Maybe we should call it ‘Unlucky 7.’ The ABC freshman drama just became the first casualty of the 2013-14 fall TV season, getting the axe after only two episodes.
Lucky 7‘s cancellation is hardly surprising, considering how shockingly low its numbers were in its first episode and then how hard it fell in week 2. Despite having arguably the best partner of any new fall drama with Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Lucky 7 failed to connect with its audience, pulling in just 4.4 million viewers and a scanty 1.3 adults 18-49 rating for its premiere. The show’s chances of survival plummeted along with its audience in the second episode when it received a decidedly unlucky .7 adult demo rating.
What sunk this show? Perhaps its premise is to blame: the show explored the misfortunes that befall a group of lowly Queens gas station employees after they win a $45 million dollar lottery with a shared ticket (read: super-rich people have problems just like you!). Or maybe the show’s large, diverse cast of unknowns did it in. ABC certainly didn’t invest too much in the show – Lucky 7‘s marketing campaign was practically nonexistent, especially compared to the promotion given to Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
The show was adapted by David Zabal and Jason Richman from a BBC drama called The Syndicate, though American audiences obviously didn’t take as kindly to the concept of a lottery-based drama as British audiences did – The Syndicate will air its third season in 2015.
ABC has opted to fill the vacancy left by Lucky 7 with reruns of the ultra-successful Shonda Rhimes drama Scandal, which stars Kerry Washington as a DC political ‘fixer.’ Scandal entered its third season with a 71 percent jump from last fall, pulling in a 3.6 rating with adults 18-49 and 10.5 million viewers.
Many TV critics had predicted that FOX’s Dads would become the first show to be cancelled this fall, though Lucky 7 was also considered a goner even before its low-rated premiere. Other shows in jeopardy include ABC’s Betrayal and Trophy Wife, NBC’s Ironside and Welcome to the Family, and CBS’ We Are Men.
Will you miss Lucky 7? And what show do you think will get the axe next? Let us know in the comments section!
