Fox has made the call, and it's a big "see ya later" for Kelsey Grammer and Patricia Heaton. But their loss is someone else's gain. The pilot for the Jason Bateman directed comedy series The Inn has been picked up for a 13-week commitment, while Back to You has been axed. The Brad Garrett-Joely Fisher sitcom, Til Death, meanwhile, has been given another year.Bateman, who starred in Arrested Development -- the Emmy-award winning comedy that the network dumped unceremoniously because of low ratings -- was behind the camera for The Inn pilot. The show, which is about the haves and have-nots in a fancy, five-star New York City hotel, has a promising cast of funny folks including Niecy Nash (Reno 911!), Jerry O'Connell (who looks like Jason's twin), and the really hilarious Jesse Tyler Ferguson (remember him on The Class -- he was so funny!).
For two major stars like Grammer and Heaton, Back to You is a big-time, major flop. On paper, the idea of putting Frasier with Everybody Loves Raymond's wife -- Emmy winners both! -- must have been can't miss in the pitch meetings. And then, you can hear it, they said, "And we'll put them in a newsroom like Murphy Brown and The Mary Tyler Moore Show." How could it not work?
Well, for starters, it wasn't funny. Writers Steven Levitan and Christopher Lloyd -- Frasier veterans -- just never achieved comedy lift-off with Back to You. The show was truly a case of never living up to the expectations. I don't think bringing it back for another year was going to help, either. Fox, reportedly, had financial issues with the sitcom as well. That's code for Patty and Kelsey were making a bundle on a TV show that was not a Nielsen winner. No ratings, no money from advertisers, no pay-out to the stars. That's TV, folks!
Til Death, on the other hand, was given a third season. The ratings aren't much better than Back to You, but the show isn't as expensive to produce. Also, to be frank, Til Death is getting better. I watched it recently and Brad Garrett seems to finally be comfortable in the leading role. When I first watched the show, Brad was over-the-top, trying too hard. That style works when you're a sidekick; it's annoying when you're the lead. Someone must have clued him in because now the show is very funny.
And now it'll have another year to get even better.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
5-10-2008 @ 12:41PM
Oreo said...
What a stupid move, but I'm not shocked this is Fox.
It isn't the greatest show, but neither is Til Death and that has gotten a third season.
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5-10-2008 @ 1:12PM
Jeff N. said...
I thought 'Back to You' wasn't too bad. I've seen worse Sitcoms. It had it's share of laughs. Sorry to see that it got cancelled.
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5-10-2008 @ 1:27PM
Jimmy said...
Back to You may not have been the finest sitcom out there, but it's sure as hell a lot better than 'til Death -- probably one of the crappiest sitcom on television. Must be a cheap one for Fox to make. Back to You had a lot of potential to be great, but as usual, it's cancelled before its time.
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5-10-2008 @ 1:34PM
hotboudain said...
Whatched it a few times & didn't see much "there" there. With the high priced, high pedigreed talent involved it should have been much better.
Til Death is what it is. It has gotten much better with the addition of JB Smoove. He was a scream on Curb Your Enthusiasm and provides the same on this show....
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5-10-2008 @ 1:44PM
Thomas said...
Not a fan, but I do wonder why any show creator would go to Fox other than as an absolute last resort.
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5-10-2008 @ 1:44PM
Thomas said...
Not a fan, but I do wonder why any show creator would go to Fox other than as an absolute last resort.
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5-10-2008 @ 1:46PM
JW said...
I was just getting into this show; I noticed Patricia was promoting it this past week on some talk shows like The Morning Show and Conan O'brien; which I figured that they were in for the fall.
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5-10-2008 @ 1:49PM
Galley said...
"Back To You" has been a train wreck lately with all the cast changes. I'm glad to hear "'Til Death" got renewed; it's one of my favorites.
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5-10-2008 @ 1:54PM
miller980 said...
Back To You was an average sitcom that provided occasional laughs. On another network it wouldn't have surprised me being cancelled, but with the garbage that Fox has it was surprising. Til Death definitely fits into the garbage category. I wonder if Fox owns that show. That would be the only explanation - maybe they foolishly think by dragging it out a couple more seasons it could be, God forbid, syndicated.
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5-10-2008 @ 2:23PM
lucyfan62 said...
There are only two words to describe why I never watched more than the first episode of BACK TO YOU - Patricia Heaton. The show wasn't funny, but I would have given it time if she hadn't been so annoying (on the show and in real life - and she's REALLY annoying in real life so I just can't watch her playing a character). I feel bad for Kelsey, but at least his company still has MEDIUM on the air!
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5-10-2008 @ 2:49PM
Jamie said...
I'm really shocked that Back To You is cancelled. If anything, I thought that 'Til Death (which is one terrible show) would be the one to get the axe.
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5-10-2008 @ 3:15PM
steve said...
the inn is funny, i read the script ... the show runner was a producer/writer on arrested development
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5-10-2008 @ 4:03PM
Bill said...
Since Jerry is in 'The Inn' then I guess Carpoolers is gone as well?
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5-10-2008 @ 6:29PM
Oreo said...
Yep.
And I hate Jerry, so this new show will probably last half as long as "Back to You" has.
5-10-2008 @ 6:17PM
TVGenius said...
Gotta love FOX, they cancel a decent show to make room for a new series from someone who worked on another series they canceled to the dismay of many vocal fans. And lest we not have a Firefly mention while we're at it... Screw FOX. I'm only watching their reality stuff now (OK, and the Simpsons)... tired of them dumping every series I like...
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5-10-2008 @ 9:26PM
Bash said...
This was to be expected. Both the cancellation and the renewal.
"Back to you" was to expensive. "'Til Death" has chemistry but is really a "meh" show. It's not really good. But then again which sitcom on TV today really is? None.
And they now even added a token black guy on 'Til Death. Hooray... same thing they did on Joey. It lasted another 12 episodes.
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5-10-2008 @ 11:40PM
BartmanDK said...
First up im really glad Til Death is back! That is a laugh ot loud show for me! Back to you, not so much... To be fair there were things i aculty enjoyed over from the show over this season. Ryan (Josh Gad) was great as the new boss in charge, Gary Crezyzewski (pronounced "Sure-shwoov-ski") (Ty Burrell) was great as the overlooked employe, and Marsh (Fred Willard) was great as the sports jock/kinda dumb guy.
From my point-of-view this show failed becaus it focused too much on Kelsey and Patricia (We get it, you have a kid just tell her already!) and it just kinda seemed to go no were story-wise. And aculty that would have been fine if they hadent thrown that whould we-have-a-kid-together thing in the middle
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5-11-2008 @ 2:18AM
Peter Lynn said...
Remember how Back to You was supposed to be the triumphant return of the traditional three-camera sitcom?
I guess we just didn't want the traditional three-camera sitcom to come back. Not while we have far superior shows like The Office on TV.
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5-11-2008 @ 7:59AM
Jimmy said...
I watched Back To You one and a half times. It sucked. I expected much more given the people that were involved.
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5-11-2008 @ 5:50PM
CC said...
I watched Back to You but I didn't like the direction the show was going, after the strike (with the new Gracie and focusing less on the news station, and more on Kelly, Chuck, and Gracie). So to be honest, I'm not sad that it's gone.
As for The Inn, doesn't it kind of sound like CBS's canceled comedy, The Captain?
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