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UPFRONTS 2013: The Overachievers 
ABC is not going forward with freshman dramas Last Resort and 666 Park Ave, opting not to order more episodes of either show. I hear the intention is for the series’ original 13-epispde orders to play out the way ABC did last season with Pan Am, which received a peculiar one-episode back order. Like was the case with Pan Am, ABC is not shutting the door on the shows completely, formally keeping them in consideration for next season. The shows are not being released, though it is highly unlikely that ABC would renew the dramas for a second season after not giving them a back order. Last Resort and 
666 Park Ave both opened soft (2.2 and 2.1 Live+Same Day rating in adults 18-49) and never gained traction. Both received sizable DVR bumps in Live+7 — often over 50% — but that wasn’t enough to offset their miniscule overnight deliveries. In their most recent outings, both Last Resort and 666 Park Ave drew a 1.2 18-49 rating (Live+Same Day).
UPDATE: “News is true. No Back 9 for #LastResort,” the series’ co-creator/exec producer Shawn Ryan wrote on Twitter. “We will film and and air all 13 episodes. We’re going to give you no-holds barred kick-ass ending… Technically #LastResort isn’t cancelled but I understand why some are using the term. Still 6 more eps to air. Miracle unlikely but possible.” Ryan also defended ABC. “For the record ABC was always fantastic with us in every regard. Don’t get mad at them. If you’d like to curse out Nielsen viewers though…”
Related: CBS Freshman Comedy ‘Partners’ Cancelled
Last Resort is the latest high-profile casualty in the ABC Thursday 8 PM slot, which over the last few years claimed FlashForward, The Deep End, My Generation, Charlie’s Angels and Missing. Since Ugly Betty, the only ABC program to get traction in the hour has been reality show Wipeout, which the network has available as midseason replacement. With its male skew, Last Resort never meshed with the rest of ABC’s heavily female lineup. Additionally, its time slot pitted it against CBS’ strong male-centered comedy block of The Big Bang Theory and Two And A Half Men and football on cable.
The cancellation simplifies things for Shawn Ryan, who has been juggling the ABC drama and a Beverly Hills Cop reboot he has set up at CBS. Ryan will now be able to focus his attention on Beverly Hills Cop, which just tapped Brandon T. Jackson as the lead and is expected to get formal pilot greenlight when Ryan delivers the final script.
After landing the Sunday 10 PM slot in May, 666 Park Ave gradually evolved from a spooky drama to a glitzy soap with supernatural elements to better fit with its lead-in Revenge. But ultimately, the series starring Vanessa Williams and Terry O’Quinn wasn’t able to connect with viewers.
Of its freshman class this fall, ABC gave drama Nashville and comedy The Neighbors full-season orders, while canceling Last Resort and 666 Park Ave. The last new ABC fall series, comedy Malibu Country, launched this month and has received an order for three additional scripts.
TV Editor Nellie Andreeva - tip her here.
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666 is actually an amazing show. I guess when marketed as something “scary” ppl were turned off. Such a shame.
American Horror Story is “scary” yet is doing very well. More likely, the problem was the opposite, 666 was very weak tea compared with what people can see on cable.
As for Last Resort, it needed the male audience that ABC couldn’t deliver, certainly not in that time slot.
That’s right, because “666 Park Avenue” doesn’t have the deviant sex, nudity, graphic language or gruesome violence that AHS serves its audience.
So ABC puts 666 up against Sunday night football and The Mentalist (talk about lame), and they wonder why it has low ratings??? How about a different time slot, or at least wait till after football season to see how it does?
I would have to agree. “666″ is one of my favorite shows. Since I live in Hawaii, it doesn’t compete with Football. It is a shame to see it ending.
I totally agree, try putting it in a time slot where it can survive. I woud rather see 666 Park Ave. than some of these so called reality shows. They keep taking off the good shows.
thanks for sharing
It really isn’t. Not a good sign that I was rooting for the building.
Yes, because scary shows can’t succeed. Must suck to be Grimm, The Walking Dead, and American Horror Story.
Anthony, the point wasn’t that scary shows can’t survive, but that shows on NETWORK television of that genre in recent years haven’t fared all that well more often than not. Grimm is not really a scary show per se, and Supernatural has hovered near cancelation but on a network with a much lower standard for ratings historically. Walking Dead and American Horror Story are both on cable and can push the envelope considerably more. The point the poster was making that compared to what can be seen on basic cable, many “horror” themed shows tend to become a case of, “Why watch something watered down on network TV when I can get more depth on cable,” for many people, and this was advertised with no real idea of what it was about, outside of being based on book that, upon reading the synopsis for said book, seems barely true save for in title.
The last I heard Grimm is doing very well. Guess I like weird, scary movies and such.
No, it’s not amazing. It’s far from it. The premise sounded interested, and I tuned in a for a few episodes, but it was poorly executed and boring.
I have to agree. 666 Park avenue is a great show, and it would be a shame to cancel it. It is fresh and different. I guess if there is no constant sex scenes, or bang bang shoot em up, people do not like it. If anything needs to be canceled, let it be some of those reality shows that are tasteless and brings out the hate and evil in regular people. Leave the acting to the professionals and get rid of the reality shows. Please ABC, give 666 Park Avenue another chance and Last resort too.
Yes, I agree. 666 Park ave is an amazing show and i love the character deveolpment. The story lines are very reminicent of Alfred Hitchcock, work. Too bad the network decided not to follow through
with a second season. I think the writers and cast wouldve suprised everyone. Oh well…. Theres no accounting for taste I guess….
I am really sad to hear that 666 Park Ave is being cancelled. I wait all week to see the next episode. It keeps me on my toes. I enjoy the creepy suspence. I beg to please give us one more season.
you are right, this show is fantastic! there is no reason for them to cancel 666 or last resort. what they should be doing is moving their shows around to another day and time slot to see how they will fare. Usually a network will do that before just cancelling it. it does not make sense. sunday is a tough spot for most people to watch due to monday morning work, etc. if they moved this show to 8 pm instead of 10 pm, it will pick up steam, or just try another day. once these networks get what they want, the attitude is to forget the viewers, the very people who made them popular. Let’s hope a cable station picks up this show. then they can do what they want!
I agree me and my dad love the show.We watched everyone.it’s something we did together and enjoyed since we lost my mom ABC don’t take it off.
Something sour happened here and something is a lie! 666 Park Avenue was supposed to be the new hit show and all of this “rating stuff” is very funny up above. This other bullshit show Last Resort Ive never heard of but the 666 thing definitely has to be a conspiracy for something larger!
I guess they believe anyone over 49 would not enjoy a show such as 666 Park Ave. Everyone in my age bracket 55+ loved the show. As with the others on this site I do not think they gave it a fair chance. It usually takes a season to develop the characters.
It is a shame that they are ending this show, while there is a crappy show, Revolution, of which JJ Abrahams is the executive producer! Maybe, Revolution’s subject is good, but, over all, it is the worst show of Abrahams, and it must’ve ended before 666.
I think Walking Dead is another creepy one just like the Revolution; a good senario with nothing; especially poor act!
The following TV Shows were dissappointing due to their early ending;
Terminator Sarah Connor Chronicles,
Legend of the Seeker,
Continuum,
The Roommates,
Breakout Kings,
Dark Blue,
Reaper,
Leverage,
Human Target,
The Good Guys,
Alcatraz,
The Event.
I am afraid, 666 Park Avenue will just join to them and all I can say is “damn”!
It seems that ABC is notorious for cancelling great shows such as The Gates, October Road and now 666 Park Avenue. Why bother even taking an interest in ABC’s show’s when they just leave you hanging. Now we we never know how Jane’s dreams play into the present and Gavins box of voodoo.
Sorry to see “resort” go. 8 always seemed like a death slot for that kind of show. Hope it can find a new home on cable. Andre really illuminates it.
Last Resort was hardly perfect, but seemed promising. Unfortunately, that time slot has been death for ABC lately (and it doesn’t exactly pair well with Gray’s/Scandal). Hard to say where it would have worked better, though… It’s not like Nashville or Scandal are lighting it up and Private Practice, 666 Park didn’t work out better where they were. Monday/Sunday/Thursday were bad spots since they spent most of their time promoting this show during football games. Maybe instead of doing the whole reboot TGIF thing they could have done Shark Tank / Last Resort / 20/20? Seems silly to relegate a Shawn Ryan / Andre Braugher show to Friday. Maybe save Happy Endings / Don’t Trust the B / Private Practice for midseason or to fill in gaps and Dancing / Last Resort / 666 Park block on Tuesday?
Great assessment. Hopefully ABC will read your comment and figure out that there are other things that can be done before just getting rid of a show! It makes no sense to me at that they are doing this.
I know one thing is certain, they really do not care about their viewers or their likes!
It’s not the time slot. It’s the fact that there was never a plot machine and the writing wasn’t there. I called it after the pilot: great premise, love Braugher, no plot machine, weak writing. It was soap opera and weary tropes by the end of the first hour.
It’s not enough to have a really cool idea for an hour. You need to ask how you’re going to fill 100 hours. If your writers are reduced to dragging out “I’m so bad-ass I could kill six heavies with my butter knife” nonsense half way through the pilot? It ain’t happening because then the coolness of your premise just accentuates the weakness of your writing.
Anyone who doesn’t love Last Resort hasn’t been watching it. I challenge everyone to watch this most recent episode. You will be hooked on it and you can watch it right now. http://abc.go.com/watch/last-resort/SH55199666/VD55248628/nuke-it-out
I’m tired of people using soap operas as an insult as well as tossing the term tropes about plus the notion that containing these “tropes” is a bad thing. These influences are fine, solid and useful tools when implemented correctly.
The time slot does play a big part in this, as the writing. I say the writers should be fired, get some better ones and keep last resort on the air. I also think Andre Braugher needs a better cast, for some reason, these people did not gel. 666 on the other hand is terrific and should not be going off of the air. Trying different time slots will probably open the door for more people to be able to watch. sundays is tough, and these networks know that…
Once again the big networks have cancelled a really great show. We don’t need more reality or singing shows. This is why I watch more and more cable. The big networks have turned into a really big disappointment. If cable dropped them I wouldn’t care. I certainally would not pay extra to watch them. Mostly commercials anyway.
oh no! Surprisingly, I liked this show – I will miss the eye candy !
Boo for axing Last Resort. The people who did watch it loved it intensely. The show was certifiably insane, but nothing else was like it on the air.
Sadly, LAST RESORT was doomed from the start with that terrible timeslot and it just simply not working well with any of the other shows on ABC’s lineup. Shame, as it showed a lot of promise (much like Ryan’s Fox show last year, THE CHICAGO CODE). Maybe after BEVERLY HILLS COP inevitably doesn’t make it past pilot stage, Shawn will head back to cable where he can be allowed some breathing room to work up a season’s worth of narratives?
Even sadder that ABC being in Third place. Does not remember Fox canceled The Chicago Code and whole lot of shows in spring 2011. To make room for X- factor, fall season Terra Nova and spring season Alcatraz and Touch. Since Then Terra Nova and Alcatraz have both been canceled. Touch had a big premiere for it early episode preview. The same audience didn’t come back for the official premiere. The rating and demo declined. Fox picked up generic garbage for this fall called The Mob doctor it also failed as predicted. Fox is in fourth place among all the big networks now.
I rarely watch anything on TV. I watched Last Resort on the ABC site. I don’t think ratings mean much anymore with people being able to view shows whenever they want to. I know commercials pay for the shows, but it seems that costs are going to have to go down or TV is going to continue to suffer from cancellation of good shows due to alternative viewing methods. Why offer the shows online if you rely on ad revenue at the first showing?? I would have watched on TV if it was not available online, it is just about convenience and lack of commercials.
Warner Brothers as a studio does tend to have the worst drama development. 666 Park Avenue never made any sense as a series.
Totally agree. In concept it’s a movie at best, and the show just got worse every week. Part of the problem was it took itself way too seriously, but I think the premise is what doomed it.
Done right it would.
I wouldn’t put this on WB. The writing staff and Paul Lee get all the blame here.
666 is not supposed to make sense. that was the fun in watching the show. it was the mystery, unknown and suspense that makes this show wonderful! I absolutely love 666, and it’s crazy cast of characters!!! Huge mistake to let this one go!
Ugh… Last Resort was actually one of the few new network shows that were actually ballsy. Sad to see it go…
“Resort” was too convoluted and “Lost”-like. Too many plot lines all over the place and hard to really get a fix on people , some of whom were confusingly similar in anything but a close-up. Back stories at home, muddled island plots and submarine issues all crammed into one hour made a mess out of what showed some linear promise in the beginning. 8 p.m. is for simple, direct episodic shows (NCIS) with stable characters audiences can relate to and stories that can be followed easily.
666 never knew what it was so neither did the audience.
“Resort” was too convoluted and “Lost”-like.
Ummmm, Revolution is desperate to be LOSTish…
However, NBC cast supremely BAD actors in CRUCIAL roles like Charlie and her brother Danny. Not to mention the poorly executed locations And set design, it really pales in comparison visually and the characters are overtly unbelievable.
It’s sad that 666 Park ave just didn’t find it’s creative voice.
You are forgetting Missing…
Not surprising. Although 666 had potential, it seem equally to lack something. Last Resort was just a weak premise. But its just an opinion. Sorry to those who liked it.
If there was one thing that wasn’t weak about Last Resort (outside of Andre Braugher anyway), it was the premise. The problem was in the execution.
Should have put Americana on the air. Hmmm, what would do better on our female-skewing network, a soap set in the world of fashion or a drama about a renegade submarine crew? How much longer does Paul Lee have til he gets fired? His drama choices are almost as atrocious as his comedies (but not quite!)
I agree. Americana was a great show (for ABC) and had a lot of promise. Sexy, Soapy and on the mark for the ABC lineup. Also loved Marc Cherry’s Devious Maids. Always surprised by a network’s choices of which pilots to launch and which to toss.
Big fan of Terry O’Quinn, so that’s a bummer. Would have liked to see ’666′ get fleshed out a little further. “What’s in the box?!” Ha.
I love Terry O and sad to see him go..666 wasn’t great but to renew Neighbors but not this?
They should of tried ‘Last Resort’ on Fridays at 10PM. Shark Tank and the broad TGIF sitcoms could of been a good lead in.
Sorry to see Last Resort go. The storylines were intense. The actors drew you into what they were conveying. Some of the intensely emotional scenes were superb. I guess the timeslot was too much for it.
I swear I will never watch a network drama again until it makes it past at least one complete season.
Though I admire the vision of both series, both series would have worked better as films rather than series. There were always too many easily answered questions that both series seemed to ignore because when you had even a short moment to think about them, they would have squashed the internal logic of the show.
That being said, it’s never bad to see Andre Braugher or Terry on television.
You people just don’t get it as to why Last Resort failed. I really like the show, but the general viewing audience is uncomfortable with politically based dramas (see Jericho and to a certain extent Revolution) especially in a post-9/11 world. Dramatic fare involving government conspiracies may play on the network for paranoids, i.e. Fox with its 24 series, but this show with its political machinations is just not mainstream network fare.
I wasn’t impressed with 666 when I saw the premiere ep. Vanessa Williams will soon get another gig I’m sure!
The last good work from Ryan’s was the Chicago Code..
Women ?
Canceled shows becoz ..
I was trying to keep with Last Resort and hoped to get caught up this week.
I feel like the broadcast networks are failing to realize how they are shooting themselves in the foot by canceling shows before they find footing in a complete season, based on them not getting the high coveted ratings after 3-5 episodes. EVERYONE knows it takes more than a few episodes for a show to find its footing, especially with the high octane production pace.
The problem is simple: you’ve already trained a highly social networked audience in tune with Netflix, Hulu, and online sites that it’s not worth their time to invest in a freshmen show until AFTER you give it a full season order. So you’re precious rating system guide in the beginning is totally flawed and outdated. It has to be upgraded into the new generation.
At least Ryan can focus on BHillsCop now…;)
Man, I was starting to dig 666.
I wonder if the Sandy-related wipeout of one of their sound stages in Brooklyn (apparently most of their interior sets) influenced ABC’s decision to take the insurance money and run?
The Washington Post says so. They reported the almost complete destruction of their sets, which would take an incredible output of money to rebuild. Therefore, given the ratings, ABC cancelled it.
666 was a mess. Last Resort was interesting, sad to see it go.
Screw ABC they have the next big hit in Last Resort they should put it at 10 on Sunday put it in place of Park Ave. and it will be a great big success. The Sunday Night Football games usually end by 10 on the east coast and 9 central so Last Resort would find its male audience easily.
ABC should just rename itself to ABG: Anyone But Guys.
Disney should thank its lucky stars that they bought Marvel and LucasFilm. Because if they hadn’t, the day would eventually come where not a single man ANYWHERE would watch ABC. For anything.
Id watch for Scandal…
GH is the only show worth investing in on ABC-and I’m a red-blooded male-so you can stop your stereotype anytime…
LAST RESORT was a good idea for a movie, but a stupid idea for a TV show. Where was it going to go for 100 episodes?? Just sitting on that island with the same premise every week… can’t retreat or the show ends, can’t up the stakes or they nuke the planet. Why do networks keep picking up these high-concept pilots that by design don’t have the legs for multiple seasons? PRISON BREAK was one of the last ones that went for a good run, and even so, they broke out of the prison pretty early and the rest of the episodes they were still hamstrung with that title.
Yes and why not just complete a story in 1 season and quit cancelling the shows before anything gets resolved? I understand that not enough people watch network TV to pay for lower ratings but what the networks are doing now is continuing to push the viewers away. Either make the stories shorter or invest a few seasons in a show for chrissake.