highanddry
12-14-2000, 05:17 AM
Too bad. I was really starting to like it:
'Normal' No More as FOX Shuffles Lineup
By Josef Adalian and Michael Schneider
HOLLYWOOD (Variety) - The trouble with ``Normal, Ohio'' is that it's canceled.
Fox has pulled the low-rated John Goodman vehicle, deciding not to order any additional episodes from producer Carsey-Werner beyond the gay-themed show's original 13-episode commitment.
The Wednesday night series be replaced by midseason comedy ``Grounded for Life,'' also from Carsey-Werner, as part of a larger schedule shuffle expected to be announced by Fox Wednesday. ``Grounded'' is about a young couple and their children.
In other cancellation news, ABC has pushed the delete button on C-W's ``Dot Comedy'' after just one episode. In its place ABC will double run repeats of ``Two Guys and a Girl'' until January, when the fourth installment of ``Who Wants to Be a Millionaire'' moves to Fridays at 8 p.m.
With ``Normal'' gone, Fox's new Wednesday will be anchored at 8 p.m. by another weekly dose of ``That '70s Show.''
On Jan. 10, an original episode of the period comedy will lead into the premiere of ``Grounded for Life'' at 8:30 p.m. A new reality offering from Fox, ``Temptation Island,'' will air at 9 p.m. ``Temptation Island'' takes a group of couples, puts them on a posh island and invites them to cheat on one another.
Starting Jan. 17, repeats of ``That '70s Show'' will fill the 8 p.m. slot. Fox will continue airing original episodes of ``That '70s Show'' on Tuesdays.
Fox has already started airing promos for ``Grounded,'' with execs at the network hopeful that the show will have the same sort of midseason success ``Malcolm in the Middle'' and ``Titus'' saw last year. Indeed, the network used ``That '70s Show'' to pump up ``Titus'' during its first few weeks on the air.
As for ``Normal,'' the series got off to a solid start Nov. 1, averaging a 6.1 rating/16 share in the coveted adults 18-49 demographic. It ultimately averaged a 4.1/11 in its first six weeks on the air. The final episode of ``Normal'' is set to tape Thursday. Fox will continue airing the show through December.
``Dot Comedy'' never logged an audience. The series' debut last Friday pulled one of the worst numbers ever for a regularly scheduled program at ABC, a paltry 1.7 rating among adults 18-49 and an average of 4.1 million viewers.
``Dot Comedy'' replaced the short-term comedy ``The Trouble With Normal,'' which had averaged 6 million viewers.
Each adults 18-49 rating point represents 1.24 million viewers, 1% of the U.S. total. A share is the same sort of percentage, except it's measured against only the homes or viewers watching TV during the time slot involved.
'Normal' No More as FOX Shuffles Lineup
By Josef Adalian and Michael Schneider
HOLLYWOOD (Variety) - The trouble with ``Normal, Ohio'' is that it's canceled.
Fox has pulled the low-rated John Goodman vehicle, deciding not to order any additional episodes from producer Carsey-Werner beyond the gay-themed show's original 13-episode commitment.
The Wednesday night series be replaced by midseason comedy ``Grounded for Life,'' also from Carsey-Werner, as part of a larger schedule shuffle expected to be announced by Fox Wednesday. ``Grounded'' is about a young couple and their children.
In other cancellation news, ABC has pushed the delete button on C-W's ``Dot Comedy'' after just one episode. In its place ABC will double run repeats of ``Two Guys and a Girl'' until January, when the fourth installment of ``Who Wants to Be a Millionaire'' moves to Fridays at 8 p.m.
With ``Normal'' gone, Fox's new Wednesday will be anchored at 8 p.m. by another weekly dose of ``That '70s Show.''
On Jan. 10, an original episode of the period comedy will lead into the premiere of ``Grounded for Life'' at 8:30 p.m. A new reality offering from Fox, ``Temptation Island,'' will air at 9 p.m. ``Temptation Island'' takes a group of couples, puts them on a posh island and invites them to cheat on one another.
Starting Jan. 17, repeats of ``That '70s Show'' will fill the 8 p.m. slot. Fox will continue airing original episodes of ``That '70s Show'' on Tuesdays.
Fox has already started airing promos for ``Grounded,'' with execs at the network hopeful that the show will have the same sort of midseason success ``Malcolm in the Middle'' and ``Titus'' saw last year. Indeed, the network used ``That '70s Show'' to pump up ``Titus'' during its first few weeks on the air.
As for ``Normal,'' the series got off to a solid start Nov. 1, averaging a 6.1 rating/16 share in the coveted adults 18-49 demographic. It ultimately averaged a 4.1/11 in its first six weeks on the air. The final episode of ``Normal'' is set to tape Thursday. Fox will continue airing the show through December.
``Dot Comedy'' never logged an audience. The series' debut last Friday pulled one of the worst numbers ever for a regularly scheduled program at ABC, a paltry 1.7 rating among adults 18-49 and an average of 4.1 million viewers.
``Dot Comedy'' replaced the short-term comedy ``The Trouble With Normal,'' which had averaged 6 million viewers.
Each adults 18-49 rating point represents 1.24 million viewers, 1% of the U.S. total. A share is the same sort of percentage, except it's measured against only the homes or viewers watching TV during the time slot involved.