'Ben and Kate' Gets The Axe
by Shannon Keirnan
Yet another show bites the dust.
FOX has cancelled its moderately clever “Ben and Kate,” halfway through shooting its 16th episode.
Two more episodes had been ordered, but will remain uncompleted. Six episodes were filmed but have yet to air, and FOX says that they will make it to television… eventually.
Taking its 8:30 pm (EST) Tuesday timeslot will be a second episode of “Raising Hope,” which also airs at 8pm.
Beginning March 12th, “Hell’s Kitchen” will be slipping into the slot.
Currently “New Girl” and “The Mindy Project,” which also air Tuesdays, will be keeping their location… although low ratings for the amusing and hopefully salvageable “Mindy” are beginning to worry FOX executives.
This week the show managed to only pull in about 2.6 million viewers. It ranked 1.2 in the audience group of ages 18 to 49, the most coveted viewership.
The show followed Kate (Dakota Johnson), a single, goofy mom trying to raise her adorable daughter Maddie (Maggie Elizabeth Jones), when her strange and irresponsible brother Ben (Nat Faxon) comes back to live with them.
“Ben and Kate” joins other cancelled freshman series like “666 Park Avenue,” “Last Resort,” “Partners,” “Made in Jersey,” “The Mob Doctor,” “Animal Practice” and “Emily Owens, M.D.”
Cutie Echo Kellum, who plays best friend and lovelorn Tommy on “Ben and Kate,” tweeted his sadness about the news.
“My network and I just broke up. She is a great girl and I’m glad she gave us a shot as long as she did. I’ll miss you. #fox#benandkate.”