DeathWatch Watch

Weekend Update

September 25, 2006

Page 1 | Page 2

Despite a week where eight shows premiered and none were cancelled, there is big news to report in the world of cancelled TV.

Fox has taken “Happy Hour” off of its schedule. The network hopes to bring it back sometime in November, but we're going to remain skeptical. "Happy Hour" has been at the top of our "most likely to be cancelled" list since we launched Deathwatch two weeks ago. (The odds were 3:1)

So what does it mean if a show is not cancelled but taken off the schedule? Well, it isn’t good.

Being placed on “hiatus” is like putting a patient on life support. The show is not entirely dead, but it has almost no hope for recovery. Witness ABC's slow-burn execution of the Fred Savage/Jane Curtin "Crumbs." It's been on "hiatus" since February of 2006.

Holding a steady second on the Deathwatch is the Anne Heche romp: “Men in Trees.” Our readers have gone crazy talking about this show, and the ratings for it actually improved in its second week of programming. In fact, this Friday evening, “Men in Trees” tied for second with Dateline NBC.

Comments

daysonend wrote:

I hate that Fox has put 'Happy Hour' on hiatus. I was skeptical of the show but it's actually better than 'Til Death'. What do I know I thought 'Free
Ride' on Fox was better than 'The Loop' and they
kept that one instead.

posted at September 25, 2006 07:06 PM

Andrea wrote:

Fox has a really bad habit of cancelling shows before they really give them a chance. 3 airings is not enough to get people to watch the shows. And I'd never heard of Happy Hour before it's premiere. I think they didn't promote it. But if I were a network and I paid the actors and to film a set of episodes and for the production of it all, I'd at least air all the episodes that were already filmed and then decide. But, I guess that's why I'm not a network exec.

posted at September 26, 2006 09:05 AM

Ianne wrote:

I don't normally comment on message boards, but I do have to question all of this praise for "Men in Trees." I don't want to put down those who find the show entertaining, but it was hardly brilliant like so many of the shows touted on this site--rather I found it cliche, tired and predictable. I thought the concept was great, which is why I watched it the night it premiered, but well...I thought the execution showed no real insight into anything. It's been done before. That doesn't mean some people can't find it entertaining, there are people on this site who are panning shows that I think are actually brilliant, like "Studio 60." Doesn't mean one is better or worse--I guess it is about what you like. But please, don't associate "Men in Trees" with smart, innovative TV. Entertaining, maybe, but not really groundbreaking or remotely thought provoking.

posted at September 26, 2006 10:50 AM

willtheyeverlearn? wrote:

What did Fox really expect when they didn't do one ounce of marketing or promotion for this show? Its a shame, because this show was actually a lot funnier than some the other shows pretending to be sitcoms on the air right now.

posted at September 26, 2006 10:58 AM

Maria Davila wrote:

Men in trees is a excellent option that give the small town freshness against the other shows topics like murders cases, kidnapped , lawyers , cops. Make you laugh naturally.

posted at September 26, 2006 12:05 PM

DAN WARD wrote:

Greetings:

What is the status of FOX's 'Vanished"? And, when will it do so?

Sincerely,

Dan Ward
09.26.2006

posted at September 26, 2006 12:42 PM

TVGuru wrote:

Happy Hour is really good. People just have to hear about it and give it a shot.

posted at September 26, 2006 01:47 PM

erika wrote:

What a disappointment. I really enjoyed Happy Hour - it was a lot better than Til Death. Gah - awful, awful, awful.

posted at September 26, 2006 07:44 PM

Rob wrote:

Well, perhaps that fact that people can't necessarily pigeonhole a show into a x+y+z=crap formula means that it may have a chance. I LOVED this show and was really beginning to get into it. And, you're right--I love Brad Garrett as much as the next guy; but sorry, his show isn't a tenth the show happy hour is. It's a shame he's not the leading man type. He should kick to comedy relief where he obviously excels.

posted at September 27, 2006 11:25 AM

Mel wrote:

Well I am in my 50's and I like it !! :)

posted at September 27, 2006 01:11 PM

Leslie wrote:

I am so DISAPPOINTED. I loved this show it is much better than Till Death which I see is sticking around. I think that I am going to boycott FOX because they never give shows a chance.

posted at September 27, 2006 04:09 PM

Jeanne wrote:

Too bad...this was a great show. Much better then that overly forced humor they call " 'Til Death". Now that show should be cancelled. But no..they show it several times a week. Yeah..I could get good ratings on a show too if I was on every other day.

posted at September 28, 2006 07:57 PM

maria wrote:

ii want Til Death Cancelled!..(sing along)All i want for christmas is "Til Death" to be canned HAHAHA He would have been so much better in a "Raymond" Spin-off wuth Monica Horan (Amy)...

posted at October 27, 2006 10:57 PM

RK wrote:

I WANT MY SHOW BACK ON!!! I loved HAPPY HOUR!!! Fox should try promoting a show that people would actually like if maybe it was given a little hype too!!! It is networks like them that kept crap like FULL HOUSE on for years! They should try leaving on a good show like HAPPY HOUR and get rid of the second rate spin off of Raymond. Think of the mistake Friends made with JOEY I hope CBS heeds this and keeps The Class on!

posted at November 16, 2006 08:28 PM

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