McBeal’?)

May 13 2010 10:44 PM ET

*
*
*
*
*
*

* Share
* Permalink
* Comments (517)

THIS JUST IN: ABC cancels ‘Romantically Challenged,’ ‘Scrubs,’ ‘Better Off Ted,’ and ‘FlashForward’
by Michael Ausiello
Categories: FlashForward, News, Scoop, Scrubs

Amid a flurry of renewals tonight comes word from multiple sources that ABC has axed the Alyssa Milano-headlined freshman comedy Romantically Challenged. In less surprising news, the Alphabet net has also canceled Better Off Ted, Scrubs, and FlashForward. An ABC spokesperson had no comment. My Bubble Show Scorecard has been updated. Read the full post.
Previous Post Breaking: ABC renews ‘V’
Next Post ‘Private Practice’ scoop: Burning season finale questions answered!

* EW.com Home
* The Ausiello Files Main

Comments (517 total) Add your comment
Page: « Previous 1 … 20 21 22 23 Next »

* SLB
Fri 05/14/10 10:17 PM

ABC can kiss my *SS. First Happy Town and now Flashforward. I will NEVER watch a new show by ABC again!
Reply
o April
Sat 05/15/10 12:48 AM

Happy Town? When did this happen?
Reply
* laurielisten
Fri 05/14/10 10:31 PM

Better-Off Ted was totally awesome and all the actors were great!
That’s too bad.
Reply
* ivo
Fri 05/14/10 10:31 PM

Can’t believe it!! FF is so much better than V!!!
Reply
* d
Fri 05/14/10 11:02 PM

Better off Ted was funny and I liked Flashforward. It wasn’t great, but good. I am really surprised V got renewed. Good cast, but not such a great show.
Reply
o Rebekah
Sat 05/15/10 12:33 AM

Agreed. FF was good, thought it needed improvements for sure. V has a great cast, but the episodes are so-so. Now I am worried FF will just cut off in the middle of the plot without any proper explanation or closing. Ugh.
Reply
* larsk7
Fri 05/14/10 11:58 PM

Maybe NBC should pick up Better Off Ted for Thursday nights. NBC know how to market a comedy show of quality.
Reply
* ABC Stinks
Sat 05/15/10 12:22 AM

Don’t the folks at ABC realize that they can’t keep pulling out early on these serialized shows and then expect viewers to follow them when a new one comes on???

SO WHAT if teenagers and young men don’t have the attention span to follow a story week to week – GIVE A SHOW A CHANCE and it could BUILD a following … look at Seinfeld’s first season and what it later became!

These nitwit execs at ABC and their instant-ratings-or-die policy is worse than their twittering twit viewers who have no attention span. Heck, if LOST hadn’t been a phenom, they probably would have axed that at season 3.

This is why you are losing viewers to cable, ABC!
Reply
o Rebekah
Sat 05/15/10 12:31 AM

I agree completely. Unfortunately, it’s not just ABC that does this. All the networks make decisions according to an instant-ratings-or-die policy. Shows like Pushing Daisies, Flashforward, and Better Off Ted could have really matured had they been given the chance.
Reply
* doug heagler
Sat 05/15/10 12:26 AM

Man, Ireally hope there is some way to get another season of better off ted, it is too good, there has to be money in it!
Reply
* Rebekah
Sat 05/15/10 12:29 AM

I’m not surprised by these decisions, but the whole network process of putting out a new show only to under-promote it, put it on hiatus for months, drop it in a terrible time slot, and then cancel it is becoming severely annoying. No wonder it is difficult for TV shows to grow in audience ratings and in quality–they aren’t given the time or financial resources to do so. As a result, we get more and more reality shows.
this