'Off the Map,' 'Brothers & Sisters' Canceled by ABC

"Off the Map" was canceled by ABC on Friday night, bringing an end to the new drama after less than a full season on the network. Created by Jenna Bans, the show was only able to make it through a run of 13 episodes before ABC decided to pull the plug. The medical drama was supposed to be the next big success for the network, covering how a group of doctors performed medicine in very difficult surroundings.

As Entertainment Weekly reported on "Off the Map" getting canceled, they also reported on several other shows getting removed from the ABC schedule. In fact, many viewers of the network may not recognize the schedule when it comes out in the fall, because there are going to be quite a few new shows brought in to try and fill the holes being created.

In addition to "Off the Map" getting canceled, ABC also canceled "Brothers & Sisters," "V," and "No Ordinary Family." All five of the shows were hour long dramas, with "No Ordinary Family" possibly considered more of a family show than the rest of them. None of these shows fared well in the ratings battle for the past television year, and ABC decided to really clear out the network of underperforming shows with this announcement.

The official announcement also came down that "Detroit 1-8-7" was getting canceled, even though there had been quite a few rumors about this decision out on the web for a while. For fans that were dedicated to that show this is a shame, because it was one of the few shows out there that really worked hard to present a realistic look at city life without trying to bog it down with special effects and set shots.

One more shot of bad news came with the cancellation of "Mr. Sunshine," the new comedy that starred Matthew Perry and Allison Janney, but which could never nail down a good number in the ratings. The show struggled with its core concept of dealing with the everyday events at a sports arena, but had even more problems trying to keep a funny concept working for every episode. Having "Mr. Sunshine" get canceled won't be a surprise to that many viewers, but it is noteworthy that ABC decided to cancel so many shows at once.

ABC made the decision to cancel five and a half hours of weekly programming with this latest drop of the axe, and it is going to take a host of new programming in the fall to fill the gaps. Many fans of these shows are going to be frustrated that ABC lost confidence so quickly, but at least shows like "Brothers & Sisters" had a few years to attract viewers. Now everyone will wait for the announcements on what ABC will attempt to succeed within their fall schedule.