CW’s ‘Runaway’ Next New Show To Be Cancelled

LOS ANGELES (October 19, 2006) — The CW drama “Runaway” never took off.

The series starring Donnie Wahlberg and Leslie Hope has been canceled and its 9 p.m. EDT Sunday slot will be filled by repeat episodes of “America’s Next Top Model,” according to the network.

“Runaway,” about a married lawyer falsely accused of murder and forced into hiding with his wife and children, had the dubious honor of ranking as the least-watched series on the five major broadcast networks in the new season.

The show started out on Monday night with 2.2 million viewers and then saw its audience slip, with 1.8 million viewers for its last airing. By comparison, the top-rated “Grey’s Anatomy” on ABC is drawing more than 22 million weekly viewers.

“Runaway” and the football comedy “The Game” were the first new programs for the fledgling CW, a hybrid of WB and UPN.

The rest of CW’s schedule is made of shows from the defunct networks, including “Gilmore Girls” and “Everybody Hates Chris.”

CW is a joint venture of Viacom-owned CBS Corp. and Time Warner Inc.