Susan's Place Transgender Resources

ABC yanks 'Work It' after two airings
'Last Man Standing' repeats will take its place in the short-term

Saturday, Jan 14, 2012 1:38 AM
Daniel Fienberg

http://www.hitfix.com/articles/abc-yanks-work-it-after-two-airings (http://www.hitfix.com/articles/abc-yanks-work-it-after-two-airings)

It didn't take long for ABC to decide that "Work It" wasn't working.

After one airing, ABC's promotional department was running ads calling the critically reviled comedy a hit.

After two airings, ABC was ready to move on.

Late Friday, ABC sent out a scheduling release announcing that "Work It" has been pulled from the network's lineup, effective immediately. The cross-dressing comedy will be replaced by repeats of "Last Man Standing" at 8:30 on Tuesdays for at least the next three weeks.

ABC Pulls The Plug On Work It, Its Universally Detested Drag Comedy

http://www.queerty.com/abc-pulls-the-plug-on-work-it-its-universally-detested-drag-comedy-20120114/ (http://www.queerty.com/abc-pulls-the-plug-on-work-it-its-universally-detested-drag-comedy-20120114/)

Clueless ABC entertainment prez Paul Lee finally got the memo: Work It blows royal monkey balls.

The Hollywood Reporter broke the news last night, saying the network has cancelled the show after only two episodes, due to low ratings.

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'Work It' didn't work — ABC cancels sitcom after only two episodes
By Rich Ferraro
GLAAD

http://www.lgbtqnation.com/2012/01/work-it-didnt-work-abc-cancels-sitcom-after-only-two-episodes/ (http://www.lgbtqnation.com/2012/01/work-it-didnt-work-abc-cancels-sitcom-after-only-two-episodes/)

"Work It" just didn't work.

ABC has cancelled the series "Work It" after only two episodes. The series debuted on January 3, 2012 to low ratings, and, according to Entertainment Weekly, dropped another 20 percent this week.

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Posted on Advocate.com January 14, 2012 12:54:37 PM ET

ABC Cancels Work It
By Michelle Garcia

http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/14/ABC_Cancels_Work_It/ (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/14/ABC_Cancels_Work_It/)

ABC has decided to cancel its controversial, poorly-rated sitcom, Work It, which depicted two men who dressed as women in order to get female-only jobs.

Several LGBT rights groups like the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, the Human Rights Campaign, and the National Center for Transgender Equality led the charge against the show, which debuted to low ratings on Jan. 3. Viewership for the second episode dropped another 20%.

As I suggested in an earlier post, the market would determine how long this show would last.  With lower ratings that the show it replaced, and with a loss of market share for the second show, it's fate was sealed.

All of the protests and angry petitions would not have made a bit of a difference if the show was well written, well acted, and well received.

It wasn't and now it's gone.

It failed because Bosom Buddies was like 20 years ago.  And Priscilla Queen of the Desert and That Patrick Swayze movie.  Also the premise was about men not being able to find work and having to be women because women are taking over the world.  Ok How 1994 is that?  It could have been a very cool show if had actually been about transgender girls that totally rocked it.   Although that clip where the guy pulls out a whole sub and then takes the lettuce leaf off and tosses the rest in the garbage was pretty funny.

But the show seemed lame and really dated. 

  I missed the airings.  I missed nothing.  8)
  Joelene

Thank God! Now I can start watching Pan Am again.

Mixie's got a good idea there. How completely novel would it be to write a sitcom that shows the transgender people in a positive light? It's possible to be cool and funny at the same time. Certainly TG people go through plenty of humorous situations and it certainly would be possible to show them without contributing to social stigma. What if "New Girl" had been about a trangender woman? All we need is a TG Zoe Deschanel.

Lyric ~

When I watched transamerica they kinda did this.  It was part of the story and the reveal at the end was really clumsy IMO but there were some wonderful scenes in that movie.   I think many people are interested in being transgender.

For I'm curious because sometimes in my life I have wished I could just drop everything and go somewhere else and just start over.  The idea that you can physically change into something else is amazing to me. 

There's a big problem with these issues that the way they are shared are always about the drama of "not being able to pass" or the pain of being transgender.

But I am often mesmerized about the boldness of character it takes to do something like this.  So I'd rather see the story in a positive light.

Well said.

Quote from: Beverley on January 17, 2012, 10:10:40 AM
Could be tricky. There is a lot of negativity, pain and despair in the T* world.

That's as good a reason for an upbeat comedy as I can think of.

Lyric ~