The 2013-14 TV season has claimed its second causality, and it's not a surprising one. CBS comedy We Are Men has been booted from the schedule, effective immediately.
Starting Monday, Oct. 14, CBS moves 2 Broke Girls into the 8:30 p.m. half-hour in a play to sustain more of How I Met Your Mother's considerable lead-in and boost the rest of the lineup -- which also includes Chuck Lorre freshman Mom at 9:30 p.m. and drama Hostages at 10 p.m. Repeats of network demo champ The Big Bang Theory will occupy 2 Broke Girl's 9 p.m. slot for three weeks before Mike & Molly returns to the schedule in its place on Nov. 4.
PHOTOS: TV's Quickest Cancellations
We Are Men, which debuted the Monday after premiere week, failed to get much traction out of the gate. It opened to just a 2.0 rating among adults 18-49 and 6.6 million viewers before falling to a 1.8 demo rating and 5.4 million viewers in its second outing. And while the ratings weren't altogether dismal, they have not been teeing up the rest of CBS" Monday block for success. 2 Broke Girls recently hit a series low with We Are Men as its lead-in, and while Mom has proven a stable freshman, Hostages has struggled in its time slot -- losing to both NBC's buzzy Blacklist and ABC mainstay Castle.
When Mike & Molly, renewed for a full season but left off the schedule until now, it will join 2 Broke Girls and Mom in a back-to-back-to-back Chuck Lorre block -- something that could also work in the network's favor. Having Mike & Molly in pocket also saves the network the problem it had last year, when there was no comedy to sub in for the short-lived Partners when it was removed from the 8:30 time slot after just two months.
PHOTOS: 81 of Fall TV's Biggest Stars
CBS soon needs a new anchor for its Monday. How I Met Your Mother, currently airing its ninth and final season, departs the schedule in the spring. And former residents Big Bang Theory and Two and a Half Men are both set up on the recently expanded Thursday comedy block.
Previously titled Ex Men, We Are Men came from How I Met Your Mother writer Rob Greenberg and hailed from CBS Television and Tannenbaum Co. It starred Kal Penn, Jerry O'Connell, Tony Shalhoub and newcomer Chris Smith.
We Are Men joins ABC's Lucky 7 as the only other series to already hit the fall chopping block.
