NBC cancels 'Andy Barker, P.I.' - Cast&Crew

Pilot was great, but the rest of the eps bordered on unwatchable. Tony Hale was fabulous, though.

GOODBYE, SHOW.

I tried to like it...

It was good at first, but I quickly lost interest. *shrug* Lots of good people in it, though.

I want to be sad for JE, but I can't be because this show was directly competing with my new favorite show of the season, 30 Rock for survival. I like JE, but Tina Fey (and Alec Baldwin!) owns my heart this season. The show is filling the hole that Arrested Development left in my heart, and I have a huge girl-crush on Ms. Fey, so I'm actually quite happy that NBC renewed 30 Rock for next season and cancelled Andy Barker.

-- seriously, everybody should be watching 30 Rock. Alec Baldwin won a Golden Globe for half a season's work on the show, and he freakin' deserved it! Funniest thing on the air, including The Office, in my opinion.

dottikin | April 10, 02:58 CET

I always thought it was better-suited for the "quirky detective channel", aka the USA Network... too bad NBC didn't put it on there instead.

In any case, if it had been mildly successful on NBC, where would they put it? It seems pretty clear that none of their Thursday night comedies are going anywhere next year. (Scrubs is the only one that hasn't gotten 'official' confirmation at this point, but it's only a matter of time...)

unsquare | April 10, 03:03 CET

Ah well, some bits were funny, but I wasn't overly impressed, which was a shame 'cos I'd been looking forward to it for a while.

Bad news for Jane though, at least she's still got Battlestar.

Ghost Spike | April 10, 03:21 CET

I actually liked most of the other episodes more than the pilot. There's this whole innocence to the show that contrasts with the noir trappings of most detective shows... I could have sworn though, that since The Office got to survive on just six episodes the first season, they'd be willing to do the same for Andy Barker.

orangewaxlion | April 10, 03:43 CET

I never watched it. I wasn't aware Jane was involved with it, and after the Andy Richter show before this one, I don't think I could watch another one. He should have just stayed Conan's sidekick.

Celluloid Novelist | April 10, 03:49 CET

Saw the first 3 and thought it wasn't bad but not really stay home TV. I liked the 'straightness' with which they played this totally wacky idea and Tony Hale was great, the stuff between him and Andy's assistant was pretty funny (everyone was fairly likeable though).

Did anyone else wonder if the big, tough, noir detective being afraid of chickens was some kind of (very) oblique nod (David Boreanaz is apparently scared of them too) ?

Saje | April 10, 05:11 CET

I saw the pilot and the next episode. Then I forgot it was even on. I thought these two episodes were kinda endearing, but, again, I forgot the series after that. So, clearly, it didn't register enough in my brain to make certain I watched it. I'm sorry for JE, though, but, as said above, she does have BSG.

palehorse | April 10, 05:56 CET

I thought it was hilarious. Jane's episode in particular had me laughing until I cried. Sadly, I think the cancellation of this and the removal of "Studio 60" from the schedule, however temporarily, is just more of the trend to dumb down television. Andy Barker actually required you to think a little (there was as much subtle, clever humor as there was slapstick, obvious guffawing), and G'd forbid an audience is required to think. Long live "Illiterate Programming." :-P

OzLady | April 10, 06:31 CET

Hmm. I'm not surprised. I thought it was charming; it had a retro simplicity that was really appealing-and I loved Andy's assistant. But I think, in a strange way, its attractions were sort of sophisticated- it had kind of the feeling of the (original, way back when) Bob Newhart show, and a further thing from reality tv could not be imagined.
It would have taken a lot of time to find its audience, and that's, of course, not allowed.

toast | April 10, 06:36 CET

It wasn't a great show but it made me laugh more than any other sitcom that came out this year. I knew it was doomed the second I saw Andy Richter's name attached, but the fact that it was delayed from being a season opener and then had all 6 episodes on the internet made it hard for me to get high hopes about it.

war_machine | April 10, 07:17 CET

Well, I enjoyed it. and, as I watched each episode, I enjoyed it more, so I think it could have gotten quite good. Oh well.

Septimus | April 10, 07:28 CET

toast- YES!!! I was trying to think of what show it reminded me, and the *old* Bob Newhart was exactly it. Also, oddly enough, a litte "Caroline in the City" if anyone remembers that show!

OzLady | April 10, 08:08 CET

Shoot! I never got a chance to watch it. I've been worried about Raines surviving, so it kind of went out of my mind.

Tonya J | April 10, 08:29 CET

You know a show is going to be canceled when the entire series can be found on iTunes before the pilot even airs.

RavenU | April 10, 08:54 CET

I'm with dottikin on 30 Rock being renewed. I have a huge girl-crush on Tina Fey too, and didn't see the big deal about Studio 60 (sorry, OzLady). Alec Baldwin is simply genius. IMHO, even though both shows had the same basic premise, 30 Rock was funny and far more endearing.

What? The topic is about Andy Barker, P.I.? Uh... I'm glad that Ms Espenson now has more time to write for my favourite current show, Battlestar Galactica! :p

non sequitur | April 10, 09:03 CET

AFAIK, 'Raines' has already been cut back to 7 episodes Tonya J, not sure what's happening to it after that (production's already wrapped). Shame, i've been enjoying it. Nice unique take on a procedural with meaty roles for guest stars each week (I thought Alexa Davalos for instance was pretty good). Jeff Goldblum has managed to keep his 'schtick' in tow (reined it in you might say, ahahahahahaha. Ahem ;) and it has a kind of slightly morbid wit to it that I like. Ah well.

Think I might have to check out '30 Rock'.

Saje | April 10, 09:22 CET

This is a bummer. I rather liked it, which seems to be the kiss of death for shows.

Oh, hi everyone! First post here. :)

flakbait | April 10, 09:29 CET

-- seriously, everybody should be watching 30 Rock. Alec Baldwin won a Golden Globe for half a season's work on the show, and he freakin' deserved it! Funniest thing on the air, including The Office, in my opinion.

Absolutely agree with you there, dottikin. "Damn it, Johnny, you know how I love my Big Beef n' Cheddars."

Welcome to the madhouse, flakbait!

zeitgeist | April 10, 09:53 CET

D'oh! I liked this show, and now it's gone. Tragic. Poor Andy Richter always seems to get quirky shows that get axed too soon.

kishi | April 10, 10:28 CET

Dang, I liked it. It made me laugh and I think it had the potential to get better. Too bad the rest of the world seems to be focused on unwatchable reality shows so that charming shows like this don't have a chance. Dang.

luvspike | April 10, 10:47 CET

Anyone besides me find it odd to see this thread directly under a thread titled "13 Shows That Should Never Have Been Canceled"?

Shapenew | April 10, 10:59 CET

Anyone besides me find it odd to see this thread directly under a thread titled "13 Shows That Should Never Have Been Canceled"?

Not odd, just poetic. ;)

My wife and I love 30 Rock as well. "I will eat your family!" has become a standard threat now, heh.

flakbait | April 10, 11:08 CET

Andy Richter Controls the Universe should still be on the air. Don't judge him on that Quintuplet crap. Please.

themayor | April 10, 11:44 CET

I want to be Alec Baldwin's next ex-wife, but I have a hard time getting into 30 Rock. However, since the fine folks at Whedonesque seem to be squarely behind it, I am going to give it another try. :-)

OzLady | April 10, 11:55 CET

Perhaps Andy Richter CtU and Andy Barker PI combined have enough episodes for a DVD set?

This notion makes me happy indeed.

Hjermsted | April 10, 12:00 CET

It's a shame, but overall, I'm not that upset. Jane's episode was by far the best of all of them, but on the whole I wasn't that excited about the show.

Andy Richter Controls the Universe was awesome. Pure, unadulterated awesome.

[ edited by Dym on 2007-04-10 18:14 ]

Quit | April 10, 12:13 CET

I'm so bummed, I really liked this show. Andy Richter is awesome and underrated. He deserves much more than just being "Conan's sidekick."

mister0 | April 10, 12:44 CET

Love Jane...didn't love the show! I saw two episodes and found both barely watchable. Jane deserves better!

Calledon | April 10, 12:45 CET

I like quirky. This saddens me.

I can count on one hand the shows that I make a point to watch every week. TV sucks.

thatweirdgirl | April 10, 12:53 CET

Too bad about the show, but not surprising. It had some funny moments, but I don't see how it could sustain interest for long. I stopped watching after two episodes.

OzLady, I had a hard time getting into 30 Rock, too, but it's growing on me. Some parts still don't work for me, but overall I think it's quite funny.

I still consider The Office the best show on television right now.

fortunateizzi | April 10, 13:04 CET

'Raines' has already been cut back to 7 episodes

Arrrrrrrrrrgh! Saje, you are severely disturbing my calm, dude. I'm tired, so, so, tired and slightly silver-haired under my hair coloring, of becoming attached to shows and actors that go away. STOP IT! In the name of all that is holy and good ... STOP IIIIIIIIIIT!

Tonya J | April 10, 13:08 CET

I really like this show and am sad to see it go, although I love the other 4 Thursday night comedies on NBC and would hate to sacrifice any of them for it.

It has ceased to surprise me (though it still confounds me) when a network barely gives a show a chance (6 episodes? little to no promotion?) and then when it doesn't immediately become a hit they scrap it. I'm saddened that once again TV loses a comedy that's actually funny. (I'm looking at you, "Two and a Half Men".)

Now, so help me if they (the TV PTBs, not NBC specifically) cancel "How I Met Your Mother" too...

marpocky | April 10, 14:22 CET

I have not seen this show. I have been meaning to watch it on the internet, but I guess I missed my chance. (They usually pull these things as soon as they are cancelled.)

I watched part of an episode of 30 Rock and turned if off because it seemed absolutely awful. I don't know if I should attribute that to my limited sense of humor and go on with my life, or whether I should give it another try in case I just got a bad section of a bad episode.

I'm pretty busy. I'll probably just continue on with my life.

newcj | April 10, 15:14 CET

You know a show is going to be canceled when the entire series can be found on iTunes before the pilot even airs.

Um, yeah, not to mention when it gets just 6 episodes made. Which is a shame, I liked the show, I thought it was a fresh take on the 1/2 hour comedy. What I've hated is how the past few weeks the Thursday block has been moving all over the board with hour long episodes, doubled episodes, and changed time slots. We actually missed part of the last episode for this reason. How is anyone supposed to keep up with a show anymore?

I also really enjoy 30 Rock but I'd like to have seen this given more of a chance.

yourlibrarian | April 10, 16:37 CET

It took me all season to warm up to 30 Rock and now I'm thinking I'd like to have the dvds. That was a show that didn't do too well at the beginning but it's building an audience now.

It's interesting that the Andy Richter show is being compared to Bob Newhart's. If you look at the start of the Newhart show, you see that it evolved a lot; different regulars were brought in and the show developed its rhythm. Very few shows get that chance now.

lycoming | April 10, 17:29 CET

True. Today's network suits remind me of a previous band member who kept vetoing any rough song drafts that anyone came up with on the grounds that: "I want something that's gonna be a hit."

Funny thing is, if that could be reliably done just by wanting it, the whole entertainment industry would be out of a job, because anybody could do it.

Rowan Hawthorn | April 10, 17:58 CET

I liked it - I thought it was innocent and dear and gently funny. I was surprised that I liked it, but I did.

Oh, cheese and crackers!

QuoterGal | April 10, 19:08 CET

I just bought the eps I missed. It was really funny! And I loved the main character.

Pointy | April 10, 20:10 CET

yay! Rejoicing in the 30 Rock love. Andy Barker would have been perfect in a USA network line-up of Monk and Psych: both gentle and amusing shows with a great deal of corny humor.

But deep down, I knew that for NBC, it was a battle between 30 Rock and Andy Barker, and I was all my heart rooting for 30 Rock. Because Tina Fey = love.

(seriously, the show is wonderfully absurd and satirical and fierce, and if you liked Arrested Development, you should check it out. )

dottikin | April 10, 20:53 CET

Andy Barker totally came out of nowhere in the past month or so. I never heard a word about it before they put the entire run up for free online. I sort of figured it was basically canceled before it even started.

Plus, uh... I thought it was boring.

NekoDono | April 10, 21:53 CET

A battle between 30 Rock and Andy Barker? In what world? The two shows weren't competing at all.

I'm disappointed that Andy Barker got cancelled. It was a funny, sweet show. And I really can't stand 30 Rock, and don't understand at all why people like it so much.

Gonnas | April 11, 21:20 CET

April 10 2007