We continue on our journey down the tear-soaked avenue of television futility with three more shows that got the early ax.

Shows Need People To Watch Them?

Last Resort

The series, which follows the crew of a U.S. submarine that finds themselves enemies of the state after refusing an order to fire a nuclear warhead at Pakistan, actually showed some promise. The premise was intriguing, the pilot well constructed and subsequent episodes seemed to move the narrative along in a  compelling way. Unfortunately, remaining on the air requires viewers and for Last Resort they never materialized.

The show was greeted with a relatively warm reception from critics but questions about whether the premise, while interesting, was suited for a full series dogged the show from the beginning. Those concerns may have helped sink the show too-but ultimately it all comes down to viewership and viewers voted with their clickers on this one.

Hauntingly Ill-Concieved Television

666 Park Avenue

image is from abc.go.com

Who thought a show about a demonically possessed rental property wouldn’t work? Everything started off predictably. A good looking young couple seems to get the deal of a lifetime when they’re hired on as co-managers of the illustrious Drake Apartments, scoring a sweet new pad in the process. But, dark, mysterious secrets swirl beneath the Drake’s glamorous exterior.

666 Park Avenue’s problem was the secrets weren’t that dark or mysterious and, apparently, not very interesting either. The show was more soap opera than suspense or horror offering. But that didn’t stop it from trotting out just about every over done horror story convention in the book. A creepy little girl, lost souls trapped in walls, a cult-like secret society that meets in the basement-666 Park Avenue had it all and did nothing with any of it.

Image is from cwtv.com

Died On The Operating Table….

Emily Owens, M.D.

In what can be best described as a mercy killing, the CW amputated this poorly executed Scrubs/Grey’s Anatomy mash up from its lineup after a dreadful run with reviewers and in the ratings.

Basically, Emily is a gifted surgical intern equipped with the emotional immaturity and paralyzing insecurity of a teenager. Her med school crush and old high school nemesis happen to work at the same hospital and Emily just can’t seem to put the superficial and ultimately meaningless concerns of her high school years behind her. Forget the fact she’s in her late 20s and the whole “moving beyond high school” thing should have happened a decade ago.

Sure, she goes above and beyond for her patients, competes for the admiration of her brilliant but cold surgical superior and does all the other things required of a main character in a coming-of-age medical drama.  But ultimately, this show was Mean Girls with lab coats and forceps and a crappy amalgamation of the two at that.