‘Viva Laughlin’ is already a TV casualty

CBS cancels offbeat drama starring Hugh Jackman after only two airings

	‘Viva Laughlin,’ which Hugh Jackman stars in and is executive producer for, got the axe from CBS after just two — albeit lowly rated — airings.
Robert Voets / CBS

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updated 5:12 p.m. ET Oct. 22, 2007

LOS ANGELES - The music has stopped for “Viva Laughlin,” an offbeat song-and-dance drama that drew such low ratings it was canceled by CBS after two airings.

Even having film star Hugh Jackman (“X-Men”) aboard as executive producer and cast member couldn’t save the series. It was the second cancellation of the young season, after CW’s “Online Nation,” and the first scripted show to be yanked.

“Viva Laughlin,” based on the hit British series “Viva Blackpool,” debuted last Thursday with 8.4 million viewers — a pittance compared to the 21.2 million viewers that watched the CBS show preceding it, top-rated “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.”

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Moving to what was intended as its regular time slot, 8 p.m. EST Sunday, “Viva Laughlin” dropped to an estimated 6.8 million viewers. The show starring Lloyd Owen as a small-time gambler caught up in a murder investigation drew mostly drew largely poor reviews.

It will be replaced next Sunday by a “CSI” rerun, with reality series “The Amazing Race” then taking over the time period, CBS (part of CBS Corp.) said Monday.

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