5 Promising shows that have already been canceled this fall

The start of the new fall TV lineup is always a time of excitement and great opportunity. Sadly, it can also quickly turn out to be a time of broken dreams.

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OK, maybe that’s a bit dramatic, but this year there were a handful of shows that had quite a bit of potential yet didn’t really make the grade.

Here’s a look at some of the programs that we were pulling for that didn’t make it past the chopping block.

1. Selfie

Despite the fact that this ABC sitcom got people talking about its commentary and critique on the culture of modern-day social media, this show just could not get high enough ratings in its Tuesday night slot to move forward.

2. Bad Judge

With Kate Walsh anchoring this NBC comedic courtroom sitcom, it seemed to be a shoo-in to see another season. Walsh has certainly created a fan base for herself with her character Addison Montgomery in Grey’s Anatomy and her spin-off, Private Practice, but the network pulled the plug.

3. A to Z

A to Z stars Cristin Milioti and Ben Feldman seemed to have great chemistry in the promos for the NBC romantic comedy. We loved her in How I Met Your Mother and him in Mad Men. The two certainly have acting chops and were great in the shows mentioned, but perhaps audiences weren’t quite ready to see them carrying their own series yet.

4. Manhattan Love Story

ABC’s Manhattan Love Story had a cute premise and sought to comedically highlight the inner thoughts of men and women as they navigate through modern dating. It takes place in New York, though, and it’s possible that people are a bit tired of watching singles trying to make it work in the Big City. The show’s ratings never really got off the ground.

5. Utopia

All right, we admit that the cancellation of Utopia was no big shocker. It was painful to watch the couple of minutes we were able to sit through, and longtime running reality TV favorite Survivor is barely keeping our interest piqued at this point. It’s no surprise audiences weren’t buying this show.