NBC Cancels Neil Patrick Harris Variety Show 'Best Time Ever'

After only eight episodes, NBC has canceled Best Time Ever with Neil Patrick Harris. The variety show started on Sept. 15 with guest star Reese Witherspoon. It opened with a 1.9 rating among adults 18-49 or roughly six million viewers. However, by its eighth and now last episode on Nov. 3, with guest star Kelsey Grammer, the show had dipped to a 1.3 rating or roughly five million viewers which supposedly is too few to justify the cost of its live production.

The now canceled hour-long program, which was co-hosted by former X Factor judge Nicole Scheringer, was based on Britain's Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway. In its almost two months on the air it featured comedy sketches, pranks, musical performances and celebrity appearances by Alec Baldwin, Tyler Perry, Shaquille O' Neal, Jack Black, Reba and Kelly Ripa. Ironically, when appearing on The Today Show to plug what he believed to be just the show's season finale, the Doogie Howser, M.D. alum seemed optimistic and excited.

NBC has been using live variety type programming in an effort to lure more viewers.  It's obviously been successful in late night with Saturday Night Live and has had success in musical productions such as The Sound of Music Live in 2013 and The Wiz Live which recently aired on Dec. 3. However prime time variety still seems a lost art since the 1970's.  The network's previous attempt at the format was a one-time special with SNL alum Maya Rudolph as host. 

Best Time Ever's short life span is quite a contrast from Harris' previous TV gig of 9 seasons on How I Met Your Mother for which the 42-year old was nominated for two Golden Globes and four Emmys.  Of course, the Gone Girl actor has not only been nominated for awards but has hosted the shows which give them including the Oscars, the Emmys and the Tony Awards, the latter of which has actually earned him 4 Emmy wins.   

Thankfully it's not all bad news for Harris. The peacock network announced they will stay in business with him through his company Prediction Productions. NBC president of late-night and alternative programming Paul Telegdy told Variety, "We are extremely proud of the work Neil and the producers did on Best Time Ever.  People rewarded us for taking the risk of trying something different. It was an incredibly complicated and sophisticated form of television to put on a live show on a weekly basis. We're proud of Neil for giving it his all and we have steely resolve to work together on something new."