The Small Screen Drops the Ax: Who Made the Cut?

Photo: ABC

I believe that the television shows we choose to watch are a very personal decision and don’t necessarily define the person whom we are.  I know that I have some individual guilty pleasures such as “Mad Men,” “America’s Next Top Model,” Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and New Jersey, “Vampire Diaries”…you get what I’m saying.  These are shows that I feel comfortable watching while in the seclusion of my own home, but don’t typically admit to my devotion.  

And for those who are big fans of “American Idol,” “DWTS,” and “The Voice,” I’m sorry to disappoint but I am just not a big enthusiast of these talent competitions. 

I know I should be watching “Meet the Press” and “60 Minutes” each week, but I get enough of the negative current events through my newspaper reading.

With my husband, we like to watch shows that have more adult themes: “The League,” “It’s Always Sunny,” “Parenthood” and, on occasion, I can persuade the artist in him to watch “Project Runway”…or maybe it’s for the models.

With our son – besides cartoons – as a family we watch “The Amazing Race” and the syndicated show “America’s Funniest Home Videos” (“AFHV”), which will never go away.  I think Tom Bergeron has been preserved in formaldehyde because he is the longest running host on “AFHV” and freaks me out.  Shane loves the show and I simply tolerate it. There is something so disturbing about watching these homemade videos which almost always entail someone nearly dying.

But, the fact of the matter is that everyone has television shows that they enjoy whether they are dramas or reality or sitcoms; so when I saw the headline that the list of 2012 Cancelled Television programs had been announced, I clicked open the article with an air of nervousness.


Buh-bye Horatio!
I was relieved to read that most of my sub-par shows had missed the ax but there were a few oldies, but goodies that are going away, such as: “Desperate Housewives,” “CSI: Miami” (Goodbye Horatio Caine and don’t let the door hit you in the ass); “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” and “House” just to name a few.
With the current bumpy economy, the brass at major studios – including ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC – are under growing pressure to get rid of unsuccessful projects that fail to keep the viewers committed and entertained.

However, the obvious hits that are still high on the hog will continue to air for another season: “Big Bang Theory” (although personally I’m not sure why), “Bones,” “Family Guy,” “Modern Family,” “Glee (of course),” and “Fringe.”  In addition, I am relieved to report that “Parenthood” will endure to keep at least my hubby and I entertained – I love that show.  But also, “Mike & Molly,” “Community,” and “Parks and Recreations,” and “The Office” will continue to tickle our funny bones.

All in all, I can live with the choices that the networks have made and sigh another breath of relief that most of my favorite shows will live to see another year.



Cancelled Television Programs 2012
Alcatraz (Fox)
Allen Gregory (Fox)
Are You There, Chelsea? (NBC)
Awake (NBC)
Best Friends Forever (NBC)
Bent (NBC)
Breaking In (Fox)
Charlie’s Angels (ABC)
Chuck (NBC)
CSI: Miami (CBS)
Desperate Housewives (ABC)
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (ABC)
The Finder (Fox)
The Firm (NBC)
Free Agents (NBC)
GCB (ABC)
A Gifted Man (CBS)
H8R (CW)
Harry’s Law (NBC)
House (Fox)
I Hate My Teenage Daughter (Fox)
Man Up! (ABC)
Missing (ABC)
Napoleon Dynamite (Fox)
NYC 22 (CBS)
One Tree Hill (CW)
Pan Am (ABC)
The Playboy Club (NBC)
Prime Suspect (NBC)
Remodeled (CW)
Ringer (CW)
The River (ABC)
Rob (CBS)
The Secret Circle (CW)
Terra Nova (Fox)
Unforgettable (CBS)
Work It (ABC)




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