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Magic gone,
ABC's 'Eastwick' is axed

Network will drop the first-year Wednesday night drama

By Diego Vasquez
Nov 10, 2009

"Eastwick" never cast a spell over viewers, and now it's becoming ABC's first casualty of the new season.

The network has effectively canceled the light-hearted drama, based on "The Witches of Eastwick" book and movie from the 1980s, though it will allow the show to air its remaining episodes.

ABC declined to order any more after "Eastwick's" disappointing performance on Wednesday nights at 10 p.m. The show has a solid lead-in in "Cougar Town," the new Courteney Cox comedy, but "Eastwick" has been dropping a good chunk of those viewers.

Last week "Eastwick" averaged a series-low 1.5 adults 18-49 rating, losing 46 percent of "Cougar's" lead-in and finishing just 0.1 ahead of NBC's "The Jay Leno Show" in the timeslot.

"Eastwick" will air its remaining six episodes, filling out its initial run of 13, much like NBC is doing with "Trauma." The network declined the option for additional programs last month.

That brings the total of new shows that have been pruned this season to four.

The CW yanked "TBL: The Beautiful Life" after just two episodes in September. And ABC has also decided not to even attempt another new show, despite the fact that the network was running commercials for it last week.

It has axed "Let's Dance," a celebrity reality competition show that was to be hosted by comedian Kathy Griffin and slated to premiere Nov. 23.

Instead, the network began airing promos for another six-episode reality show, "Find My Family," during "Dancing with the Stars" last night. "Family" will air in what would have been "Dance's" slot on Mondays.

ABC did order five more episodes of the low-rated new Christian Slater drama "The Forgotten." While not a full-season pickup, it does indicate the network has seen some promise in the Tuesday 10 p.m. show, or at least thinks it's more promising than what it has in development.

Diego Vasquez is a staff writer for Media Life.	© 2009 Media Life Magazine

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