[TV] ABC Cancels Don't Trust The B---- In Apt. 23 Posted by Joseph Lee on 01.23.2013
Doubling up on Happy Endings episodes...
ABC has essentially canceled Don't Trust The B---- In Apt. 23, according to The Hollywood Reporter. It was pulled from the schedule effective immediately, and Happy Endings will air back-to-back original episodes starting January 29.
The change will take place next week after a two-hour premiere of The Taste and weeks of shuffling for both shows. Both comedies were given an early end date in March for ABC's midseason schedule. ABC will air three "bonus" episodes of both in the 10 PM Sunday slot before getting rid of an encore of Shark Tank due to low ratings. This comes two weeks after ABC Network Groups president Paul Lee told reporters at the Television Critics Association's winter press tour that a decision on the future of both shows had not been made.
He said: "We love those two shows. They're incredibly distinctive, and they're water-cooler shows." He added that he planned to continue supporting the shows through the season. He didn't say if the shows would go beyond their current episode order (22 for Happy Endings and 18 for Apt. 23).
Apt .23, starring Krysten Ritter and James Van Der Beek, began last year as a midseason show, with multiple episodes set to run out of sequence this season, including a storyline with James Van Der Beek as a Dancing with the Stars contestant that aired recently.
Happy Endings was a midseason show in 2011. It had a full order end last season for new shows. An unaired season two episode aired two weeks ago. It currently airs at 9 PM on Tuesdays and has had better ratings than Apt. 23. It currently averages 1.4 rating among adults 18-49 and 4 million viewers in Live+Same Day returns. Apt. 23 has a season average of a 1.2 adults rating and 3 million viewers.
No decision was made on when or where the eight unaired episdes will air of Apt. 23.
Van Der Beek commented on the situation through Twitter. He wrote: "Sad to say ABC has pulled #Apt23 and will not be airing the 8 remaining episodes any time soon. Translation: we've basically been cancelled. And please, no bashing ABC. While I'm sure no one there would say they think they nailed it when it came to programming #Apt23 this year...You've got to give ABC props for ever picking us up in the first place. They took a shot at something original & edgy. I respect them for it."
