NBC Cancels ‘Welcome To Sweden’ Due To ‘Craptastically’ Low Ratings
NBC has cancelled Welcome to Sweden, the second-year comedy import starring Amy Poehler’s brother, Greg Poehler, following dismal ratings, Variety is reporting.
Greg Poehler confirmed Welcome to Sweden‘s cancellation in a heartfelt Instagram post Tuesday morning.
“Due to some craptastically low ratings in the US, [Welcome to Sweden] is officially done. I am eternally grateful to all of our fans. When you make a show – and write, produce, obsess and and act in it – all you want us for someone, somewhere, to tell you they appreciate it. There have been so many of you in both Sweden and the US that have done so, and every compliment has made me immeasurably happy. So, thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!! I’m sitting here crying, but mostly because I’ll prob never work with Josephine, Christopher, Lena, Per and Claes again. They are among the best people I’ve ever met and I am so so happy and grateful that they let me act with them.”
Welcome to Sweden is a Swedish import that was developed and filmed in the Scandinavian country, and aired on Sweden’s TV4. NBC added the show to its summer schedule last year, where it drew ratings that were low, but not alarmingly so, according to the Wrap. Critics generally liked the show, featuring American Bruce Evans (Poehler) trying to adjust to life in Sweden and fit in with his Swedish wife’s family. Screen Rant critic Jason Tabrys praised the show’s soft approach and subtle humor.
“A risky proposition for NBC due to Poehler’s relative low profile and the show’s reliance on subtitles and subtlety, Welcome to Sweden mines laughs from mildly uncomfortable situations and awkwardness in a way that no NBC show has since the good old days of the Steve Carell-lead Office – with Poehler’s Bruce Evans coming of as a more relatable and well-meaning every-man than Carell’s buffoonish character did.”
However, for the second season, Welcome to Sweden’s ratings were downright abysmal. In its second (and final) airing on July 26, the show brought in a 0.2 rating with 1.1 million viewers, and finished 19th in its time slot. To put that in perspective, each of the other four major networks, plus 14 cable networks, had shows in Welcome to Sweden‘s time slot that brought in more viewers.
NBC has announced that Hollywood Game Night will occupy Welcome to Sweden‘s old time slot until NFL season begins.
[Image courtesy of Instagram]
