If the main characters on ABC's “Manhattan Love Story” were able to learn the fate of ABC's “Manhattan Love Story,” it might be fun to read their thoughts.
My hunch?
Peter: “Oh poop. Boobs.”
Dana: “Oh poop. Purses.”
And if you don't know who Peter and Dana are, that's probably why “Manhattan Love Story” is no longer around.
ABC confirmed on Friday evening that “Manhattan Love Story” has been pulled, effective immediately. While nobody at ABC is likely to use the “c” word, we can effectively celebrate that after a full month, we have our first cancellation of the 2014-2015 season.
“Manhattan Love Story” was already off next week due to Halloween programming, but on November 4, ABC will air double dose of “Selfie” episodes in the 8 p.m. hour a strategy that may or may not help struggling sophomore drama “Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” [In the short-term it definitely won't help “S.H.I.E.L.D.” since ABC is airing a Marvel special on 11/4, as commenters remind me.] We don't know ABC's long-term plan yet for the ratings-starved hour.
Created by Jeff Lowell and starring Analeigh Tipton and Jake McDorman as a fledgling couple whose thoughts were audible to the audience, “Manhattan Love Story” premiered to only 4.3 million viewers and a 1.5 rating among adults 18-49, but subsequent episodes slipped and slipped and bottomed out this week with 2.6 million viewers and an untenable 0.7 rating in the key demographic.
The not-official-but-totally-unofficial cancellation ends a lengthy period of introspection for TV industry reporters who are accustomed to both cancellations in the first few weeks of the season, but also cancellations for shows doing the sort of 18-49 key demo ratings and overall audience figures turned in by the likes of “Manhattan Love Story,” “Gracepoint,” “Mulaney,” “Red Band Society,” “Utopia,” “A to Z” and several other struggling shows.
Speculation on the reasons for the lack of programming euthanasia highlighted new focus on Live+3 data, lack of easily available replacement inventory, lack of strongly performing repeats for space-filling and uncertainty about the Nielsen system from top to bottom.
But now we can rest easy.
ABC also had the first cancellation of the 2013-2014 season with “Lucky 7,” which was axed after only two episodes.
Meanwhile, we're still early in the process of full-season orders for new shows with only “Black-ish,” “How To Get away With Murder” (kinda), “Gotham,” “The Flash” and “Jane the Virgin” picking up expanded orders thus far.
I made it through all four episodes of “Manhattan Love Story,” but I wasn't going to stick with it for much longer, at least not without making up “Free Analeigh Tipton” banners.
Are you going to miss “Manhattan Love Story”?
And what's your guess on the next cancellation now that the gates have been opened?