Variety is reporting that Fox has cut back its episode order for the Emmy-winning yet ratings-anemic Arrested Development, has advised Kitchen Confidential execs that the freshman series will not be picked up for a full season, and — here comes the salt — is pulling both shows from the schedule for at least the remainder of November sweeps. Fox will air Prison Break repeats in the 8 pm/ET Monday slot for the time being, unless, that is, Jason Bateman gives up Fibonacci.

http://www.tvguide.com/News/Entertainment/

Sadly I have also heard that it will be cut all the way down to 13. Say it isn't so!

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) Time to restart those vigils for "Arrested Development." And while you're at it, light a candle for "Kitchen Confidential" too.

The two FOX comedies have been shelved for the remainder of sweeps -- "Kitchen Confidential," in fact, hasn't aired since the first week of October -- in favor of repeats of "Prison Break," which have performed better in the 8 p.m. Monday hour than either "Arrested" or "Kitchen" this season. The network says the comedies will return Dec. 5, following the close of sweeps.

Starting Monday (Nov. 14), the previous week's "Prison Break" will air at 8 p.m. ET, followed by a new episode at 9. That pattern will continue through Nov. 28, when the show has what FOX is calling its "fall finale." The remainder of the season will air sometime next year, although it hasn't been scheduled yet.

The scheduling change comes a few days after "Arrested Development" returned to meager ratings from an October hiatus driven by the baseball playoffs. Back-to-back episodes of the show drew a little more than 4 million viewers, a little below its season average. In the previous two weeks, repeats of "Prison Break" had averaged 5.9 million viewers in the 8 p.m. hour.

The underwhelming lead-in also hurt Monday's "Prison Break," which had its weakest showing since late September.

Five episodes of "Arrested Development" have aired thus far this season, while "Kitchen Confidential" has run just three times. Neither show was part of the midseason lineup FOX presented to advertisers last spring.

Correct me if I am wrong, but wasn't Arrested Development only booked to run through December. Because on the original Fall 2005 schedule it has House taking over its spot on Monday Nights after American Idol returns in January. I guess Arrested Development has finally bitten the dust.

i hope people start to realize how funny that show is before its too late

i hope people start to realize how funny that show is before its too late

I am afriad it's already too late.

damn, i love that show

By the way felicitylen, thanks for ruining my day :(

What a shame. The back to back eps on Monday were brilliant.

I have an idea...

Just put this season out on DVD and let the fans watch the show now.

I am afriad it's already too late.

I think it's too late too. This might be it for AD. If all the positives from critics and the Emmy nominations aren't enough to give it the ratings the network feels it needs to sustain itself in its third year, they'll probably looking to end it.

http://sitcomsonline.blogspot.com has a story on this news. Check the 11/11 article.

I understand they cut back the episode order down to 13. Now have they shot all 13 episodes, or will they have a chance to make a final episode?

Oh yeah, and this SUCKS!

Could this episode shortage be due to Jason Bateman's surgery? I know that's probably not it, I'm just trying to be hopeful. Unless they have officially said "It's Cancelled!"

Can't be his surgery, because they also removed it for sweeps. Ratings is the only issue.

Taken from CNN.com http://www.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/TV/11/11/television.shows.reut/index.html

The Bluth clan of Fox's ratings-challenged "Arrested Development" is also headed for the exit after Fox cut the third-season order on the Emmy-winning comedy to 13 episodes.

Also getting the ax at Fox is "Arrested's" companion on Monday, the freshman comedy "Kitchen Confidential," whose order will not be extended beyond the initial 13 episodes.

As for the demise of "Arrested," it comes just as the acclaimed comedy came back this week after a hiatus to make room for Fox's baseball coverage. The two back-to-back episodes averaged a paltry 4 million viewers Monday, sending Fox to fifth place in the 8 p.m. hour and putting a dent on the ratings of its lead-out, the rookie drama "Prison Break."

There is a possibility that the show will be shopped around, but its high cost is expected to be prohibitive for a cable network.

Fox said Thursday that it will pull "Arrested Development" and "Kitchen Confidential" off the schedule for the remaining three Mondays of the November sweep, replacing them with a rerun of the previous episode of "Prison Break" leading into an original episode of the serialized drama.

"Arrested" and "Kitchen" are set to return to their time slots with original episodes December 5, following the fall finale of "Prison Break" on November 28.

Absolutely LUDICROUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Arrested Development is GENIOUS!!!!!!! The way the series is written, acted and whole pace of the show is spot on, and to be cancelled is a huge mistake. I think it speaks volumes if critics love the show,and deserved to stay on the air just in that case!! The show is treated badly by the BBC here in the UK too (like you Americans with FOX) but the BBC at the end of the day is the crappiest network out there!

DO NOT CANCEL THIS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (If any exec happens to read this :D )

Can't be his surgery, because they also removed it for sweeps. Ratings is the only issue.

Thanks for the quick response.

What about the DVDs? Did they sell well? You'd think as long as FOX would make money off those, they'd keep it on for future releases.

Here's what we know so far (this may change):

1. The show's season has been trimmed from 22 to 13 episodes.
2. The show will not air again in November, and from what I understand, will reair another 5 episodes in December, but probably not after that (according to Kristin on E, who got her info from a cast member)
3. Mitch Hurwitz has said that if the show were cancelled, he would shop it around to other places, but the show is estimated to cost around $1.5 million an episode, and most cable shows don't cost more than around $400,000 an episode.

Also Kristin from E! got this email from Jason Bateman:
We're not getting a full season. It will be 13 only ... Everyone is pretty upbeat about it, actually. The last thing we wanted to happen was to overstay our welcome and tarnish the experience and prestige of the show.
It was a great run and it's great that the network didn't cancel us outright, and they're letting us do 5 more where we can wrap up a lot of story arcs."

Jason also told me via batphone that though nothing is official, the "writing is pretty much on the wall," and it would "be a complete shock if it was picked up for another year." But, also, "it was a shock that we got any more episodes than the pilot. It's been great for all of us, and we're really fortunate for the two and a half years we've had."

There is a possibility that the show will be shopped around, but its high cost is expected to be prohibitive for a cable network.



NBC should pick it up and package it with My Name Is Earl. Don't know whether the numbers will be enough for what NBC wants but I think they'd be nice companion shows.

NBC should pick it up and package it with My Name Is Earl. Don't know whether the numbers will be enough for what NBC wants but I think they'd be nice companion shows.

I would like to see someone give it a chance. Someone who will promote it.

Look at us, crying like a couple of little girls...

Networks cancel '7th Heaven,' 'Arrested'

By Nellie Andreeva Fri Nov 11, 7:12 AM ET

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - The Camdens will bid farewell to viewers in May when the WB Network's top-rated family drama "7th Heaven" ends its run after 10 seasons in what sources said was largely a cost-cutting move.

The Bluth clan of Fox's ratings-challenged "Arrested Development" is also headed for the exit after Fox cut the third-season order on the Emmy-winning comedy to 13 episodes.

Also getting the ax at Fox is "Arrested's" companion on Monday, the freshman comedy "Kitchen Confidential," whose order will not be extended beyond the initial 13 episodes.

"7th Heaven," whose debut on August 26, 1996, marked the first-ever Monday broadcast of the then-fledging WB Network, will bow out as the longest-running family drama on television.

After 10 seasons, the show is still a top draw for WB, averaging 5.1 million viewers this season to date. Creatively, the show also will go out in style, creator Brenda Hampton said.

"I think this is the best season we've ever had, and we're planning a very exciting and heartwarming conclusion to the series," she said. "On the show, we talk about choosing your feelings, and we chose to feel happy and blessed to have been on the air for so long."

There is talk about a potential "7th Heaven" spinoff, but Hampton admits that would be hard to do.

"('7th Heaven') is a family show," she said. "I think the success of the show is that the family is intact with the mom, the dad and the children, so it is a very difficult show to spin off."

Sources indicated that the reasons to take "7th Heaven" off the air were primarily financial. As series age, they get more and more expensive, with the price tag especially high for a show with a large cast like "7th Heaven." The cancellation of the long-running series also comes during a process of extensive cost-cutting across all Warner Bros. divisions.

As for the demise of "Arrested," it comes just as the acclaimed comedy came back this week after a hiatus to make room for Fox's baseball coverage. The two back-to-back episodes averaged a paltry 4 million viewers Monday, sending Fox to fifth place in the 8 p.m. hour and putting a dent on the ratings of its lead-out, the rookie drama "Prison Break."

There is a possibility that the show will be shopped around, but its high cost is expected to be prohibitive for a cable network.

Fox said Thursday that it will pull "Arrested Development" and "Kitchen Confidential" off the schedule for the remaining three Mondays of the November sweep, replacing them with a rerun of the previous episode of "Prison Break" leading into an original episode of the serialized drama.

"Arrested" and "Kitchen" are set to return to their time slots with original episodes December 5, following the fall finale of "Prison Break" on November 28.

I don't understand why good shows are cancelled. I think Arressted Development was doing well in the ratings?

By the way felicitylen, thanks for ruining my day :(

I was shocked by the news as well.

I don't understand why good shows are cancelled. I think Arressted Development was doing well in the ratings?



I was shocked by the news as well.

It was barely pulling in over 4 million a week :(. I think it was making Fox 5th in the timeslot.

never see the show is it any good?

never see the show is it any good?

Well you will have a shot to see maybe 3 more episodes.