BuddyTV writer and editor John Kubicek is a featured commentator on Baltimore's WBAL morning radio program hosted by David Durian every Tuesday at 8:40am EST.
The big story this week in television is the new show Death Watch. This past week, two new shows were officially cancelled, both after airing just two episodes. What's the reason behind such quick decisions by the networks, and what will they do to fill that space? Read on to find out and to listen to an mp3 recording of the radio segment.
Your Take
Flutterbright said:
I would love to hear that they pulled the show to rework it. It had a lot of potential, but the execution ...
Guest said:
I only saw the first episode, but taped the second. I really liked it and thought it seemed like an intrig...
DoctorDoom said:
Well Hugh Jackman, you gave it a shot. Shame no one else did.
-Viva Laughlin was canceled just four days after it premiered. The show was largely panned by almost every TV critic in the nation, and audiences agreed. The idea of a murder mystery musical may have been too out-there for some viewers. This move is proof that CBS had no real faith in the show, and that the only reason it made it to air in the first place was that film star Hugh Jackman was an executive producer.
-Also gone is Nashville. FOX pulled it from the air almost a month ago with a tentative promise to bring it back once The Next Great American Band started. That plan backfired last week, and the network made its cancellation official.
-Though the possibility of a writers strike makes the cancellation of a reality show suspect, FOX needn't worry. The current plan is to double up on airings of the karaoke game show Don't Forget the Lyrics. FOX is also armed with a combo of procedurals in House and Bones, which are solid ratings performers even in repeats. Along with World Series coverage over the next week or two, FOX should be safe if the Writers Yuild of America does decide to strike.
-Aside from those two, no other shows seem in immediate danger of cancellation. The closest may be the CW's Life is Wild, which continues to earn less-than-stellar ratings. To put things in perspective, the show's ratings are a little less than the show that follows it Sunday nights, a repeat of that week's America's Next Top Model.
Tune into WBAL in Baltimore every Tuesday at 8:40am EST to David Durian and the Morning Team for more television insights from BuddyTV's John Kubicek. If you're not in the Baltimore area, you can always check BuddyTV.com for a recap of the broadcast, or visit to stream a live feed of the station.
-John Kubicek, BuddyTV Senior Writer
(Image courtesy of CBS)