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and Fox's 'Dollhouse' 'Hank' yanked after finishing behind CW and Univision Nov 12, 2009 The second time was not the charm for Kelsey Grammer or Joss Whedon. Grammer's "Hank," his second sitcom since "Frasier" ended, and Whedon's "Dollhouse," his second effort at Fox, were both axed yesterday, in what can't even be called a mild surprise. The clock had been ticking on both shows from almost the moment the season started, as both posted awful ratings. First-year show "Hank," in which Grammer played a downsized former CEO forced to move back to his hometown, led off the network's all-new Wednesday lineup at 8 p.m. The future looked dim for the show last week when ABC opted to air a Thanksgiving-themed episode (dubbed "Hanksgiving) three weeks before the actual holiday. That seemed an indication that the show would not be around much longer. "Hank" averaged a 1.3 adults 18-49 rating last week, finishing sixth in its timeslot, behind even Univision and the CW. Lead-out "The Middle," which has already received a full-season pickup, grew by nearly 50 percent at 8:30. The sitcom has aired five episodes and has five already filmed, though it's unclear if those will ever make it on the air. "Hank" was Grammer's second attempt at a TV comeback following "Frasier's" exit in 2004. He starred in Fox's "Back to You" two years ago, but that, too, was canceled after only one season. Interestingly, "Hank" was the only recession-themed show that made it to series this fall. Though critics, including Media Life's Tom Conroy, criticized the show's unimaginative writing, it may also have been hurt by viewers' desire for escapism. There's nothing more depressing than seeing fictional characters deal with this dire economy too. ABC will fill the Wednesday 8 p.m. slot with reruns and holiday specials going forward. The cancellation of second-year show "Dollhouse" was equally expected. Actually, what was more surprising was that the show got a second season at all, after drawing very low ratings after debuting at midseason last year. Fox noted its cult following and strong DVR viewing uptick and gave the show a second shot, but ratings were still disappointing. "Dollhouse" was yanked from the schedule during the November sweeps after posting a 0.8 rating in its most recent outing last month. "House" reruns have drawn better numbers in the Friday 9 p.m. slot, though "Dollhouse" was seeing a pickup of nearly 56 percent from seven-day DVR viewing. "Dollhouse," about a secretive organization whose members perform secret missions and then have their personalities wiped clean, was creator Whedon's second effort at Fox. The first, "Firefly," also aired on Friday night and was also canceled after a short run in 2002. Fox has said that it will air the remaining episodes of "Dollhouse's" 13-episode order, though it is unclear if the show will return in December, as the network had promised before the cancellation.
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