Sometimes a series finale can feel like a mercy killing. Oliver’s medical experience comes in handy on the series finale of “Council of Dads” (8 p.m. NBC, TV-PG). This three-hanky weepy was the latest (and hopefully, the last) NBC drama to try to re-create its “This Is Us” magic. Remember “The Village”?
The story of a widow who assembled a team of male friends to help raise her kids in a bucolic setting may have seemed too on the nose, even for the most faithful Hallmark movie addict.
The cancellation of “Council” marks the end of a particularly dismal season for NBC. Of seven original scripted shows introduced in the 2019-20 season, only “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist” has been renewed.
That series married some of the saccharine neo-cornballism of “This Is Us” with the psycho-jukebox feeling of CW’s brilliant and original “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.”
For those keeping score, NBC canceled six new series while CBS canceled three new shows in total. Nearly all of these failures share a common element: They were anchored by a familiar face or a big star from another series (and another era).
NBC’s cancellations include “Bluff City Law” (Jimmy Smits, “NYPD Blue”); “Indebted” (Fran Drescher, “The Nanny”); “Perfect Harmony” (Bradley Whitford, “The West Wing”) and “Sunnyside” (Kal Penn, “House”). Over on CBS, Patricia Heaton (“Everybody Loves Raymond”), Matt LeBlanc (“Friends”) and Pauley Perrette (“NCIS”) weren’t enough to interest viewers in “Carol’s Second Act,” “Man With a Plan” or “Broke,” respectively.
While we’re living in a particular chapter in both pop culture and history, these cancellations point to an enduring truth about television. TV doesn’t need stars. It makes them. Viewers would rather embrace the new thing than see an old face. While HBO Max was chattering about a “Friends” reunion that was ultimately shelved due to COVID-19, American viewers were growing addicted to somebody named Joe Exotic, Netflix’s self-proclaimed “Tiger King.” Programming is always a gamble, and hits like “This Is Us,” while seemingly formulaic, cannot be bottled and duplicated.
— The failure of network series tied to big names echoes the spectacular launchpad explosion of the new streaming service “Quibi.” The brainchild of former Disney and DreamWorks mogul Jeffrey Katzenberg, Quibi was supposed to separate subscribers from roughly $5 a month to watch stories, shows and movies unfold in short bites. Many of the series featured big names, paid handsomely for their work on the snippets. Not quite TV, these offerings could only be screened on phones.
Given so many free alternatives, few actual customers materialized. Katzenberg has blamed the pandemic. That couldn’t help. But there is never a good time for a bad idea.
TONIGHT’S OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
— Hugh Jackman portrays P.T. Barnum in the 2017 musical biography “The Greatest Showman” (8 p.m., FX, TV-14).
— Adam Scott hosts “Don’t” (9 p.m., ABC, r, TV-14).
— A bloody brilliant plan on “NCIS: Los Angeles” (10 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14).
— A woman makes public accusations against an athlete on “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (10 p.m., NBC, r, TV-14).
CULT CHOICE
— Produced by Francis Coppola, the 1979 children’s-book adaptation “The Black Stallion” (8 p.m., TCM, TV-PG) featured Mickey Rooney (“National Velvet”) in a comeback role.
SERIES NOTES
George receives a tempting offer on “Young Sheldon” (8 p.m., CBS, r, TV-PG) … “Celebrity Watch Party” (8 p.m., Fox, r, TV-14) … “Holey Moley” (8 p.m., ABC, r, TV-PG) … A sudden reversal on “Burden of Truth” (8 p.m., CW, TV-PG) … Wade wants his daughters’ blessing on “The Unicorn” (8:30 p.m., CBS, r, TV-PG).
On two helpings of “Mom” (9 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14): a bar fight (9 p.m.); Bonnie reels (9:30 p.m.) … Closing in on the bunker on “Blindspot” (9 p.m., NBC, TV-14) … “Labor of Love” (9 p.m., Fox, r, TV-14) … A missing shipment on “In the Dark” (9 p.m., CW, TV-14) … “To Tell the Truth” (10 p.m., ABC, r, TV-PG).
LATE NIGHT
“The Daily Show With Trevor Noah” (11 p.m., Comedy Central) is pre-empted … Ed Helms appears on “Conan” (11 p.m., TBS, r) … Charlamagne Tha God and Tunde Adebimpe are booked on “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” (11:35 p.m., CBS) … Jimmy Fallon welcomes Justin Timberlake, Russell Wilson, Ciara and the Avett Brothers on “The Tonight Show” (11:35 p.m., NBC, r) … Sarah Paulson appears on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” (11:35 p.m., ABC, r).
Ricky Gervais visits “Late Night With Seth Meyers” (12:35 a.m., NBC, r) … Chance the Rapper guest-hosts Taraji P. Henson and Lil Nas X on “The Late Late Show With James Corden” (12:35 a.m., CBS, r).
