It has been an absolutely nightmarish last few days for TV fans, as every major primetime network revealed which of their shows would not be returning for additional episodes this fall. The tally now stands at 23 shows canceled in the past week – and that’s in addition to ones killed earlier in the season.
Now that the dust appears to be settling, let’s take a look at which shows bit the dust, going network by network, examining all the pink slips handed out this year.
NBC:
Believe
Community
Crisis
Dracula
Growing Up Fisher
Revolution
The already-struggling Peacock network had probably the worst year of any primetime network, and its execs have evidently decided to clear house and bet heavily on new shows. It can only claim to have one successful freshman show from last fall (James Spader thriller The Blacklist), and some of the failures have been downright embarassing, like the double whammy of both The Michael J. Fox Show and Sean Saves the World proving dead on arrival.
Out of all the recent cancellations, only Community will be missed. That underdog comedy somehow stuck it out year after year, delivering brilliant comedy and low ratings, but NBC finally decided to kill it – much to the dismay of fans who assumed, after five seasons, the sixth (which would fulfill their rallying cry of #sixseasonsandamovie) was assured. No such luck.
In addition to the recent cancellations, NBC’s TV season also saw the deaths of: Ironside, The Michael J. Fox Show, Sean Saves the World and Welcome to the Family.
ABC:
Mixology
The Neighbors
Suburgatory
Super Fun Night
Trophy Wife
None of these comedies were hits for ABC, though Suburgatory‘s surprising longevity on the network lent credence to talk that it might be picked up for another season. No dice. Critics will particularly miss Trophy Wife, which had been roundly acclaimed for its acting and writing. The other ones, including an ensemble romantic comedy set over the course of one night in a bar (Mixology) and a standalone vehicle for Pitch Perfect actress Rebel Wilson, just didn’t catch on.
In addition to the recent cancellations: ABC’s TV season also saw the deaths of: The Assets, Back in the Game, Betrayal, Killer Women, Lucky 7, Mind Games and Once Upon a Time in Wonderland.