CW Cancels New Reality Series 'H8R'

NBC Cancels New Comedy ‘Free Agents’

The CW is pulling new reality show H8R off the schedule effective immediately. Starting next week, the network will air repeats of new drama Ringer in H8R‘s Wednesday 8 PM slot. The demise of H8R extends the CW’s dry spell on the unscripted side, where the network has not been able to launch a successful series. (America’s Next Top Model started off on UPN.) The CW will use the slot to get additional sampling for Ringer, which the network’s brass like creatively and are getting behind despite recent ratings decline. This has become a trend this fall as NBC too replaced its recently canceled shows with reruns of freshman series in need of extra sampling: Prime Suspect (in for The Playboy Club) and Whitney (in for Free Agents). After perking up last week with the episode featuring Kim Kardashian, which hit a series high in total viewers and posted 50% gains in the demos, H8R returned to its middling ways last night (1.2 million viewers, 0.4/1 in 18-49), down 21% in total viewers and 33% in 18-49. The series features celebrities who get to confront their biggest haters.