It’s a sad day for fans of two ambitious ABC dramas that came up short in the ratings this fall: Last Resort and 666 Park Avenue will soon end their runs.

ABC will finish airing the original 13-episode orders for both shows, but neither will receive a full-season pickup.

For 666, the writing has been on the wall for weeks. The Sunday-night supernatural drama starring Terry O’Quinn has been shedding its Revenge lead-in and been on a downward spiral since its debut.

For Last Resort, the news is somewhat surprising. Though its ratings matched the performance of 666, Shawn Ryan’s submarine thriller was one of the best-reviewed new fall shows and, until very recently, insiders were betting it would get a “back nine” order. But Last Resort struggled against very steep competition in its 8 p.m. slot and the show’s ratings ticked down a little further last night.

Oftentimes freshman series cancellations are met with a fair amount of online jeering (there wasn’t much disappointment over CBS’ Made In Jersey or NBC’s Animal Practice getting the axe). But these two are a bummer. Understandable, given the numbers, but a bummer. Both creatively tried to bring something new to broadcast primetime rather than rely on familiar drama formulas. Even if you’re not a fan of these shows, you can respect the effort behind them. READ FULL STORY »