Image Credit: Bob D'Amico/ABCNow that ABC has canceled its first drama, My Generation, it must decide how to fill the void on Thursdays without losing viewers to the competition. For the next two weeks, the alphabet will air repeats of Grey’s Anatomy at 8 p.m. until it selects a more permanent replacement from its midseason lineup. There’s always a chance that Thursdays will become all Shonda Rhimes, all the time, and the 8 p.m. slot will go to her new drama Off the Map. (Rhimes is also responsible for Grey’s Anatomy and Private Practice.) But those who’ve seen Map, which follows three American docs who to go to work in the tropics, say it may be too gritty for the family hour. Plus, do viewers really want to watch three back-to-back medical dramas on Thursdays?
ABC also developed two additional comedies that are waiting in the wings – Mr. Sunshine starring Matthew Perry and Happy Endings from former ABC exec Jamie Tarses — but it seems far more likely the network will take advantage of the fact that no one’s airing a reality show in the timeslot and program its new unscripted show Secret Millionaire, instead. The program, which is based on a U.K. format and first premiered on Fox in 2008 and attracted more than 10 million viewers, follows Richie Riches who agree to leave their lavish lifestyles to go undercover in impoverished neighborhoods. On the final day, the “secret millionaires” reveal their identity and give away cash to change lives. It’s reminiscent of the successful reality show Undercover Boss, though Millionaire was developed before the CBS series.
So far this season, ABC is in second place among viewers and adults 18-49 on Thursdays, behind CBS and its lineup of Big Bang Theory, $#*! My Dad Says, CSI, and The Mentalist.
ABC may have another a time slot to fill as early as tomorrow, given the lackluster performance on Wednesdays by The Whole Truth, the Maura Tierney starrer that’s dropped 6 percent in viewers versus its premiere (4.8 million to 4.5 million). If ABC axes the legal drama, it seems likely that it will use the period to premiere Body of Proof, the intriguing new drama starring Dana Delany as a former neurosurgeon who becomes a medical examiner.
I would air Secret Millionaire and see how it did. If it does alright, just keep it on there; it’s cheap and you probably will match/come close to any scripted show that you could try to break there. If it gets buried, I would move an already established show there a’la Fox/Fringe; ABC wouldn’t win the timeslot but there’s potential for them to get a foothold and possibly improve versus their past outings (which is what matters anyway).
I agree – it’s always nice to have a different option. CBS and NBC are already airing comedies at that time so it would be good to offer an alternative.
Bring back Pushing Daisies. And Better Off Ted. And The Unusuals. Or even Eastwick. I hate ABC.
YES I was totally going to say the same thing! Pleaseee…I need my Pushing Daisies and Better Off Ted.
Yes, please any or all (well except Eastwick) would be great to have back on the regular schedule.
Well that’s why I had put “or even Eastwick.” It wasn’t as great as the other shows I mentioned, but it was still a fun and entertaining guilty pleasure that was starting to get really interesting just before it was canceled.
I see your Better Off Ted and I raise you a Samantha Who. I’m still bitter about that!
I knew I had forgotten to add a show! I loved Samantha Who, thanks for reminding me.
I see your Samantha Who and reraise you a Romantically Challenged. I loved Alyssa Milano!!
Bring At the Movies to the channel.
I just don’t understand WHY you would cancel a show and air Grey’s Anatomy repeats. Why not just air new material if you have it and then cancel it when you have something better to air?
Thank you!!!! I totally agree with you… It is such a waste of money and time.
More people watch Grey’s Anatomy repeats which brings in more advertising revenue.
Because it’s just…that…bad. Besides why air a show that is dead, it would be better to air repeats of a current show.
Because they make money on advertising now viewers. And companies to want to pay to advertise their product during a show no one watches.
not*
“don’t want to”*
I think running a test pattern would be more interesting than My Generation. And it might get better ratings too.
Do they still run test patterns?
Bring back Better off Ted!
What I miss on TV is a great family drama/comedy like The Cosbys.
They axed Pushing Daisies, Eli Stone, Eastwick, and Dirty Sexy Money. Bet they regret that now.
Stick with The Whole Truth for a while. Let people acclimate to the new shows. I like it myself and think it will catch on IF it lasts
I agree. The networks keep axing some nice shows, bring on new shows and ax those before people could get accustomed to them, and then run repeats of shows like Grey’s Anatomy. I loved Pushing Daisies, Dirty Sexy Money, Eli Stone, Cane, Shark (Stark) to name a few, and they didn’t survive. Sometimes these networks don’t know what they’re doing, or they just don’t cater to the viewers, they cater to the advertisers.
I think that what television executives are forgetting is the fact that, a lot of times, shows turn out to be bigger hits in their second season rather than the first, and that’s because of word-of-mouth and summer repeats. But the networks are looking more for a lightning-in-a-bottle type deal, and that doesn’t always work out well.
Exactly! Look at Sci Fi with Warehouse 13
Yeah but when a show starts off with crappy ratings, and by crappy I mean extremely bad like 4 million viewers bad, even if it does do better in the second season I doubt it would suddenly double its viewers which is what it would need just to break average.
Exactly! Two of TV’s most loved shows got low ratings for the first few seasons: Seinfeld and Married…with Children!
They should show episodes from classic television shows like Charlie’s Angels, or some of the other dramas that they have had in the past. I’m getting tired of them taking shows off the air that have not fully run their six episode time-trial.
Uh, My Generation? How’s that for an option. You already had second place and, no matter how much of that was due to Grey’s, you’re not going to hold it with two straight hours of it. Anyway only ABC would be dumb enough to cancel something without knowing what they’re going to replace it with. Secret Millionaire is the only mid-season show you can pull up? Sigh. We lose really good shows (Kings, Pushing Daisies) way too soon and now you have an opening at primetime on the best night of the week and you don’t know what to do with it?
I’m looking forward to V coming back, but I’m hoping it will be back on Tuesday nights like last year.
bring back V
“I think that what television executives are forgetting is the fact that, a lot of times, shows turn out to be bigger hits in their second season rather than the first, and that’s because of word-of-mouth and summer repeats. But the networks are looking more for a lightning-in-a-bottle type deal, and that doesn’t always work out well.”
I agree.I don’t think Senfield did well its first season and it eventually did really well in the ratings. You don’t see that kind of thing happen as often anymore because the networks have gotten so impatient and have forgotten how to let a show find an audience.
Despite flaws of My Generation’s 1st two episodes, I watched them and thought the premise of the series intriguing. ABC should have given My Generation longer, such as 4-6 episodes, to develop its theme, production, and viewership. Instead of axing it now, ABC should have used the low viewership numbers as impetus to improve the execution and script-writing of My Generation and perhaps retool the show to varying degrees. I was one of the few who were interested in seeing more episodes and how the characters developed, and I was disappointed the show was canceled so soon.
I found myself easing into My Generation, like a reality show, and probably would have kept watching each week. I had no plans to watch the second episode after the first but turned it on and found it even more intriguing. It’s unfortunate that the show was cancelled so soon.
I agree!!! I thought it was very intriguing and would have continued to watch. Seriously, only 2 episodes…that is complete BS. Common ABC, give a show a chance. It was definitely better than a lot of shows on TV now.
I also agree! After being forced to wait for Greys Anatomy by my girlfriend we would watch My Generation. I really was looking forward to the development of the characters, and also finally a show that relates to “My Generation”. Yes much better than Wipeout.. sorry wipeout lovers..
I was so upset when they cancelled My Generation! I actually had no clue until I sat down to watch the show on thursday, and instead of seeing my new favorite show of the season, I saw Grey’s…Honestly, I think that show jumped the shark after season two…
I am very disappointed that My Generation has been cancelled. If it didn’t do well at the current time slot, why not try another time/day? I enjoyed both episodes & was looking forward to seeing more.