Series started off strong in the ratings only to trail off
Joe Otterson | May 12, 2016 @ 4:22 PM
Last Updated: May 12, 2016 @ 5:06 PM
“The Muppets” has been canceled by ABC after one season, TheWrap has confirmed.
The ABC mockumentary series saw Kermit the Frog split from longtime love interest Miss Piggy, though the two continue to work together on the fictional late-night talk show “Up Late With Miss Piggy.”
The series started off well in the ratings in the fall but dropped off dramatically. It premiered back in September to a strong 2.9 rating in the key demo and 9 million total viewers. However, those numbers have dwindled in recent weeks,with the show’s season finale on March 1 garnering just 2.7 million viewers and a 0.9 rating.
Bill Prady and Bob Kushell co-created the series and served as executive producers. Randall Einhorn, Bill Barretta, Debbie McClellan and Kyle Laughlin also executive produced. The series was produced by ABC Studios and The Muppets Studio.
The Jim Henson creations are the latest ABC series to get the axe today. The network has canceled”Nashville,” “Castle,” “The Family,” and “Agent Carter” as well.
However, the network has also picked up several new shows, such as a Shonda Rhimes pilot, and several returning shows, including “The Real O’Neals,” “American Crime,” and “The Catch.”
The 2016 TV Pilots Most Likely To Become Series (Photos)
Network executives are pondering which TV pilots to pick for their fall schedules. Here are some shows most likely to get a nod.
Candice Bergen was the star of the classic sitcom "Murphy Brown." Now she's back in ABC's "Pearl," about a strong-willed matriarch battling cancer as well as her family members.
Fox is going to try a reboot of "The Exorcist," the 1970s horror classic about demonic possession, this time with Oscar winner Geena Davis in the starring role.
And speaking of retreads, Fox is also hot on doing a TV series adaptation of "Lethal Weapon," the buddy-cop franchise that starred Mel Gibson and Danny Glover.
"Designated Survivor" is ABC's political drama with Kiefer Sutherland tapped as President after a terrorist act kills his predecessor. The show was ordered straight-to-series, so we will definitely see it.
"Parenthood" writer-producer Jason Katims is behind "Bunker Hill," a new CBS medical drama about a cutting-edge hospital and the mysterious tech titan behind it.
Producer Greg Berlanti ("Supergirl") has another CW show that's getting buzz: "Riverdale," which is kind of like the Archie comics as reimagined by David Lynch.
If you like NBC's "The Blacklist" with James Spader, you might also like the planned spinoff with Famke Janssen.
NBC is also likely to pick up "Marlon," a family sitcom loosely based on the life of Marlon Wayans.
And then there's Kevin James, who broke through with CBS' "King of Queens." Now he's back with another CBS sitcom that already has a 13-episode order.
