‘Benched’ canceled by USA; no season 2 for Eliza Coupe series

Sometimes, the writing is on the wall for a show long before the cancellation is even handed down, and when it comes to USA’s “Benched,” we get the sense that most involved with the show knew that this was coming.

Still, it does not necessarily make the news any less sad for those who watched the Eliza Coupe show and really enjoyed it. “Benched” really had quite a bit going for it, but unfortunately, this is also a network that is still not exactly that familiar with comedies, and also seems to be struggling quite a bit as a whole. This is why USA has been a little bit harsher with cancelling shows lately compared to what they have done in the past. Another first-year show in “Rush” was recently canceled, and the biggest surprise to us was seeing “Covert Affairs” get the ax, something that the network does not typically do to long-running shows without some sort of proper ending.

Let’s hope now that Coupe can find a way to move forward from this, and eventually discover another show that is just as worthy of her talents. Obviously, she is more than capable of anchoring a comedy, but “Happy Endings” and “Benched” are ultimately two programs that never really found the audience they deserved. Coupe was also great on “Scrubs,” but was only really around for the final few seasons of that, as well.

So far, the former cast of “Happy Endings” has seen mixed results with other shows. Casey Wilson’s “Marry Me” got off to a solid start, but has faded quickly in the ratings. Meanwhile, Adam Pally has departed “The Mindy Project.” Damon Wayans Jr. is still a regular on “New Girl,” but probably the only reason the show is still on the air is because it’s Fox, and their ratings are awful across the board.

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