How many new Big Four network shows do you look forward to every week?
Because my list is awfully short: Ben and Kate, maybe Go On, Revolution sort of…and that’s about it. The 2012-2013 TV season hasn’t been a memorable one so far, with no one show proving itself to be this year’s New Girl or Suburgatory. So I thought it’d be interesting to look at every season of new shows since 2002-2003 (a relatively arbitrary starting point), and determine which year has been the most *fart noise*
But instead of going by critical consensus and personal taste (HAPPY ENDINGS YEAR WINS), I used a SCIENCE “formula”: I divided how many scripted, non-reality shows were canceled in season one by how many total shows aired, giving us a success rate percentage. (Obviously, this isn’t a perfect way of doing things, because The Big Bang Theory wasn’t canned after negative-two episodes, but it’s fair.) Let’s have a look.
2002-2003
Lasted One Season (23)
Lost at Home (ABC)
MDs (ABC)
Miracles (ABC)
Push, Nevada (ABC)
That Was Then (ABC)
Veritas: The Quest (ABC)
Bram and Alice (CBS)
My Big Fat Greek Life (CBS)
Presidio Med (CBS)
Queens Supreme (CBS)
Robbery Homicide Division (CBS)
Cedric the Entertainer Presents (FOX)
Fastlane (FOX)
Firefly (FOX)
Girls Club (FOX)
John Doe (FOX)
Oliver Beene (FOX)
The Pitts (FOX)
A.U.S.A. (NBC)
Hidden Hills (NBC)
In-Laws (NBC)
Kingpin (NBC)
Mister Sterling (NBC)
Total Number of Shows That Season: (36)
% of Shows That Were Canceled After One Season: 64%
Standout Shows (1)
Firefly (FOX)
2003-2004
Lasted One Season (24)
10-8: Officers on Duty (ABC)
The Big House (ABC)
I’m with Her (ABC)
It’s All Relative (ABC)
Karen Sisco (ABC)
Kingdom Hospital (ABC)
Line of Fire (ABC)
Married to the Kellys (ABC)
Threat Matrix (ABC)
The Brotherhood of Poland, New Hampshire (CBS)
Century City (CBS)
The Handler (CBS)
The Stones (CBS)
Cracking Up (FOX)
Luis (FOX)
A Minute with Stan Hooper (FOX)
Skin (FOX)
Wonderfalls (FOX)
Coupling (NBC)
Happy Family (NBC)
The Lyon’s Den (NBC)
Miss Match (NBC)
The Tracy Morgan Show (NBC)
Whoopi (NBC)
Total Number of Shows That Season: (33)
% of Shows That Were Canceled After One Season: 73%
Standout Shows (5)
Karen Sisco (ABC)
Arrested Development (FOX)
The O.C. (FOX)
Tru Calling (FOX)
Wonderfalls (FOX)
2004-2005
Lasted One Season (22)
Blind Justice (ABC)
Complete Savages (ABC)
Eyes (ABC)
Life As We Know It (ABC)
Life of Luxury (ABC)
Center of the Universe (CBS)
Clubhouse (CBS)
Dr. Vegas (CBS)
Listen Up! (CBS)
Jonny Zero (FOX)
Life on a Stick (FOX)
Method & Red (FOX)
North Shore (FOX)
Quintuplets (FOX)
Point Pleasant (FOX)
The Sketch Show (FOX)
Committed (NBC)
Father of the Pride (NBC)
Hawaii (NBC)
Law & Order: Trial by Jury (NBC)
LAX (NBC)
Medical Investigation (NBC)
Total Number of Shows That Season: (35)
% of Shows That Were Canceled After One Season: 63%
Standout Shows (5)
Lost (ABC)
NUMB3RS (CBS)
American Dad! (FOX)
House (FOX)
The Office (NBC)
2005-2006
Lasted One Season (27)
Commander in Chief (ABC)
Crumbs (ABC)
Emily’s Reasons Why Not (ABC)
The Evidence (ABC)
Freddie (ABC)
Hot Properties (ABC)
In Justice (ABC)
Invasion (ABC)
Night Stalker (ABC)
Sons & Daughters (ABC)
Courting Alex (CBS)
Love Monkey (CBS)
Out of Practice (CBS)
Threshold (CBS)
Free Ride (FOX)
Head Cases (FOX)
Kitchen Confidential (FOX)
Reunion (FOX)
The Book of Daniel (NBC)
Conviction (NBC)
E-Ring (NBC)
Four Kings (NBC)
Heist (NBC)
Inconceivable (NBC)
Surface (NBC)
Teachers (NBC)
Three Wishes (NBC)
Total Number of Shows That Season: (38)
% of Shows That Were Canceled After One Season: 71%
Standout Shows (3)
How I Met Your Mother (CBS)
Prison Break (FOX)
My Name Is Earl (NBC)
2006-2007
Lasted One Season (21)
Help Me Help You (ABC)
In Case of Emergency (ABC)
Knights of Prosperity (ABC)
The Nine (ABC)
Six Degrees (ABC)
3 Lbs. (CBS)
The Class (CBS)
Smith (CBS)
Drive (FOX)
Happy Hour (FOX)
Justice (FOX)
Standoff (FOX)
Vanished (FOX)
The Winner (FOX)
The Wedding Bells (FOX)
Andy Barker, P.I. (NBC)
The Black Donnellys (NBC)
Kidnapped (NBC)
Raines (NBC)
Studio 60 On the Sunset Strip (NBC)
Twenty Good Years (NBC)
Total Number of Shows That Season: (31)
% of Shows That Were Canceled After One Season: 68%
Standout Shows (5)
30 Rock (NBC)
Friday Night Lights (NBC)
Heroes (NBC)
Studio 60 On the Sunset Strip (NBC)
Ugly Betty (ABC)
2007-2008
Lasted One Season (20)
Big Shots (ABC)
Carpoolers (ABC)
Cashmere Mafia (ABC)
Cavemen (ABC)
Miss Guided (ABC)
Women’s Murder Club (ABC)
Cane (CBS)
Moonlight (CBS)
Viva Laughlin (CBS)
Welcome to The Captain (CBS)
Swingtown (CBS)
Back to You (FOX)
Canterbury’s Law (FOX)
K-Ville (FOX)
New Amsterdam (FOX)
The Return of Jezebel James (FOX)
Unhitched (FOX)
Bionic Woman (NBC)
Journeyman (NBC)
Fear Itself (NBC)
Total Number of Shows That Season: (31)
% of Shows That Were Canceled After One Season: 65%
Standout Shows (3)
Pushing Daisies (ABC)
Chuck (NBC)
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (FOX)
2008-2009
Lasted One Season (20)
Cupid (ABC)
The Goode Family (ABC)
In the Motherhood (ABC)
Life on Mars (ABC)
Surviving Suburbia (ABC)
The Unusuals (ABC)
Eleventh Hour (CBS)
The Ex-List (CBS)
Harper’s Island (CBS)
Worst Week (CBS)
Do Not Disturb (FOX)
Mental (FOX)
Sit Down, Shut Up (FOX)
Crusoe (NBC)
Kath & Kim (NBC)
Kings (NBC)
Knight Rider (NBC)
My Own Worst Enemy (NBC)
The Philanthropist (NBC)
Southland (NBC)
Total Number of Shows That Season: (29)
% of Shows That Were Canceled After One Season: 69%
Standout Shows (5)
Better Off Ted (ABC)
Dollhouse (FOX)
Fringe (FOX)
Parks and Recreation (NBC)
Southland (NBC)
2009-2010
Lasted One Season (21)
The Deep End (ABC)
Eastwick (ABC)
Find My Family (ABC)
FlashForward (ABC)
The Forgotten (ABC)
Hank (ABC)
Happy Town (ABC)
Romantically Challenged (ABC)
Accidentally on Purpose (CBS)
The Bridge (CBS)
Miami Medical (CBS)
Three Rivers (CBS)
Brothers (FOX)
The Good Guys (FOX)
Past Life (FOX)
Sons of Tucson (FOX)
100 Questions (NBC)
The Jay Leno Show (NBC)
Mercy (NBC)
Persons Unknown (NBC)
Trauma (NBC)
Total Number of Shows That Season: (32)
% of Shows That Were Canceled After One Season: 66%
Standout Shows (6)
Cougar Town (ABC)
The Middle (ABC)
Modern Family (ABC)
The Good Wife (CBS)
Community (NBC)
Parenthood (NBC)
2010-2011
Lasted One Season (28)
Better with You (ABC)
Combat Hospital (ABC)
Detroit 1-8-7 (ABC)
Mr. Sunshine (ABC)
My Generation (ABC)
No Ordinary Family (ABC)
Off the Map (ABC)
The Whole Truth (ABC)
$#*! My Dad Says (CBS)
CHAOS (CBS)
Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior (CBS)
The Defenders (CBS)
Mad Love (CBS)
The Chicago Code (FOX)
Lone Star (FOX)
Running Wilde (FOX)
Traffic Light (FOX)
The Cape (NBC)
Chase (NBC)
The Event (NBC)
Friends with Benefits (NBC)
Law & Order: LA (NBC)
Love Bites (NBC)
Outlaw (NBC)
Outsourced (NBC)
The Paul Reiser Show (NBC)
Perfect Couples (NBC)
Undercovers (NBC)
Total Number of Shows That Season: (37)
% of Shows That Were Canceled After One Season: 76%
Standout Shows (4)
Happy Endings (ABC)
Bob’s Burgers (FOX)
Lone Star (FOX)
Raising Hope (FOX)
2011-2012
Lasted One Season (27)
Charlie’s Angels (ABC)
GCB (ABC)
Man Up! (ABC)
Missing (ABC)
Pan Am (ABC)
The River (ABC)
Work It (ABC)
A Gifted Man (CBS)
How to Be a Gentleman (CBS)
NYC 22 (CBS)
Rob (CBS)
Unforgettable (CBS)
Alcatraz (FOX)
Allen Gregory (FOX)
The Finder (FOX)
I Hate My Teenage Daughter (FOX)
Napoleon Dynamite (FOX)
Terra Nova (FOX)
Are You There, Chelsea? (NBC)
Awake (NBC)
Bent (NBC)
Best Friends Forever (NBC)
The Firm (NBC)
Free Agents (NBC)
The Playboy Club (NBC)
Prime Suspect (NBC)
Total Number of Shows That Season: (41)
% of Shows That Were Canceled After One Season: 66%
Standout Shows (4)
Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23 (ABC)
Suburgatory (ABC)
New Girl (FOX)
Bent (NBC)
2012-2013
By my count, 18 new shows have already premiered on the Big Four, with approximately 17 more to come during midseason or some other point next year. Of the 18, five have already been canceled: Made in Jersey, Partners, 666 Park Avenue, Last Resort, and Animal Practice. Let’s say 32 shows premiere during the 2012-2013 season, including those which haven’t debuted yet — for this to be the worst season in the past decade, which currently goes to the top-heavy 2010-2011 season, at least 25 series need to be canned. ONLY 20 MORE TO GO.
Listen To This
