Bad News For Michael Richards

NBC Cancels 'Michael Richards Show'

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Michael Richards, who spent nine years as Cosmo Kramer on ``Seinfeld,'' racked up just two months playing detective Vic Nardozza.

``The Michael Richards Show,'' which debuted Oct. 24 with Richards as a bumbling private eye, was canceled Thursday when NBC declined to order any more episodes.

NBC said the show will air through Jan. 2, then make way for a revamped Tuesday night lineup to include the new series ``Three Sisters,'' with an ensemble cast including Vicki Lewis (``NewsRadio'') and Dyan Cannon.

Richards' show seemed ill-fated from the start. The original pilot was scrapped by NBC after the network decided the actor, who won three Emmys for ``Seinfeld,'' needed help carrying a series of his own.

The introduction of an ensemble cast including William Devane and Tim Meadows didn't do the trick. Richards' show debuted in 31st place among all prime-time series and plummeted to No. 78 by last week.

Critics pilloried it as insipid and unfunny.

NBC's lackluster crop of new fall shows included the already canceled nighttime serial ``Titans'' and the sitcom ``Tucker.'' The network has been buoyed, however, by the strength of returning shows such as ``Law & Order'' and ``ER.''

Starting Jan. 9, the Tuesday lineup will begin with ''3rd Rock from the Sun,'' followed by the Delta Burke-David Alan Grier sitcom ``DAG,'' ``Frasier,'' ``Three Sisters'' and ``Dateline NBC.''

Waugh If you look annoyed all the time, people think you're busy.

and the rest of us... "Chris Waugh" wrote in message news:r9zY5.6959$[email]... NBC Cancels 'Michael Richards Show'

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Michael Richards, who spent nine years as Cosmo Kramer on ``Seinfeld,'' racked up just two months playing detective Vic Nardozza.

``The Michael Richards Show,'' which debuted Oct. 24 with Richards as a bumbling private eye, was canceled Thursday when NBC declined to order any more episodes.

NBC said the show will air through Jan. 2, then make way for a revamped Tuesday night lineup to include the new series ``Three Sisters,'' with an ensemble cast including Vicki Lewis (``NewsRadio'') and Dyan Cannon.

Richards' show seemed ill-fated from the start. The original pilot was scrapped by NBC after the network decided the actor, who won three Emmys for ``Seinfeld,'' needed help carrying a series of his own.

The introduction of an ensemble cast including William Devane and Tim Meadows didn't do the trick. Richards' show debuted in 31st place among all prime-time series and plummeted to No. 78 by last week.

Critics pilloried it as insipid and unfunny.

NBC's lackluster crop of new fall shows included the already canceled nighttime serial ``Titans'' and the sitcom ``Tucker.'' The network has been buoyed, however, by the strength of returning shows such as ``Law & Order'' and ``ER.''

Starting Jan. 9, the Tuesday lineup will begin with ''3rd Rock from the Sun,'' followed by the Delta Burke-David Alan Grier sitcom ``DAG,'' ``Frasier,'' ``Three Sisters'' and ``Dateline NBC.''

Waugh If you look annoyed all the time, people think you're busy.

OMG!

Anyone else notice sitcoms are generally starting to suck nowadays? It seems the only ones in recent history that seriously made me laugh (there were others but these really stand out) are The Simpsons, Married with Children (the former is getting old IMHO and the latter got old in it's last 2-3 years) and Seinfeld, which seems to always be funny.

I forgot to add, Coach was also a pretty funny show.

Your comparison of "The Michael Richards Show" to "Cheers" doesn't really hold much water.

Your point is well taken about the network's impatience these days in letting a show find its audience. And it's true that "Cheers"' ratings were in the toilet for the first season. Certainly, with today's network mentality, "Cheers" would have been pulled by the third episode.

Here's the difference: "Cheers" got terrible ratings at first. But eventually, word of mouth spread about this funny, well written comedy. People started to tune in and lift the ratings. Eventually it became a bonafide hit.

The "M.R. Show" really took the opposite course. The ratings for the first episode were huge. On the surface, it looked like NBC's big investment might have paid off. But word of mouth was bad... most viewers were disappointed. And the ratings got lower and lower every week until NBC finally pulled the plug.

So it goes.

Simpsons ...(getting old IMHO)

If you enjoy The Simpsons, you'd probably also like Futurama. I find it far funnier than the substandard Simpsons episodes from the last two years, and nearly as good as the classic episodes from years ago. I have noticed The Simpsons has improved since last year, however.

Another newer show I've enjoyed recently is Malcolm in the Middle. Totally unlike Seinfeld, of course, but quite funny it its own way. Very polished and professional, too--it doesn't have that cheesy obviousness of other cookie cutter sitcoms. And it's preceeded by Futurama and The Simpsons. :-)

Anyone seen God, The Devil & Bob

Yep! It didn't last long (just a few episodes, I believe), but it was kind of a fun show.