'Last Resort,' '666 Park Avenue' won't get full seasons on ABC

Both shows will air their 13 episodes

By Daniel Fienberg Friday, Nov 16, 2012 6:42 PM

Scott Speedman and Andre Braugher of "Last Resort"

Credit: ABC

ABC has elected not to give back-nine orders to the freshman dramas "Last Resort" and "666 Park Avenue."

The network confirms to HitFix that neither show will get full season orders, but ABC isn't officially using the "c" word for either show.

Both "Last Resort" and "666 Park Avenue" will air their full compliment of 13 episodes, hence ABC's preference not to refer to either show as "cancelled."

A good comparison would be last season's "Pan Am," which aired all of its original 13 episodes, plus a bonus episode, but wasn't picked up for a back-nine. ABC refused to call "Pan Am" officially cancelled even after that run of episodes was completed, even if that was both the general assumption and the final verdict.

So "Last Resort" and "666 Park Avenue" will air their 13 episodes and you can still hold out hope, but neither show will get 22 episodes and your hope may be slightly [but perhaps not entirely] futile. Neither drama has completed production on their final episodes, so the producers should/could theoretically have the ability to tailor their conclusions accordingly.

This isn't a shocking verdict for either show.

With "666 Park Avenue" it was a total foregone conclusion, as the drama premiered low and has been stumbling along with 4-ish million viewers for live-same day viewing. "666 Park Avenue" got a solid Live+7 DVR bump among adults 18-49 of nearly 53 percent, bringing its season averages up to a 2.6 rating, but weekly numbers have been trending down. The overall audience was over 7.2 million viewers including the DVR bump.

"Last Resort" had been getting a comparable DVR bump, rising roughly 50 percent among adults 18-49 to the same 2.6 rating in Live+7, while going up to 9.86 million viewers overall. However, the drama had struggled in its Thursday 8 p.m. time slot, frequently losing to or tying with The CW in the 18-49 demo and slipping under 6 million viewers and a 1.3 key demo rating in its most recent overnights.

Because ABC has a number of midseason dramas waiting for time slots, including "Red Widow" and "Zero Hour," the network didn't have quite the same flexibility to try either "666" or "Last Resort" in different time periods, especially with rumors suggesting "Nashville" may be a candidate to move.

Daniel Fienberg
Executive Editor

A long-time member of the TCA Board and a longer-time blogger of "American Idol," Dan Fienberg writes about TV, except for when he writes about movies or sometimes writes about the Red Sox. But never music. He would sound stupid talking about music.

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marcus

NOOOOO not mah last resort.... why is it the best shows have such trouble, while crap like beauty and the beast is heralded as the best show ever.
November 16, 2012 at 8:08PM EST Reply to Comment
- john Last Resort is an excellent suspenseful show. Please pick up for another season. Don't let this end up to be like "firefly" or "black Donnellys". We must have a second season!!
  November 16, 2012 at 8:14PM EST
Perlishia Smiley

I liked both shows
November 16, 2012 at 8:09PM EST Reply to Comment
Deb Slagle

666 Park Avenue I can take or leaave - no bit whoop, but Last Resort I find captivating, refreshing and a nice addition to "drama" Thursday following "Comedy" Wednesday on ABC!
November 16, 2012 at 8:09PM EST Reply to Comment
Jonnybon

Fuck you, ABC.
November 16, 2012 at 8:13PM EST Reply to Comment
- Jimbo It's not ABC's fault both shows bombed. ABC is in the television business to make money, and both shows were getting destroyed in the demos, and so they weren't gonna make money. Hence, they get cancelled, just like they do on every other television network in existence.
  November 16, 2012 at 8:21PM EST
- dan Jimbo - Rationality doesn't kick in for at least 24 hours. If then...
  
  -Daniel
  November 16, 2012 at 8:26PM EST
- Dean No, it is ABC's fault because they built their entire network around female viewership and then are surprised when any male-oriented show fails to capture an audience.
  November 16, 2012 at 8:58PM EST
- Jonnybon I feel rational now. FUCK YOU, ABC.
  November 17, 2012 at 2:13PM EST
- John I wouldn't say it's entirely ABC's fault, but everyone could see Last Resort having problems in its time slot early on Thursdays (it airs at 7 p.m. here in the Mountain Time Zone). Not only is it an early time slot for a serialized drama, it was also going up against strong competition from the other networks (not to mention the NFL), and it was sharing a night with two Shonda Rhimes shows, of which I think there are approximately zero crossover viewers (just kidding--I'm sure there are some, but it can't be that many). ABC really put it in a position to fail, which is funny, considering that it was ABC's best and most promising new show (Nashville has its own set of problems).
  
  With all that said, I can't completely absolve Last Resort of responsibility. The show had the best pilot and the most potential of any new show (the fifth episode was excellent, an example of what the show should have been on a week-to-week basis), but it squandered a lot of it by getting bogged down with uninteresting and/or ridiculous characters.
  
  Honestly, I think the biggest problem the show had was the island itself. With a submarine drama (think The Hunt for Red October), the plot should be like the sub itself--always moving forward. Unfortunately, Last Resort anchored both the sub and the plot to this boring island. The submarine was by far the most interesting part of the show, and the crew should have been on the run often, only staying in one place for brief periods of time. That's essentially the model that Battlestar Galactica used, and it was a big part of why that show was so great. Instead, Last Resort stalled on the island, and now it's been canceled. It's too bad because I will always wonder how good this show could have been if Ryan had made different choices.
  November 19, 2012 at 11:37PM EST
babymakes3

Really? I love Park Avenue 666. I loved The River. Can't we have at least 1 supernatural drama around here. I watch almost exclusively everything on Hulu. Like a dozen of my friends. Are they counting those numbers?
November 16, 2012 at 8:43PM EST Reply to Comment
- CinemaPsycho No. They're not. They're only counting people who are watching their shows on their network with Nielsen boxes. The rest of our votes don't count.
  November 17, 2012 at 2:51AM EST
Judy

I really like Last Resort. Hope they either move it or come up with a better story line in order to bring it back.
November 16, 2012 at 8:48PM EST Reply to Comment
Norm

Last Resort is the best dramatic of the season. I actually began turning on my TV set again. Oh well, guess I'll be saving on electricity.

November 16, 2012 at 8:49PM EST Reply to Comment
CubsFan007

Last Resort can't really last based on its premise. Already major holes in the plot.
November 16, 2012 at 8:52PM EST Reply to Comment
- FistOSalmon You could call them major holes, I prefer to call the whole show a mess. Every episode felt like it'd been cut down from a tight 90 minutes. I think I made it to week 4? and let it go. Whichever episode was after the one the island gangster executed one of the prisoners. Which I'm still not sure happened. It felt like something where they'd find that guy in a tiger cage or something towards the end of the season. Anyway it seemed pretty clear this wasn't going anywhere and I didn't want to get wrapped up in yet another conspiracy show that was destined to be cancelled.
  November 16, 2012 at 9:59PM EST
- Mulderism I find it hard to believe this made it to an ongoing series. It would have worked better as a mini series.
  November 17, 2012 at 4:50AM EST
Anonymous Identity

100% sure to be cancelled - because I actually liked it and watched in in it's time slot instead of taping it. ABC, you are REALLY a stoopid network. No wonder CBS is kicking yer ass.
November 16, 2012 at 10:23PM EST Reply to Comment
erika_herzog

a difficult to enjoy show -- that i gave up on after episode 3 -- with major believability and premise problems, Last Resort, was. and i'm not surprised but Shawn Ryan is starting to become a show killer of sort of a stunning magnitude.

stopped watching the also bizarro Vegas despite the Chiklis love i hold near and dear to my heart.

tv isn't supposed to be this hard to watch. isn't it supposed to be fun, too? i mean, really?

i love tv so much but it feels like we're scraping the bottom of the barrel here. they'll probably cancel Elementary (a well made show that has moments of enjoyment) or something just to make sure to torture and abuse the audiences still trying to watch original programming.
November 17, 2012 at 2:35AM EST Reply to Comment
- John Yeah, it's sad that of the shows I was most looking forward to, one has been canceled (Last Resort), another is in serious danger (Vegas) and one (Nashville) looks like it might be in enough trouble that it might only get renewed for the same reasons Smash was (that the network had too much pride to cancel a critically acclaimed--yes, people actually liked Smash at the beginning--new drama that it promoted to death).
  
  With that said, I think Elementary is in pretty good shape. Tvbythenumbers has it listed as "likely renewal," and I think that's accurate. Its audience has stabilized in the 2.2-2.3 range (pretty good for a 10 p.m. drama, especially compared to fellow CBS freshman Vegas and time slot competitor Scandal) in the key demo for the last several episodes. The fact that CBS ordered two more episodes and (more importantly) is putting it on after the Super Bowl also shows a lot of support from the network, support I think the show has earned with both its quality (much higher than I was expecting) and its ratings. It's too early to say for sure, but I think it will be back next year.
  November 19, 2012 at 11:56PM EST
Mulderism

Glad I quit watching Last Resort after 3 episodes. I got taken in by the ambitious premise and forgot my rule to not get engaged in a serialized drama unless its picked up for a second season.

You can thank L O S T for that.
November 17, 2012 at 4:49AM EST Reply to Comment
KP

Dan,
What is the point of watching network dramas anymore? On the rare occasion you get an interesting one, it probably has a 10% chance of surviving the axe. I love the cable dramas partly because even a mess like The Newsroom gets a second season and the opportunity to right the ship.
The entire business seems loaded for failure with short-term thinking.

November 17, 2012 at 4:58AM EST Reply to Comment
Swearin

I have to agree with what many people have already said; you can't build your network around an entire brand aimed at a narrow demographic (young-to-mid females) and then be SHOCKED when the off-brand show doesn't get ratings. Even if the show had a male audience, it likely lost out on so many more who only see ABC now as "the Grey's Anatomy" network. And I couldn't help but feel like the sex on the beach scene between those two leads on this most recent episode was blatantly pandering to those "Grey's" or "Revenge" fans.

Also, at what point can we just start admitting Autumn Reeser is the TV series Angel of Death?
November 17, 2012 at 5:04AM EST Reply to Comment
Ty

ABC IS SHIT
November 17, 2012 at 5:37AM EST Reply to Comment
Sareeta

I wanted to like this show, but I think the concept was better than the execution. As with so many post Lost shows, the creators seem to forget about creating likable or at least interesting characters. As interesting as the premise might be, if you don't care about the characters, and if you have them make bizarre, inconsistent decisions on a weekly basis the show will not be successful.
November 17, 2012 at 10:51AM EST Reply to Comment
- Sareeta FYI, I don't blame ABC. They promoted it quite well. I blame Shawn Ryan. If the show had at least been good, I would be cursing Nielsen viewers. This all falls on the producers and writers of the show.
  November 17, 2012 at 10:54AM EST
Dave I

@#$%! It seems like every @#$%ing season there's always at least one! I guess this year's is Last Resort.

-Cheers
November 17, 2012 at 11:44AM EST Reply to Comment
JohnGaltTexas

Last Resort is awesome even though I usually have to watch it On Demand, but as usual, the shows I like always fall to offal the the mush-head crowd like.
November 17, 2012 at 2:23PM EST Reply to Comment
JohnGaltTexas

Last Resort is a great show (so was The River) even though I usually have to watch it On Demand. But as usual, the shows I like are crowded out by the offal the simple minded like to watch.
November 17, 2012 at 2:26PM EST Reply to Comment
andypandy

I like both shows, but I predicted they wouldn't last on network TV. They would be better suited for a cable network
November 17, 2012 at 3:24PM EST Reply to Comment
jeves23

Shiiiiiit.... I really liked LAST RESORT.... was curious how/if they would be able to sustain the premise, and what the possibilities for the future of the show might have been... Might have sucked though, so who knows, maybe this is for the best - might allow them to finish up the show with a cohesive (if rushed) finale.....?
Either way, I watch almost no network TV, so it figures as soon as I find a show I like no on else watches it.
Boo-urns.
November 17, 2012 at 5:03PM EST Reply to Comment
Griff

It's my fault everyone. I knew before hand that if I liked a show, it dies. Learned my lesson from "The River"...but then I dared to love again with "Last Resort"...Damn! Best say your good-byes now. Sorry. Really.
November 18, 2012 at 6:40PM EST Reply to Comment
gene

Competing with Sunday night football and you guys blame park ave? Are u freaking serious? Revenge might loose the battle too.
November 18, 2012 at 9:42PM EST Reply to Comment
Alvina

I actually had hoped that Last Resort would end as a mini... There are already parts where I have to fast forward due to lack of interest (the seal and the bartender, the french lady).
Though, I hope they somehow anticipated this, and we'll have somewhat of a clean ending if it ends up getting cancelled.
November 20, 2012 at 11:08PM EST Reply to Comment
- Leslie Really I'm not watching anything on abc
  November 23, 2012 at 4:18AM EST
karen

I am very ,very ,very,very sadden by the thought of not being able to see 666 park avenue anymore :(..think it's a wonderful show and hopefully it will stay on.
December 9, 2012 at 9:48PM EST Reply to Comment

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'Last Resort,' '666 Park Avenue' won't get full seasons on ABC

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Comments

Option 1

Option 2

Option 3

marcus NOOOOO not mah last resort.... why is it the best shows have such trouble, while crap like beauty and the beast is heralded as the best show ever.

john Last Resort is an excellent suspenseful show. Please pick up for another season. Don't let this end up to be like "firefly" or "black Donnellys". We must have a second season!!

Perlishia Smiley I liked both shows

Deb Slagle 666 Park Avenue I can take or leaave - no bit whoop, but Last Resort I find captivating, refreshing and a nice addition to "drama" Thursday following "Comedy" Wednesday on ABC!

Jonnybon Fuck you, ABC.

Jimbo It's not ABC's fault both shows bombed. ABC is in the television business to make money, and both shows were getting destroyed in the demos, and so they weren't gonna make money. Hence, they get cancelled, just like they do on every other television network in existence.

dan Jimbo - Rationality doesn't kick in for at least 24 hours. If then... -Daniel

Dean No, it is ABC's fault because they built their entire network around female viewership and then are surprised when any male-oriented show fails to capture an audience.

Jonnybon I feel rational now. FUCK YOU, ABC.

babymakes3 Really? I love Park Avenue 666. I loved The River. Can't we have at least 1 supernatural drama around here. I watch almost exclusively everything on Hulu. Like a dozen of my friends. Are they counting those numbers?

CinemaPsycho No. They're not. They're only counting people who are watching their shows on their network with Nielsen boxes. The rest of our votes don't count.

Judy I really like Last Resort. Hope they either move it or come up with a better story line in order to bring it back.

Norm Last Resort is the best dramatic of the season. I actually began turning on my TV set again. Oh well, guess I'll be saving on electricity.

CubsFan007 Last Resort can't really last based on its premise. Already major holes in the plot.

Mulderism I find it hard to believe this made it to an ongoing series. It would have worked better as a mini series.

Anonymous Identity 100% sure to be cancelled - because I actually liked it and watched in in it's time slot instead of taping it. ABC, you are REALLY a stoopid network. No wonder CBS is kicking yer ass.

Mulderism Glad I quit watching Last Resort after 3 episodes. I got taken in by the ambitious premise and forgot my rule to not get engaged in a serialized drama unless its picked up for a second season. You can thank L O S T for that.

Ty ABC IS SHIT

Sareeta FYI, I don't blame ABC. They promoted it quite well. I blame Shawn Ryan. If the show had at least been good, I would be cursing Nielsen viewers. This all falls on the producers and writers of the show.

Dave I @#$%! It seems like every @#$%ing season there's always at least one! I guess this year's is Last Resort.-Cheers

JohnGaltTexas Last Resort is awesome even though I usually have to watch it On Demand, but as usual, the shows I like always fall to offal the the mush-head crowd like.

JohnGaltTexas Last Resort is a great show (so was The River) even though I usually have to watch it On Demand. But as usual, the shows I like are crowded out by the offal the simple minded like to watch.

andypandy I like both shows, but I predicted they wouldn't last on network TV. They would be better suited for a cable network

Griff It's my fault everyone. I knew before hand that if I liked a show, it dies. Learned my lesson from "The River"...but then I dared to love again with "Last Resort"...Damn! Best say your good-byes now. Sorry. Really.

gene Competing with Sunday night football and you guys blame park ave? Are u freaking serious? Revenge might loose the battle too.

Leslie Really I'm not watching anything on abc

karen I am very ,very ,very,very sadden by the thought of not being able to see 666 park avenue anymore :(..think it's a wonderful show and hopefully it will stay on.

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marcus

NOOOOO not mah last resort.... why is it the best shows have such trouble, while crap like beauty and the beast is heralded as the best show ever.

Perlishia Smiley

I liked both shows

Deb Slagle

666 Park Avenue I can take or leaave - no bit whoop, but Last Resort I find captivating, refreshing and a nice addition to "drama" Thursday following "Comedy" Wednesday on ABC!

Jonnybon

Fuck you, ABC.

dan Jimbo - Rationality doesn't kick in for at least 24 hours. If then...

-Daniel

babymakes3

Really? I love Park Avenue 666. I loved The River. Can't we have at least 1 supernatural drama around here. I watch almost exclusively everything on Hulu. Like a dozen of my friends. Are they counting those numbers?

Judy

I really like Last Resort. Hope they either move it or come up with a better story line in order to bring it back.

Norm

Last Resort is the best dramatic of the season. I actually began turning on my TV set again. Oh well, guess I'll be saving on electricity.

CubsFan007

Last Resort can't really last based on its premise. Already major holes in the plot.

Anonymous Identity

100% sure to be cancelled - because I actually liked it and watched in in it's time slot instead of taping it. ABC, you are REALLY a stoopid network. No wonder CBS is kicking yer ass.

Mulderism

Glad I quit watching Last Resort after 3 episodes. I got taken in by the ambitious premise and forgot my rule to not get engaged in a serialized drama unless its picked up for a second season.

You can thank L O S T for that.

Ty

ABC IS SHIT

Dave I

@#$%! It seems like every @#$%ing season there's always at least one! I guess this year's is Last Resort.

-Cheers

JohnGaltTexas

Last Resort is awesome even though I usually have to watch it On Demand, but as usual, the shows I like always fall to offal the the mush-head crowd like.

JohnGaltTexas

Last Resort is a great show (so was The River) even though I usually have to watch it On Demand. But as usual, the shows I like are crowded out by the offal the simple minded like to watch.

andypandy

I like both shows, but I predicted they wouldn't last on network TV. They would be better suited for a cable network

Griff

It's my fault everyone. I knew before hand that if I liked a show, it dies. Learned my lesson from "The River"...but then I dared to love again with "Last Resort"...Damn! Best say your good-byes now. Sorry. Really.

gene

Competing with Sunday night football and you guys blame park ave? Are u freaking serious? Revenge might loose the battle too.

karen

I am very ,very ,very,very sadden by the thought of not being able to see 666 park avenue anymore :(..think it's a wonderful show and hopefully it will stay on.

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