During network Upfronts, NBC declined to make renewal or cancellation decisions on freshman series’ Abby’s, The Village & The Enemy Within, opting to wait and see how they continued to perform. Well, it looks like they weren’t performing up to par because NBC has canceled all three of the shows after only one season.
The decision is not surprising as none of these series’ has been a critical or commercial breakout. All are from Universal TV; The Village and The Enemy Within just wrapped their runs; Abby’s has a couple of more episodes left to air. All three were also midseason replacements and fans, although a small vocal group, have voiced frustration that they weren’t adequately promoted before they premiered.
Abby’s centers around an unlicensed, makeshift establishment in Abby’s (Natalie Morales) backyard, the perfect gathering place for locals to find camaraderie and sanctuary. The series was shot outdoors in front of a live studio audience, a first for a multi-cam comedy and had a series regular cast that also included Nelson Franklin, Neil Flynn, Jessica Chaffin, Kimia Behpoornia, and Leonard Ouzts. Abby’s has averaged a 0.6 adults 18-49 rating and 2 million viewers in Live+7.
The Village was a sprawling ensemble drama series done in the mold of NBC hit This Is Us. It revolved around the residents of an apartment building in Brooklyn where those who reside there have built a bonded family of friends and neighbors. The series starred Moran Atias, Chianese, Warren Christie, Frankie Faison, Jerod Haynes, Daren Kagasoff, Michaela McManus, Lorraine Toussaint, and Grace Van Dien. The Village got off to a slow ratings start with its premiere notching a 0.9 and 4.906 million total viewers. Season-to-date it’s averaging a 1.2 demo and 5.8 million total viewers.
The Enemy Within, starring Jennifer Carpenter and Morris Chestnut, was described as a fast-paced thriller set in the world of counterintelligence. It centers on Erica Shepherd (Carpenter), a brilliant former CIA operative, now known as the most notorious traitor in American history and serving life in a Supermax prison. The series also starred Raza Jaffrey and Kelli Garner. The show had a decent start on Monday but its ratings trended down, eventually settling at 0.6 and 3.7 million 3.9 million in Live+same day. Overall, the series is averaging a 1.2 rating and 1.6 million viewers in the 18-49 demo and 6.4 million total viewers season-to-date most current.
