Normal is no more....

[highanddry]

Too bad. I was really starting to like it:


'Normal' No More as FOX Shuffles Lineup
By Josef Adalian and Michael Schneider


HOLLYWOOD (Variety) - The trouble with ``Normal, Ohio'' is that it's canceled.

Fox has pulled the low-rated John Goodman vehicle, deciding not to order any additional episodes from producer Carsey-Werner beyond the gay-themed show's original 13-episode commitment.

The Wednesday night series be replaced by midseason comedy ``Grounded for Life,'' also from Carsey-Werner, as part of a larger schedule shuffle expected to be announced by Fox Wednesday. ``Grounded'' is about a young couple and their children.

In other cancellation news, ABC has pushed the delete button on C-W's ``Dot Comedy'' after just one episode. In its place ABC will double run repeats of ``Two Guys and a Girl'' until January, when the fourth installment of ``Who Wants to Be a Millionaire'' moves to Fridays at 8 p.m.

With ``Normal'' gone, Fox's new Wednesday will be anchored at 8 p.m. by another weekly dose of ``That '70s Show.''

On Jan. 10, an original episode of the period comedy will lead into the premiere of ``Grounded for Life'' at 8:30 p.m. A new reality offering from Fox, ``Temptation Island,'' will air at 9 p.m. ``Temptation Island'' takes a group of couples, puts them on a posh island and invites them to cheat on one another.

Starting Jan. 17, repeats of ``That '70s Show'' will fill the 8 p.m. slot. Fox will continue airing original episodes of ``That '70s Show'' on Tuesdays.

Fox has already started airing promos for ``Grounded,'' with execs at the network hopeful that the show will have the same sort of midseason success ``Malcolm in the Middle'' and ``Titus'' saw last year. Indeed, the network used ``That '70s Show'' to pump up ``Titus'' during its first few weeks on the air.

As for ``Normal,'' the series got off to a solid start Nov. 1, averaging a 6.1 rating/16 share in the coveted adults 18-49 demographic. It ultimately averaged a 4.1/11 in its first six weeks on the air. The final episode of ``Normal'' is set to tape Thursday. Fox will continue airing the show through December.

``Dot Comedy'' never logged an audience. The series' debut last Friday pulled one of the worst numbers ever for a regularly scheduled program at ABC, a paltry 1.7 rating among adults 18-49 and an average of 4.1 million viewers.

``Dot Comedy'' replaced the short-term comedy ``The Trouble With Normal,'' which had averaged 6 million viewers.

Each adults 18-49 rating point represents 1.24 million viewers, 1% of the U.S. total. A share is the same sort of percentage, except it's measured against only the homes or viewers watching TV during the time slot involved.