ABC Pulls Byrne's Madigan Men
December 18 -- Gabriel Byrne fans unsettled by the acclaimed film actor's decision to do a TV sitcom can call off the dogs — ABC is not ordering additional episodes of Byrne's Madigan Men, effectively killing off the short-lived comedy.
The alternative family series, which starred Byrne as a divorced architect who lives with his father and son in New York, was already scheduled to go on hiatus. Byrne co-executive produced Madigan Men, which he hoped would give air time to "the emotional complexity of men's lives." Judging from the skirt-chasing, beer-swilling cookie-cutter males on most sitcoms, Byrne's goal was an optimistic one.
After eight airings, Madigan Men averaged just 6.5 million viewers during its Friday 9:30 p.m. slot, Variety reports.
ABC execs had been waiting to see the results of new episodes, shot with new co-stars (George Wendt and Christine Ebersol), before axing Madigan. They apparently didn't like what they saw.
The series is the third Friday night comedy to get walking papers from ABC; the network earlier pulled The Trouble With Normal and replaced it with Dot Comedy — which lasted just one episode.
Reuters contributed to this story.
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