Tis the Season for Show Cancellations

Author: Elizabeth Tower

Posted: Dec 16, 2013

Topics: Advertising Media Buying & Planning

As I might have mentioned before, I love fall TV premieres. We have made it well into December and some shows have seen success while others have seen a quick and timely demise. I have put some thought into moving into a career of TV gambling as my guesses of We Are Men and Lucky 7 were quickly cancelled. I mean seriously, you put “Lucky” in the name, total jinx. Nothing has seen it’s second season renewal yet but I’ve got my fingers crossed for The Blacklist.

Here are some highlights we’ve seen in the ever exciting fall premiere season:

We Are Men: As I mentioned, this show was cancelled. It was CBS’s effort to target a male audience and it didn’t work. This was one of the more expensive programs being sold to advertisers and the quick cancellation has probably left several agencies scrambling to replace their spend.
Sleepy Hollow: Even with steep competition from shows like The Voice and Dancing with the Stars this show has pulled ratings strong enough to get it picked up for a full season. It has been a hit not many saw coming. It is worth noting that it is greatly helped by DVR viewing.
The Millers: This show was given the silver spoon of television with its slot directly behind Big Bang Theory. It is not a show I really loved but in terms of “water-cooler buzz” I feel like it is destined for a second season renewal.
Ironside: NBC announced on October 18th that it has taken Ironside off the air until the end of the year. They have said that it isn’t gone but its return is TBA. To me this sounds like your boyfriend/girlfriend telling you they think you should “take some time apart”. Unfortunately for this show, that pretty much always means you’re being dumped.

We still have a little bit of time to go before the mid-season break so shows whose ratings haven’t picked up yet should feel as safe as a turkey at Thanksgiving. Here’s hoping all of your favorite show’s get picked up, unless your favorite show is Dads. If that is the case, it should get cancelled and you should reevaluate your life choices.