'Mulaney' Canceled? Fox Sitcom Loses Time Slot To 'Bob's Burgers' Following Low Ratings and Poor Reviews

It seems the bad news for Fox’s “Mulaney” just keeps coming. Just two weeks after the network trimmed its episode order for the sitcom, it revealed that it will take the show out of its beneficial time slot and replace it with the proven animated hit “Bob’s Burgers.”

“Mulaney” has struggled since its pilot episode debuted in early October to less-than-stellar ratings and reviews. The Wrap's Jethro Nededog said he felt like having to watch the premiere was some kind of karmic punishment (harsh). Following its poor reception, the network trimmed its episode order from 16 to 13. This doesn’t bode especially well for the sitcom as its ratings have been dipping each week. According to The Hollywood Reporter, last week’s episode produced only a 0.9 in the coveted 18-49 demographic. The previous week it reached a series low of 0.7. Now, with “Mulaney” at 7:30 p.m., it loses the big lead in it enjoyed from “Family Guy.” This could be considered a sign that Fox is trying to burn off the remaining episodes before canceling the series.

For those unfamiliar, “Mulaney” is the semi-autobiographical brainchild of standup comic and writer John Mulaney. It stars John, former "SNL" cast member Nasim Pedrad, Martin Short, Elliot Gould, Seaton Smith and Zack Pearlman. Mulaney crafted status for himself in the comedy world with his one-hour standup special “New in Town” as well as writing hilarious sketches for SNL, including fan-favorite Stefon. However, critics have panned his multi-cam, live studio audience sitcom for falling flat on jokes and shockingly bad acting for Hollywood alums.

“Mulaney” will still air on Sundays, but now it will be on at 7:30 p.m. EST rather than 9:30 p.m. EST. Fox’s primetime schedule will now be “The Simpsons” followed by “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” followed by “Family Guy” and capped off by “Bob’s Burgers” – starting at 8 p.m. As if the news wasn’t bad enough for “Mulaney,” next week Fox will preempt its 7:30 timeslot for football, meaning the next episode of the show won’t be on until Nov. 23.