Rita Rocks was a short-lived Lifetime show that told the story of a hardworking wife and mother, who like many of us, struggled with her work-life balance, which included a job she didn’t love, her family and her new extracurricular activity, forming a local rock band. Rita Rocks was actually the first original comedy series Lifetime had launched in a decade, so they had high hopes for the new series. But, after 2-seasons Lifetime called it a wrap in 2009.
Nicole Sullivan, who played Rita, is actually a hilarious actress who made her mark on the sketch comedy series MADtv, and the rest of the cast was pretty solid as well, but apparently, the wannabe-rockstar mom concept didn’t attract enough viewers to keep it on the network.
2008: The Return of Jezebel James
When actress Parker Posey joined forces with the creator of the beloved dramedy, Gilmore Girls, to make a new show, The Return of Jezebel James, Fox welcomed the talented duo with open with (hopeful) open arms. The story sounded like it had potential: a successful children’s book editor who is barren, and therefore, asks her estranged younger sister to carry her baby. Unfortunately, didn’t have a trace of the Gilmore wit, which was credited to show being miscast. Consequentially, after airing only three episodes, The Return of Jezebel James was canceled due to what Fox called "unacceptably low ratings."
Reviews of The Return of Jezebel James were polar opposite the raving reviews Gilmore Girls received after its debut. Viewers agreeing with critics that the casting was just not right for that type of show- "Miscast and only intermittently funny, 'Jezebel James' misfires on all cylinders."
2012: Rob
Rob, starring funny Rob Schneider, didn't even last 3 months. It was first aired on January 12th, 2012, and was replaced on March 1st, 2012 by Rules of Engagement, which would have a slightly more successful run. The show only aired 8 episodes. Ouch.
The series followed Rob, who lived the typical television-portrayed bachelor lifestyle until he married his wife, a Mexican-American princess. He then tries his best to adapt to her and her family's Chicano culture. This actually could have been an interesting premise; however, the show was riddled with dull comedy, not to mention the stereotypes that were portrayed which made it pretty obvious that none of the show's writers were actually Mexican-American themselves. One critic wrote, “There isn’t a single Latin name among the writers or producers and that it offers a wafer-thin appreciation and awareness of Mexican culture, one that doesn’t go beyond guacamole and the occasional use of the Spanish endearment mija (my daughter).”
2006: Four Kings
Four Kings was created by David Kohan and Max Mutchnick, both of whom created the hit sitcom, Will & Grace. The show also starred Seth Green, who was experiencing much acclaim at that time (he was in the Austin Powers franchise and Buffy the Vampire Slayer), it all sounded like a recipe for success, but against the odds the show flopped, surviving only one season, with 6 episodes left in the vault never aired in the US.
According to its network, NBC is was the story of “a quartet of twentysomething chums who cohabit a Manhattan apartment that serves as their zany halfway house between college and adulthood.” Apparently, the cast didn't have the chemistry and appeal to convince the audience they need to watch another sitcom about a group of friends in New York City.
2009: Accidentally on Purpose
After Jenna Elfman, made her mark in the smash-hit Dharma & Greg, CBS to profit off her beloved wit and cast her in a series of her own, Accidentally on Purpose. But would she be able to pull it off once again? Well, no.
Elfman portrayed a woman that got pregnant after a one night stand and decided to keep her unborn child. Although Elfman's character and the baby's father don't know each other well enough to be in a serious relationship, she allows him to move into her home on a purely platonic basis to help her raise their child. The show didn't manage to connect with enough viewers and consequently, the network decided to call it quits after the first season.