From major cast changes to historic cancellations, 2011 was a rough year for television.
Oprah Walks Away From ‘The Oprah Winfrey Show’
Oprah shocked viewers by announcing that after 25 years, she would be leaving The Oprah Winfrey Show. Oprah fans did not need to worry about missing Oprah though, as her daytime departure coincided with the launch of her new network OWN.
MSNBC Axes Keith Olbermann
The end of ‘Countdown with Keith Olbermann’ came as quite a shock to viewers of the program, and possibly to Keith himself. The end of the program was announced abruptly by Olbermann the night he aired his final show. Olbermann, who hosted the show for eight years on MSNBC, now hosts Countdown on CurrentTV.
Regis Philbin Leaves ‘Live With Regis and Kelly’
When Regis Philbin announced he was leaving ‘Live’ it was the end of an era. After hosting the show for 28 years, many wondered if the morning program could survive. To date a new host has not been picked by the network but ratings have seen a sharp decline following Philbin’s departure.
Meredith Vieira Leaves ‘The Today Show’
2011 also saw the departure of former ‘View’ co-host Meredith Vieira from ‘The Today Show’, the program she has co-hosted since 2006. On why she was leaving, Vieira told People Magazine, “I've been going on three hours a night for the past five years. It was starting to wreak havoc on my health and Richard (her husband) was also starting to align himself with that schedule.”
Charlie Sheen Fired From ‘Two And A Half Men’
Following several very public outbursts by Charlie Sheen, his stint in rehab and production interruptions to the eighth season of the wildly popular ‘Two And A Half Men’, CBS finally decided to fire Sheen from the series prior to the filming of the show's ninth season. The network killed Sheen's character off and replaced him with former ‘That 70s Show’ star Ashton Kutcher.
Anne Robinson Announces She Will Leave ‘The Weakest Link’ Ending The Show
"Goodbye". Game show host Anne Robinson decided in 2011 not to renew her contract to host ‘The Weakest Link’ when it expires in the Spring of 2012 and producers decided not to try to replace her, thereby ending the rapid-fire quiz show after 11 years on the air. On leaving the show Robinson said, “I'll miss it. It's been superb. So it is a hard decision. I've always tried to leave before you think you're going to be tired of doing something." The Weakest Link ended its US run, with Robinson as the host, in 2002.
Mary Hart Says Goodbye To ‘Entertainment Tonight’
After 29-years of hosting Entertainment Tonight, in 2011 Mary Hart announced she would step down. On her departure Hart said, "I only meant to be at ET for three years, suddenly it's almost 30! I've reached a point when I clearly realize it's time for a change. There are many things I want to do in my life and I'd better get on with them." Hart set a Guinness record for the longest running host on an entertainment news program.
Christopher Meloni Leaves ‘Law & Order: SVU’
In 2011 it was announced that after 12 seasons, Law & Order: SVU star Christopher Meloni, would not be returning for season 13. Reports blamed issues with contract negotiations for Meloni’s departure. To make matters worse for SVU fans, it was also announced that the other half of the dynamic duo, Mariska Hargitay, would be taking more of a backseat role for the 13th season and may not return for a 14th. 2011 also saw the end of Law & Order: SVU's sister program Law & Order: Criminal Intent.
Disney Ends ‘The Suite Life on Deck’
Even the tween set was not spared a bit of devastating news as it was announced that The Suite Life of Zack and Cody spinoff The Suite Life on Deck would be ending. The conclusion of the show ended a record setting series for the Disney Channel. The Suite Life on Deck and its predecessor The Suite Life of Zack and Cody were responsible for the longest steadily running characters on the Disney Channel. The characters of Zack (Dylan Sprouse), Cody (Cole Sprouse), Mr. Moseby (Phill Lewis) and London (Brenda Song) all appeared on the Disney Channel for six years. The end of The Suite Life on Deck cuts the last string connecting back to Disney Channel’s first original live situation comedies. That’s So Raven (debuting in 2003) was the first, The Suite Life of Zack and Cody (debuting in 2005) was the second and Hannah Montana (debuting in 2006) was the third. The three shows did a famous crossover in 2006 called 'That’s So Suite Life of Hannah Montana'. The Disney Channel also said goodbye to Sonny With a Chance in 2011, following the departure of the show’s lead actress, Demi Lovato, following her stint in a rehabilitation center.
ABC Cancels ‘One Life to Live’ and ‘All My Children’
In April 2011 ABC dealt a massive blow to its daytime audience by announcing the cancellation of two of its three long-running daytime serials ‘One Life to Live’ and ‘All My Children’. While some thought ‘All My Children’ might be in trouble due to low ratings, the double-cancellation announcement that took ‘One Life to Live’ down as well came as a shock. The week of the announcement ‘One Life to Live’ was ABC’s No.1 rated daytime serial, ahead of ‘General Hospital’ which the network chose to keep. Fans did not take the cancellations lying down, mounting a campaign to save the shows that included street protests, boycotts of the network’s primetime programming, a national magazine sponsored coupons campaign to count viewers and contacting the networks sponsors. After months of this, ABC announced they had cut a deal with production company Prospect Park that would see the shows continue to be viewable online. In November it was announced that the relaunch for both shows was suspended, due to various snags. Turning into somewhat of a soap opera itself, last month it was reported that Prospect Park was still attempting to relaunch the shows behind the scenes. 'All My Children' aired its final show on September 23, 2011 and One Life to Live is scheduled to air its last show January 13, 2012. Combined, the shows have spent more than 84 years on the air.
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