NBC Fells Its Titans
December 6 -- Call it NBC's Must-Cancel Mondays. The network has given its fourth prime-time show, the Aaron Spelling-helmed soap Titans, the heave-ho from its Monday night lineup.
Peacock net brass informed Spelling on Tuesday that Titans would not get a full-season order, Variety notes. The show, which starred former Baywatch babe Yasmine Bleeth as a cunning rich bitch, did poorly in its Monday night debut.
Titans averaged just a 2.8 rating among adults 18 to 49, according to preliminary "fast affiliate" Nielsens on Inside.com. NBC had moved the show from its 8 p.m. Wednesday slot to Monday, a night with typically high female viewership.
Richards May Be NextOther Monday night NBC casualties this season include the comedies Daddio and Tucker and the newspaper drama Deadline. But wait, there's more: Insiders told Variety that if The Michael Richards Show doesn't shape up (i.e., end up earning miraculous ratings for its Tuesday evening run), it, too, is out the door by week's end.
The cancellation of Titans must be especially unnerving to NBC president Garth Ancier, who'd stood by the Dynasty-like drama in spite of its less-than-stellar numbers. When Ancier announced Titans' new time slot last month, he said he hoped to give the series a chance to "grow and eventually flourish."
NBC's only remaining hope for a breakout hit is the small-town bowling comedy Ed, which has managed decent numbers thus far. Last month, the net moved the show from a Sunday to a Wednesday time slot — where it will lead in to solid drama The West Wing — in order to give it breathing room.
A ratings point represents 1,022,000 households, or 1 percent of the nation's estimated 102.2 million TV homes.
Reuters contributed to this story.
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