Beyond the TV Grave: Limitless

Welcome to the latest installment of Beyond the TV Grave, where we at the TV Ratings Guide focus on shows that were canceled after airing no less than 5 episodes and no more than 50. In today’s installment, science fiction comedy-drama Limitless grabs the headline as we go through the premise and what led to its untimely cancelation, and we will give a final verdict on whether or not we want to see more. 

Synopsis

Based on the film by the same title, Brian Finch (Jake McDorman) is introduced to the miracle drug NZT-48, which gives him access to every neuron in his brain. 12 hours later, Brian becomes the smartest person in the world and is able to perfectly recall every detail of his life. With the mysterious US Senator Eddie Morra (Bradley Cooper) providing him with an immunity shot to counteract NZT's deadly side effects, Brian uses his newly enhanced abilities to aid FBI agent Rebecca Harris (Jennifer Carpenter) through cases. The FBI doesn't know about the shot and Brian has to separate from his NZT-48 life and public life. The series also starred Hill Harper and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio. 

Scheduling & Cancelation

Even though it was one of CBS’s most promising shows outside of Supergirl, Limitless ultimately was a victim of questionable scheduling. It was placed in the Monday 10pm time slot, a time slot that is historically troubling for newbies not named Hawaii Five-0. It premiered to a 1.9 in the key adults 18-49 demographic, which was a promising start for a CBS newbie. But ratings dropped yet managed to stay fairly consistent around the 1.4-1.5 level through most of the fall. This performance was enough for CBS to give it a full season of 22 episodes. Only a couple of episodes hit 1.3 at the end of the fall. It came back in the winter to a 1.4, then sunk to a low of a 1.1 A18-49 rating, and mostly stayed there. 

CBS canceled the series after one season, ultimately causing fan outcry. But CBS could have made a smarter decision scheduling wise to move it by NCIS instead of having it at 10pm on Monday where it was showing decline. 

Verdict

Honestly, I would have loved to see more of Limitless. CBS made a questionable decision to schedule and leave the show in an undesirable time slot. That and to make things worse, CBS shopped drama Supergirl to the CW, cementing the network’s reputation as the Old People Network. If Limitless was so off-brand, then why did CBS order it and Supergirl? 

You can catch Limitless’s only season on Netflix worldwide. 

Beyond the TV Grave -- Cristela (2014-15)

Written Questioning ABC's Scheduling by Bridger Cunningham.

Every network features undesirable timeslots, and ABC does not differ.  During the 2014-15 season, ABC offered up four of its eight timeslots to freshman pilots.  Black-ish (rightfully) received the Wednesday 9:30 timeslot behind Modern Family as it received critical acclaim.  That left the Tuesday 8:00 hour and post-Last Man Standing timeslot on Friday at 8:30.  2014 flops Manhattan Love Story and Selfie housed the Tuesday timeslots and perished before the new year.  Given its incorporated laugh track, Cristela colonized the Friday timeslot, in exchange for ample and aggressive promotions.  Cristela managed to receive a full 22-episode season order, yet never outlived its freshman season.

Synopsis

Cristela Hernandez (Cristela Alonzo) is a thirtysomething Texan born Mexican American who shocks her family by enrolling in law school and taking an unpaid internship.  Taking a page from My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Cristela's mother Natalia (Terri Hoyos) not only pesters her daughter to find a husband, but also demands she never forget her ethnic heritage.  Add a career-driven sister, her antagonizing husband and two kids, and Hernandez/Gonzales household is rife with stereotypical humor.  Where the series developed a welcome premise is Cristela's office setting featuring her accidental racist boss Trent Culpepper (Sam McMurray), his entitled, ditzy daugher Maddie (Justine Lupe) who works as Cristela's lateral equal, and Jewish intern Josh (Andrew Leeds), who exhibited great chemistry with Cristela.  As a nominal bonus, Roseanne Barr made welcome cameos as Trent's feminist, upscale estranged wife Veronica, whom took a fond interest in Cristela.

Why This Series Failed

The ratings were the greatest culprit as live shows averaged between 0.8-1.3, roughly 60-70% of its already soft lead-in.  The Live+7 ratings did not bolster the series further, as they landed in 120th Place among the 188 shows with a 1.2 average.  Both the network and showrunners perhaps should have made changes mid-season to retool the premise:

The Network

The Friday 8:30 timeslot held a pattern of dispensing every show which touched it since 2012 with Malibu Country and The Neighbors perishing inside a season.  Cristela was heading down this same path mid-season, and ABC also launched Fresh Off The Boat on February 4, paired with variety/reality piece Repeat After Me, hosted by Wendi McLendon-Covey.  Given Cristela was floundering on Fridays, ABC should have shopped the series post FOTB to see if it would jell with viewers.  Repeat After Me was reality-based and may have fit a precursor tone to Friday's 9:00 showing of Shark Tank.  By boxing in Cristela on Fridays, it held little opportunity for growth on the schedule.

The Showrunners

Like CBS' Mom's first season, Cristela was finding its tone against an undesirable timeslot.  Leading lady Cristela Alonso knew how to carry herself in all of the material, but a divide formed in the series.  The office setting developed intrigue and offered ample exploration of stereotypes and finding a career later in life.  The home scene, however, regressed the stereotypes and forced laughs.  Kooky neighbor Alberto (Gabriel Iglesias) made a dynamic foil/devoted friend to the lead, and Hoyos also fleshed out her dynamic with Alonzo.  The remains of the family, however, squatted in opportune stories and held limited growth potential.  The office setting featured corporate intrigue, competition amongst the interns and may have distinguished this series into a workplace sitcom.

Series runners may have easily retooled the premise eliminating the four family members (in recurring capacity, of course) and focused on the office.  Alberto jelled with the office setting doing repair work and deserved an upgrade.  A fitting compromise to a setting outside of the office would have been Cristela and Natalia moving out of the family home and sharing a cramped space, continuing their antagonistic banter.  Either way, the series waited too late to figure out what worked and what fizzled, and the network cancelled them inside one season. 

Beyond the TV Grave -- Scoundrels (2010)

Written Stealing the Spotlight by Bridger Cunningham.

A family of con artists attempts to go straight after their patriarch is imprisoned?  This seemed like an entertaining premise, and a pity ABC relegated it to vain efforts to establish summer programming.  The series never made it outside of sumer 2010, along with companion piece The Gates.  Could Scoundrels have survived had ABC given it better scheduling?  Although this is the primary factor which caused this show to fail, the cast lacked chemistry and cohesion, two elements to guarantee an audience.

Synopsis

Cheryl West (Virginia Madsen) is dismayed when her husband Wolf (David James Elliott) is sent to prison for five years.  Evaluating her lifestyle and how her children materialized into adults, she lays down the law and demands the family go straight.  Eldest twins Cal and Logan (both played by Patrick Flueger in a dual role) only have DNA in common and contrast.  Logan is a successful, sleazy lawyer, while Cal has reverted to his father's shameless criminal activities.  Daughter Heather (Leven Rambin) is an aspiring model and actress, and youngest daughter Hope (Vanessa Marano) is an aspiring filmmaker and frequently skips school.  Wolf continues to corrupt his children behind bars, leading to a growing rift between himself and Cheryl.  Stories primarily focus on the characters' career woes as they attempt to attain work while refraining from criminal activities.

Why ABC Likely Passed on Furthering Scoundrels

In addition to the summer programming delivering soft ratings, Scoundrels was fleshing out its uneven tone and character chemistry.  The role of Wolf was initially slated to be played by Neal McDonough, whose charismatic delivery with his costars and convincing craft makes him a believable villain.  Elliot never commanded in his role as Wolf, as well as lacking chemistry with Madsen.  Flueger's dual role also remained poorly developed, as the unkempt Cal proved more entertaining than subdued Logan.  Rambin crackled in her sexpot role, while Marano was islanded.  Add a premise which required creative elbow grease to create longevity, and ABC determined the show was a risk factor in need of too many tweaks.  

Beyond The TV Grave - CBS’ Bridget Loves Bernie

Written Questioning Religious Controversy by Bridger Cunningham

Positioned behind 1st Place CBS powerhouse All in the Family, Bridget Loves Bernie appeared to be a love affair audiences would favor.  How could a show which finished the season in 5th Place be pawned like invaluable rubbish?  Therein lies a 45-year old mystery which still has viewers pondering if this jewel was undervalued.

Synopsis

The sitcom centered on Jewish cab driver Bernie Steinberg (David Birney) falling in love with Irish-Catholic schoolteacher Bridget Fitzgerald (Meredith Baxter).  The interfaith marriage was a first on television in an era which CBS grasped to push America's envelope.  Compared with crass and direct deliveries from All in the Family and its spinoff, Maude, Bridget Loves Bernie was relatively tame as the interfaith connection was the source of controversy.  Rounding out the supporting cast were Audra Lindley, Bibi Osterwald, Harold J. Stone, David Doyle, Ned Glass, Bill Elliott and Robert Sampson.

Controversy and Cancellation

Religious figures cried blasphemy at what they viewed as inaccurate depictions of faith from both Roman Catholic and Judaic faiths.  Several religious figures frequently met with CBS executives regarding the depictions.  Boycotts were organized by a conservative Rabbi, and several reformed Rabbis met with CBS to plead for the show's cancellation.  Threats against the studio and its stars ensued, as well as telephone threats to the home of producer Ralph Riskin.  The controversy, coupled with the fact that the show's 24.2 ratings average retained a meager 76% of lead-in All In the Family's 31.2 rating that season, may have been the culprit for cancellation.

Baxter and Birney's Post-Sitcom Careers and Marriage

A bitter ending of a sweetly conceived show resulted in a life changer for Baxter and Birney, who eventually married in 1974 and shared 3 children during their 16-year marriage.  Birney went on to enjoy a single-season run on St. Elsewhere from 1982-83, while Baxter became a household name as she moonlighted on NBC's Family Ties as Elyse Keaton.

Beyond The TV Grave -- ABC’s Philly

Written Asking My Rights by Bridger Cunningham

Producer Steven Bochco was armed with red-hot transplant Kim Delaney from his hit show NYPD Blue, an intriguing premise and a polished cast, Philly looked like it would sizzle.  Pepper in some then-racy nudity.  So why didn't Philly win an appeal with viewers?  Limited promotions and a push for wholesome television following the tragic 9/11 events.  Were viewers tiring of the ass-baring antics it had known from NYPD Blue for 8 seasons?  Or perhaps ABC committed continual scheduling and production snafus which tanked this promising legal drama.

Synopsis


Kathleen "Katie" Maguire (Delaney) was a single mother and partner in a law firm with attorney Will Froman (Tom Everett Scott).  She fought an uphill battle defending clients while bitterly fighting off ex-husband Dan Cavanaugh (Kyle Secor), the Deputy for Trials.  As she balances work and motherhood with a needling mother minding her young son, Katie eventually becomes involved with judge Jack Ripley (James Denton, Desperate Housewives).  Kristianna Loken, Diana Maria Riva, Rick Hoffman and Robert Harper rounded out the roster.  Spicing up the capable ensemble was Hill Street Blues alum Veronica Hamel, showcasing Bochco's ability to mine talents from his previous masterpieces in an effort to give the show a solid foundation.

Cancellation

Critics gave the series generally favorable reviews, earning Kim Delaney an invitation to be showcased on the cover of TV Guide for the 2001 fall preview.  Positioned in NYPD Blue's previous Tuesday 10:00 timeslot, Philly held a ripe development bed for growth as the former was pushed up to the 9:00 timeslot for its 9th season.  The move failed to launch a significant lead-in, as Philly finished the season in 45th Place with a 6.90 out of NYPD Blue's 8.18 rating in 24th Place.  Added to the poor ratings was controversial headlines surrounding star Kim Delaney's DUI arrest in early 2002.  ABC allowed the series to air in 22-episode entirety before cancelling it.