MovieChat Forums > Better Off Ted (2009) Discussion > ABC Programming Execs SUCK!!!

ABC Programming Execs SUCK!!!

posted 15 years ago by mongo324
19 replies | jump to latest

My *beep* GOD!!!!

How can you go from drumming a show like Better OFf Ted off the air because you refuse to move it to an open slot on a night full of hits. And then, after winter hiaitus, put in the unwatchable, scraping the bottom of the barrel, 3 years past it's prime Scrubs?

Sweet Jesus...

ABC could have locked every minute of a 2 hour run for at least the next 2 years if the programming people could've just pulled the crap out of their eyes and the stick out of their A**.

And you can not say that Scrubs was a more successful show. Because BOT was beating it consistently at an 8:30pm slot vs. an 8:00pm.

MORONS!!!!!

[–] maj15 15 years ago

It was the finale of scrubs its not back on the air.

[–] LilTeapot 15 years ago

OMG this sucks. I should stop watching ABC because every time I really like a show they cancel it. I was even *not* going to watch Better off Ted because I got tired of getting hooked and then being bereft, but I gave in and now they cancel.

And I HATE HATE HATE Scrubs, too!

Why settle with words what you can settle with a flamethrower?

[–] Blue_Afternoon 15 years ago

"OMG this sucks. I should stop watching ABC because every time I really like a show they cancel it. I was even *not* going to watch Better off Ted because I got tired of getting hooked and then being bereft, but I gave in and now they cancel.

And I HATE HATE HATE Scrubs, too! "

Couldn't have said it better myself.

'Man cankles!!.......MANKLES!!'

[–] 15 years ago

[deleted]

[–] miles-29 15 years ago

All TV executives are short-sighted morons, it doesn't matter which network they're at.

It used to be that executives could recognise good shows, and gave them the chance to grow and nurtured them through early seasons. Cheers for example came dead last in its first season and didn't crack the top ten until its fourth. Imagine if Cheers came along today, it wouldn't last ten episodes, and the morons who cancel it would be missing out on one of the most profitable franchises in television history, not to mention the spin-off Frasier which was probably even more profitable.

Everything is about the short-run these days. If it's not an instant success cancel it and put on some reality crap. Network television is doomed. More and more people are finding other ways to watch programs: on the net, on demand, on DVD, etc, and with digital broadcast tv right around the corner the networks will be even less relevant. Meanwhile cable nets are churning out quality shows with remarkable consistency.

[–] DrSamba 15 years ago

You're right there. It's not just ABC. NBC and CBS have made their share of screwups as well. Remember Taxi in the 1970s? One of the funniest shows of its time, and NBC kept moving it around until they destroyed it. They don't learn--people expect to see shows at a given time, but they get confused when you keep playing musical chairs. And then they wonder why the show gets lousy ratings. We can't find it!

[–] geesuz 15 years ago

It's because business majors with no show business instincts have taken over. Glorified accountants who have no vision or creativity. Everything by spreadsheet and catchphrase.The days of Brandon Tartikoff are long over.

Reportedly,The Simpsons would have been axed due to ratings, except for the fact that FOX had nothing else to put on. Seinfeld also had a shaky start.

[–] pastorjwallen 15 years ago

I think you hit the nail right on the head, Miles.
I'm almost afraid to really like a show on any of the networks (ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX) because I just know they're going to rip it from the air 3 months to a year later. Firefly, Family Guy (what came back wasn't FG in my opinion), Better Off Ted, and so on. Shows that have a lot of promise, and yet get canceled before they can show that the faith was justified.

It's a shame, and they'll not learn anytime soon.

~Pastor J.W. Allen~

[–] peteroid 15 years ago

The network executives are not to blame. Their job is to put on shows that make a profit, the quality of the show is of no concern to them. Before you criticize this, realize we are talking FREE-TV here.... in order for us to see ANY such shows the networks have to find advertisers willing to sponsor the show. Thus, network execs have the unenviable job of choosing solely on the basis of profit, otherwise we wouldn't have anything free on tv, quality or otherwise. Sometimes the 'bad' popular shows pay for the 'good' quality shows...

Here are the real 'culprits'. Find out who was sponsoring the show for the last two seasons. Why are they NO LONGER sponsoring it? If they still were, the show would still be on!!! It was them pulling out that caused this great show to go away.

Then, once you find out who they are? Write them a letter saying you will no longer buy their products since they obviously have no sense of quality by canceling this great show, so you can't trust they have any sense of quality about their own product!

By the way, this almost worked in reverse for a single viewer who was disgusted with the early seasons of 'Married With Children'. She wrote the companies sponsoring it and threatened not to use their products if they continued to sponsor MWC. And it almost worked. As it turned out the publicity actually helped MWC get picked up.

But the lesson here is that sponsors might just get worried if they think they've done something that causes people not to use their product. This is a worry of theirs that can be used (and the threat is all that is needed, carrying through is not even necessary)...

This tactic is likely to late for this show, since it has to be used when the show is in danger of being canceled, not already canceled. But consider it for the future...

- It has been said, that to write, is to live forever.... the man who wrote that... is dead! -

[–] pastorjwallen 15 years ago

I understand what you're saying. While I'm thinking about it, it may fall at the feet of marketing as well. If you don't tell people about the show, people don't watch. I was like that with Firefly. I had no interest in the show at first, because not only had the show been marketed as an action comedy, but in our area it wasn't promoted more than a handful of times during it's run.

It was only later that I found out the show was brilliant (well, in my opinion).

~Pastor J.W. Allen~

[–] underpaid_phone_monkey1 15 years ago

ABC isn't quite as bad as FOX with cancelling fantastic shows (see Dollhouse, Terminator: TSCC, Firefly) but it has still made some incredibly bad decisions (see Pushing Daisies). I think they should weigh their decisions more heavily and base them on more than just ratings.

[–] hellomynamesbruce 15 years ago

I never got over arrested development being cancelled and I'll never get over this. Is season 2 going to be released on DVD I hope they at least have the decency to give us that.

I'd tell you to go to hell but all dogs go to heaven

[–] johnnysam2 15 years ago

so....ABC can keep on lousy shows like, "According To Jim," but an inteeligent show such as "Better Off Ted" gets cancelled. And I do blame the exec's. In the early 1980's, it was NBC that kept "Cheers" on! So, ABC, you cancelled "BOT," and last year you killed, "Pushing Daisies," so I no longer have a reason to watch you. Thank God for DVD's and episodes that don't get old and only get better. FOX is no longer an option as they killed, "Arrested Development," and they still have "'til death!" Who runs these networks anyway?

[–] newairportkelly 14 years ago

i knowWWw!! i was so sad when they cancelled the show....i read somewhere in an article that said...this show only has a cult-like fans ... ratings overall werent good enough to keep it up sigh.....

[–] whatintheworld-55 14 years ago

I just found this show on Netflix. Love it. Can't believe it's getting cancelled because they do so much right on it.

I didn't even know it was an ABC show until I came on here. I never saw one single ad on ABC.

[–] pastorjwallen 14 years ago

It's a brilliant show, and the cast just meshes perfectly.
Also, I find kindred spirits in Phil and Lem. LOL

~Pastor J.W. Allen~

[–] 14 years ago

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[–] jigsaw918 14 years ago

@mongo324 Truer words have never be spoken. ABC has the WORST shows, I will NEVER watch their horrible channel ever again since the ONLY show they had that was amazing (Better off Ted) they decide to cancel. These people are *beep* morons.