Well, would you look at the time?! Apparently it’s cancellation-o’clock over at ABC because Zero Hour has run out of moments to prove itself. Hollywood.com has confirmed that the conspiracy thriller is being pulled off the schedule effective immediately due to its lower than low ratings.
RELATED: 5 Ways ‘Zero Hour’ Could Evolve Into A Must-watch Show
The freshman drama premiered February 14 with a total of 6.3 million viewers and a 1.4 rating in the 18-49 age demographic, making it the lowest scripted series debut in ABC’s history. On Thursday, Zero Hour’s third episode only gathered 5 million viewers and plummeted to a 1.0 rating.
Zero Hour followed the adventures of Hank Galliston (Anthony Edwards), a magazine editor searching for his kidnapped wife while simultaneously uncovering a collection of Bavarian clocks containing diamond treasure maps and learning the truth behind a 13th apostle of Christ. Once you read that plot description, it’s easy to see how the general public could get lost following such an intricate storyline.
RELATED: ‘Zero Hour’: An Adventure, Or A Show That Has You Watching The Clock?
So what will be placed in Zero Hour’s coveted Thursday night timeslot? According to ABC, the network will be airing encores of Shark Tank for the next two weeks in it’s place. After that, a non-celebrity version of Wife Swap will play for seven consecutive weeks beginning March 21. Moving into it’s summer programing, ABC will then debut new episodes of Wipeout on May 9.
This is certainly not the first freshman drama that ABC has axed after only a few weeks. Earlier this TV season the alphabet network pulled Last Resort and 666 Park Ave from the lineup before either shows could air their finished episodes. It’ll be interesting to see how their newest upcoming drama Red Widow — which premieres Sunday March 3 — will do in the ratings and whether or not the network will allow more than a three weeks for the mobster drama to find its footing.
Do you think Zero Hour’s time was cut too short? Are you sad to see ABC cancel yet another drama?
UPDATE: An ABC rep contacted Hollywood.com, stating that the network is still determining when the remaining episodes of Zero Hour will air, but they are currently hoping to release them this summer.
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[Photo Credit: ABC]
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