Three bubble comedies and a bubble drama felt the swing of NBC’s ax Friday. The network officially cancelled “Undateable,” “Crowded,” “Telenovela,” and “Heartbeat.”
None was considered a strong contender for renewal, with all but “Undateable” being perceived as near locks for cancellation.
“Undateable” had a better-than-expected run in the summer of 2014 — and then performed reasonably well as a “The Voice” lead-out in the spring of 2015.
That spring 2015 season included a live episode. While it did not receive a meaningful ratings boost, the live episode did command rave reviews, leading NBC to run all thirteen episodes as live broadcasts.
Those live broadcasts drew soft ratings on Friday nights, routinely losing to ABC’s Friday night veteran comedy “Last Man Standing.” NBC will not pursue a fourth season.
“Crowded,” “Telenovela,” and “Heartbeat” were all freshmen.
