Man Up! is an American sitcom that aired on ABC from October 18 to December 6, 2011. On December 8, ABC announced the series had been cancelled due to low ratings."ABC's 2011-2012 Schedule: Tim Allen Is Back" from TV.com (May 17, 2011) Only 8 episodes were aired on television, though all 13 episodes were available online."ABC: Even With 'Charlie's Angels,' 'Man Up!,' & 'Pan Am' Canceled, 'Body Of Proof' Is Unlikely To Survive Another Season" from TV By The Numbers (November 22, 2011) The episodes remained online through the end of January 2012, when they were removed from ABC's website. All 13 episodes are available to stream on Hulu as of February 2018.

Plot The series revolves around the lives of three modern men in Columbus, Ohio who try to get in touch with their inner "tough guys" and redefine what it means to be a "real man". According to an on-screen graphic at the start of the pilot, the show is set in suburban Gahanna.

Cast Main cast Amanda Detmer as Brenda Hayden Christopher Moynihan as Craig Griffith Dan Fogler as Kenny Hayden Charlotte Labadie as Lucy Keen Henry Simmons as Grant Sweet Mather Zickel as Will Keen Teri Polo as Theresa Hayden Keen

Recurring cast Jason Rogel as Henry Trunka Jake Johnson as Nathan Keen

Production The series was poised to be one of the four breakout hits for the 2011-12 television season (along with CBS's 2 Broke Girls, A Gifted Man, and How to Be a Gentleman) according to advertisers who had seen the pilot.Upfronts: Advertisers Like 'Man Up' And '2 Broke Girls' But Slam ABC's Presentation from Deadline.com (May 19, 2011) Of the four shows, only 2 Broke Girls, which specifically had no male leads unlike the other three shows, was renewed for a second season.List of Canceled and Renewed Scripted Shows for the 2011-12 Season from TV By The Numbers (May 14, 2012)

Episodes

Critical reception The series received mixed to average reviews from viewers and mixed to negative reviews from critics. The Hollywood Reporters Tim Goodman noted that the actors were saddled in a sitcom world of limited potential, asking "How long can they play this joke?" He concluded that "Isn't it really time to let go of stereotypes and clichés and maybe write a sitcom that has more to joke about than one thing over and over again?""Man Up!: TV Review" by Tim Goodman, The Hollywood Reporter (October 11, 2011) JAM! gave the series a "Thumbs Down", noting that "...if you're pining for the next great male sitcom, this isn't it.""'Man Up!' gets thumbs down" from JAM! TV (October 14, 2011) Varietys Brian Lowry noted that "...it'll take more than sociology to pump up this stale sitcom.""Man Up!" by Brian Lowry, Variety (October 16, 2011) The Oregonians Kristi Turnquist called the show "Unfunny" in her short review."TV This Week: 'The Walking Dead' returns, 'Man Up!' and 'Boss' debut" by Kristi Turnquist, The Oregonian (October 15, 2011) Fantriads Matt Peterson found that among a mixed gender group of 25- to 34-year-olds, Man Up! ranked among the top 5 of weekly watched television series. The group described the show as, "a fresh take on comedy" and "laugh out loud funny," during online polls and questionnaires. Among other shows listed highly by this group were Last Man Standing and Grimm."Fantriad Television Viewer Poll 2011 Edition" by The Peterson Group, Fantriad (November 7, 2011) TV Guides Matt Roush called the series, "An insult to all genders".

Ratings The debut episode had a modest start averaging a 2.4/6 among 18-49s, with 7.80 million viewers tuning in."TV Ratings Tuesday: 'Unforgettable' Rises; 'NCIS,' 'X Factor' Lead Night; 'Man Up' Premieres Modestly" from TV By The Numbers (October 19, 2011) However, it took a hit in its second week, averaging a 2.0/5 among 18-49 with 6.78 million viewers tuning in, a drop of 21% from the first episode."Tuesday Final Ratings: 'X Factor,' 'NCIS,' 'Biggest Loser,' 'Dancing,' 'Man Up!' Adjusted Up; 'Body Of Proof' Adjusted Down" from TV By The Numbers (October 26, 2011) It also found itself among the shows that could become candidates for cancellation according to the TV by the Numbers Renew/Cancel Index based on the show's ratings."ABC: 'Man Up!' Needs To Move Its Ratings Up, Or Be Canceled" from TV By The Numbers (November 1, 2011)

On November 18, 2011, ABC pulled Man Up! from its midseason lineup, despite a statement that it was considered a candidate for a second season pickup."ABC Unveils Midseason Sked" from Variety (November 18, 2011) However, TV by the Numbers had the series listed as "de facto canceled" as ABC had not ordered any more episodes, and eleven of the thirteen had already been produced at the time the announcement was made.

On December 8, 2011, ABC pulled Man Up! from the schedule and replaced it with Work It on January 3, 2012, leaving five episodes unaired and effectively cancelling the series altogether. (Work It would fare even worse in the Man Up! time slot, being cancelled after airing just two episodes.) ABC posted the five unaired episodes of Man Up! on the show's website as online exclusive episodes on December 13, 2011; they were removed from the website a month later.

No. Episode Air date 18-49 Rating Viewers(Millions)1 "Pilot" 2.5 7.802 "Finessing the Bromance" 2.0 6.783 "Digging Deeper" 1.8 6.364 "Wingmen" 1.7 6.225 "Acceptance" 1.7 6.276 "High Road Is the Guy Road" 1.9 6.297 "Disciplining the Keens" 1.7 6.598 "Men and Their Chickens" 1.6 4.829 "Camping" (online-only) N/A N/A10 "Fear" 11 "Up All Night"12 "Letting Go"13 "Be Who You're Not"

International broadcast

The series was picked up in the following countries: In Canada by CTV Two, where it debuted at the same time as the ABC telecast. In Australia by Seven Network, starting in 2012."Your first glimpse at what is new to Australian TV in 2012" from The Courier-Mail (September 3, 2011) In Portugal by FX, starting on February 1, 2012. In Norway by TVNorge. In Italy by Fox as Cose da uomini (Men's Stuff), starting on April 6 until June 29, 2012. In South Korea by FOXlife, starting in May 2012. In Thailand by Fox Asia. In Israel by HOT3. In Turkey by ComedyMax HD. In Finland by HeroTV, starting on May 6, 2015.

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