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NBC Cancels Batch of Reality Shows

Mar 19, 2009  •  Post A Comment

Days after announcing its new schedule, NBC has pulled the plug on a slew of reality shows, the Futon Critic reports, citing unnamed sources at the network. Among those shows not returning will be “Celebrity Circus,” “Celebrity Family Feud,” “Fear Itself,” “The Baby Borrowers,” and “American Gladiators.” Additionally, “Most Outrageous Moments” will no longer produce new episodes, and Thom Beer’s “America’s Toughest Jobs” and “Momma’s Boys” will not be getting renewals. Beers’ other shows that were part of his contract with the network have been pulled as well, the site adds.
—Sergio Ibarra

3 Comments

  1. Um, what were these shows again? I thought they were already canceled.

  2. No big loss!

  3. Agreed. Perhaps it’s a sign that network television executives have at last awoken from their prime-time reality programming obsession.
    In their misguided zeal to trim the cost and investment it takes to develop quality dramas and comedy (including the hiring of talented writers, actors and production personnel) and saturate the prime-time slate with cheap-to-produce reality shows, the networks have driven legions of viewers to the internet to access quality content that actually engages, challenges, entertains and (in some cases) makes commentary on the society we live in.
    What happened to the NBC we used to know? The network that brought us Hill Street Blues, The West Wing, Cheers? I don’t mean to harp on NBC but they used to set the standard for fictional dramas.
    Personally I still watch Medium, but only on Hulu because I get sick of ad after ad for pharmaceuticals, automobile insurance and other crap I don’t want, need or buy played at an ear-splitting level. I gave up cable and the astronomical monthly bill two years ago and don’t regret it one bit.
    As you both observed, the loss of these shows is actually a gain for the American viewer – and maybe the executives who green-lighted this slew of mind-numbing slag will remember want to be challenged, engaged and entertained.
    Put some cheese on reality TV ’cause it’s done.

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