‘Work It!’ pulled from ABC schedule, ‘Cougar Town’ not announced as replacement

After just two episodes, ABC has pulled its cross-dressing sitcom, Work It!, from its schedule. However, Cougar Town fans should not immediately rejoice, since ABC still hasn’t announced if it would replace the show full-time.

Zap2It reported Friday that ABC made the announcement, adding that repeats of Tim Allen’s Last Man Standing would air in its place for the last two Wednesdays in January.

The show, which features two men who decide that the only way they can get jobs is to dress as women, had been heavily slammed by critics and even the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. The Human Rights Campaign had also attacked the show, notes Entertainment Weekly. They believed that the show was harmful to transgenders, but ABC Entertainment president Paul Lee said at the Television Critics Association press tour Tuesday that he didn’t understand the criticism.

“I didn’t really get it...I loved Tootsie. I still love Tootsie. I didn’t get it. But that’s probably me,” Lee said, comparing the series to the classic Dustin Hoffman film.

Work It! is the second series that ABC has had to cancel in its 8:30 p.m. Wednesday slot. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the show had a worse premiere than the previously-cancelled Man Up!. On Jan. 3, Work It! drew just 6.1 million viewers, then lost exactly 1 million viewers in its second episode.

ABC did not announce plans for the 8:30 slot for Feb. 1. Lee had said that Cougar Town, which stars Courtney Cox, would likely start in March, although he had not specified a date. According to the Hollywood Reporter, he said that the show would be given a “really good launch pad.”