To cancel or not to cancel?

by Gabrielle de Mijolla

ABC’s Manhattan Love Story, cancelled after four whole episodes had aired.

Lately everyone has been wondering why no new shows have been cancelled so far for the fall 2014/2015 TV season. Various theories have been aired. Some believe that the reason why a lot of networks have been clinging on to tanking new shows is that there is a lack of confidence in mid-season replacement shows. In other words, some of the other shows in store might just be worse than those that have already premiered.

Another theory posited is that some of the shows that are bombing are bombing in one-hour blocks, making it more difficult to cancel one show without cancelling the second one. For instance, ABC’s Manhattan Love Story, which has received a lot of backlash, airs just before the equally unpopular Selfie.

By far the most widely accepted reason for this absence of cancelling is the role DVR plays in shaping networks’ decisions. DVR numbers can take a few weeks to come in which explains why networks are taking longer to evaluate their shows. While delayed viewing is something to take into consideration, it also seems like some networks are using it as an excuse to postpone the cancellation of shows that are clearly of substandard quality.

Take a look at our gallery of shows that are likely to be cancelled below.

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