TV’s Biggest Flops Of The Last Five Years

On Friday, Drew Barrymore’s “Charlie’s Angels” became the latest television tragedy as ABC canceled the heavily promoted, but not-very-well-received drama.

Despite a slew of hot, nubile young actresses (like Minka Kelly) and a Miami twist, the show — a reboot of the 1970s classic — didn’t get the pulses of America racing.

“Charlie’s Angels” has joined a rapidly growing list of Fall 2011 shows which were canned by their networks, including CBS comedy “How To Be A Gentleman” (with Kevin Dillon), The CW reality show “H8R,” NBC’s remake of the British comedy of the same name, “Free Agents” (the original is airing on BBC America on Saturday nights), and one of the most talked about programs of the season, “The Playboy Club.”

With shows dropping like flies, AccessHollywood.com takes a look back at 10 of the biggest flops of the last five years that failed to last for a full season.

10. “Kings,” 2009 (NBC)
Brit Ian McShane brought his icy stares and weighty presence as King Silas Benjamin to NBC in the big budget series “Kings” in 2009. Also starring newcomer Aussie Christopher Egan, and eventual “Gossip Girl” guy Sebastian Stan, the high-on-effects drama – about loyalty, politics and betrayal went from hot to just plain lukewarm with the viewers who dipped off as the weeks rolled on between March and April. NBC took a break from the show after its first five outings, running seven more in the summer of 2009 before saying goodbye for good.

9. “Day Break,” 2006 (ABC)
“Day Break” made its premiere outing on ABC’s primetime schedule in 2006. Like a serious “Groundhog Day,” the series followed the story of Detective Brett Hopper (Taye Diggs), who was trapped repeating the same 24-hour cycle, as he attempted to figure out who set him up for murder. The supporting cast included Moon Bloodgood as Rita Shelten — Hopper’s girlfriend — and “The X Files” star Mitch Pileggi as a fellow detective, but audiences decided not to revisit the past, and changed the channel. Ramon Rodriguez, of the newly canceled “Charlie’s Angels,” was also a part of the cast.

8. “New Amsterdam,” 2008 (FOX)
Danish actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau rode a wave of hype stateside as John Amsterdam, a NYPD homicide detective stuck living an immortal life, following a brave act in the 1600’s. A cancellation meant fans never got to see John find true love – the one thing that would break the spell, but these days the actor has found life again as Jamie Lannister on HBO’s “Game of Thrones.”

7. “The Bionic Woman,” 2007 (NBC)
Sci-fi American drama “The Bionic Woman” crashed into NBC’s primetime lineup in 2007, propelled by some super-powered hype. Brit Michelle Ryan played Jamie Sommers, who was saved from death after surgically receiving bionics — bionics she was asked to use by those who brought her back from the brink. The reboot’s premiere — in September 2007 — packed a punch, beating the Season 3 premiere of “Grey’s Anatomy.” But, ratings plummeted by November, just as the Writers Guild of America strike began, putting the show on hiatus. While the strike ended, “The Bionic Woman” stayed permanently on ice.

6. “Six Degrees,” 2006 (ABC)
An American drama series, “Six Degrees” had a nice lead in, following “Grey’s Anatomy” in 2006. Starring Erika Christensen, a post-“Hostel” Jay Hernandez and “Sex and The City’s” Bridget Moynahan, the plots were various, but connections between the characters worked in. It exited screens in November 2006 after low ratings, but came back for one more (dismal) try in March 2007 before it was canceled for good.

5. “Lone Star,” 2010 (FOX)
It seemed like a Texas-sized treat — with lots of big oil drama — when “Lone Star” made its debut on FOX in 2010. The show centered around a handsome conman who led a secret double life, pulling jobs in two different towns – and on two different women. Unfortunately, while series star James Wolk was being touted as a young George Clooney, it ran out gas with TV watchers after two low-rated episodes.

4. “The Beautiful Life: TBL,” 2009 (The CW)
“The O.C.‘s” Mischa Barton retuned to The CW as messed up supermodel Sonja Stone on “The Beautiful Life: TBL.” Aside from Mischa’s character, the project — from executive producer Ashton Kutcher – also focused on a group of male and female models sharing a residence in New York City as they tried to make it. The show itself didn’t, drawing just 1.38 million viewers before it got a designer boot after just two episodes.

3. “Viva Laughlin,” 2007 (CBS)
They double downed – combing a storyline about a guy trying to jump start a casino in a locale that isn’t Las Vegas – with pre-“Glee” musical numbers, but “Viva Laughlin” – even with Hugh Jackman on board as an executive producer and guest star – bombed, and CBS yanked the series after just two episodes.

2. “Emily’s Reasons Why Not,” 2006 (ABC)
After a charming run as Dr. Molly Clock on NBC’s “Scrubs,” Heather Graham got her own comedy in 2006 with the “Sex and The City”-styled “Emily’s Reasons Why Not.” Focusing on Emily (Graham), a successful author of self-help books who was less successful at dating, “ERWN” was heavily promoted by ABC, but yanked after its premiere. “We felt like, unfortunately, it was not going to get better,” ABC’s then-network president, Stephen McPherson, told reporters at the time.

1. “Cavemen,” 2007 (ABC)
Inspired by a popular series of GEICO insurance ads, “Cavemen” rode a prehistoric wave to ABC in 2007. The show, centered around three Cro-Magnon men who were trying to make their way through dating in the modern world — without their trusty clubs — piqued the interest of more than 9 million viewers in its premiere outing. Viewers, however, went the way of the dinosaurs, and ABC axed the show after six episodes.

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