‘The Family’ season 2: Why isn’t it happening on ABC?

Tonight, “The Family” is airing an episode that at one point could have just been a season finale; unfortunately, circumstances and ratings spoke to ABC, and now it is clear that it is going to be a series finale.

Why did this happen, and why couldn’t this series get some higher ratings? Ultimately, we think that there are a few easy-to-identify reasons for it.

1. A late premiere – While many shows got the luxury of airing during the fall, this show was a midseason entry without the same sort of press tour that some fall shows receive. It’s also a little harder in the late winter / early spring to get people hooked on what you’re doing. There’s only a short amount of time in order to convince people to change their viewing schedules!

2. The title – It sounds silly, but “The Family” is not the sort of name that will draw people in right away. This show probably needed a little bit more of a hook to it.

3. A large enough audience – This is obvious, but despite some late consistency, this show just could never muster a crowd of people watching, not even in the very beginning. Had it aired after “Once Upon a Time” a few years ago, the show would probably get some better numbers. Unfortunately, this is really just not that substantial of a lead-in anymore, at least compared to what it once was.

4. Mass changes at ABC – This is not even the show’s fault at all. With Channing Dungey taking over as the new executive in place of Paul Lee, we’ve seen a wide array of shows end up falling by the wayside, including popular ones like “Castle,” “Agent Carter,” and “Nashville.”