Let’s Predict the First Cancellation of the 2011-2012 Season

It’s here. The 2011-2012 television season officially kicks off tonight. Over the next month or so, the broadcast networks will unveil about 25 new programs. A good number of them will become new obscurities, cancelled before the season runs its course. Some might hang on the entire season. A few might even return next season. But which will be the first to get the axe? Last season, it was Lone Star (FOX). The year before that, it was The Beautiful Life: TBL (The CW).

Frankly, I haven’t been paying as much attention this fall to the new programs as I have in the past. There are a handful of new shows I’m interested in sampling but I don’t have a good sense of the predicted flops. The promos I’ve seen for How to Be a Gentleman (CBS) do not paint it in a good light, but it has a strong lead-in. I have no idea what Suburgatory (ABC) is about, which could point to a problem with marketing. And A Gifted Man (CBS) and Grimm (NBC) both air on Friday, so they are automatically in a weaker position, but expectations may be lower as well.

What do you think will be the first cancellation — and first new obscurity — of the 2011-2012 season?

October 4th, 2011 Update
NBC has canceled The Playboy Club after three very low-rated episodes, making it the first cancellation of the 2011-2012 season.


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6 Replies to “Let’s Predict the First Cancellation of the 2011-2012 Season”

  1. Another factor to add is when will the series premiere. “Grimm” would be my choice if it didn’t premiere in October. By then some other show will have hit the dust. My choice is “Free Agent”, bad show in a tough time slot paired with “Up All Night” that has good buzz behind it. This could make “Free Agent” the “Running Wilde” of this year. Another possible choice would be the “Playboy Club”. Bad premise up against “Castle” and “Hawaii Five-0”, viewers may not even give this one a peek.

  2. It looks like “THE PLAYBOY CLUB” will be the first to bite the dust: opposite “HAWAII FIVE-O” and “CASTLE”, its initial episode managed to attract only five million viewers. And that’s just about what “MAD MEN” often tallies on AMC…

  3. This time last year two series had already been cancelled. NBC has said they plan to give their losers more time. And there are plenty of losers, viewers seem down everywhere. NBC’s “Playboy Club” and “Prime Suspect” have ratings barely over 1.0. ABC’s “Charlie’s Angels” seemed doomed. CW has waiting to be cancelled “H8R”. CBS as always seems to be doing best among the new series with “Unforgettable” looking strong in the ratings.

      1. Or burn them off next summer. The fact that NBC has to put a rerun of “Prime Suspect” in its spot until a news magazine is ready tells you how bad NBC has been. Hopefully their new shows will be ready by January and worth the wait.

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