ABC's 'Zero Hour' Cancelled!
by Shannon Keirnan
ABC’s “Davinci Code” –esque thriller “Zero Hour” has been yanked from the air after just three episodes.
March 1st the show was pulled from its Thursday slot, effective immediately. While the remaining episodes have yet to be rescheduled, the network says it is “likely” they will be shown during the summer.
The show, which premiered Valentine’s Day to 6.3 million viewers was the least-watched premiere for a scripted series for the network, ever. Numbers failed to rally, with only an average of 5 million viewers tuning into the third episode, and a 1.0 rating among adults 18-49.
The show starred Anthony Edwards of “ER” in his first return to television, but with dry and passé writing, questionable plotlines, and uncomfortable character chemistry, even Edwards couldn’t save the show, which also starred Carmen Ejogo, Scott Michael Foster, Jacinda Barrett, and Michael Nyqvist.
The concept itself was promising, as characters found themselves involved in a Nazi mystery involving immortality that was stirring up the end of the world, but without a stronger foundation, the show failed miserably against other network competition like “The Big Bang Theory” and “American Idol.”
Thursdays at 8 p.m. seems to be a slot that many networks struggle with. “Last Resort” had previously held the slow on ABC, and was also cancelled after thirteen episodes.
ABC has scheduled “Shark Tank” repeats for the next two Thursday slots. “Wife Swap” will be taking the position March 21st.
Did you watch “Zero Hour?” What did you think of the ill-fated show?