CBS Cancels ‘Frannie’s Turn’; NBC Axes ‘The Round Table’

CBS said Wednesday that it has canceled its new comedy series “Frannie’s Turn,” about a middle-aged working wife and mother who begins to demand more respect at home and in her job as a seamstress.

The low-rated, half-hour Saturday series will have its final broadcast Oct. 24, CBS said. Miriam Margolyes, who plays the title role in the show, challenged the network’s decision, saying “it’s much too early” to cancel the program.

CBS’ disclosure of the axing followed NBC’s Tuesday cancellation of another low-rated new series, “The Round Table,” an hour drama about a group of young professionals seeking different careers in Washington.

NBC previously canceled two new, half-hour reality series, “Final Appeal” and “What Happened?,” both of which were part of the network’s Friday lineup along with “The Round Table.” The lone surviving NBC series on Friday night is “I’ll Fly Away.”

The final broadcast of “The Round Table” will be Friday. NBC hopes to jump-start its Friday nights by using two-hour “Perry Mason” movies, the first of which will be broadcast Oct. 30 as the November ratings sweeps get under way.

CBS said it has not yet decided on a series replacement for “Frannie’s Turn.”

Another Saturday CBS series, the police drama “Angel Street,” was the first of the five network series canceled thus far this fall.

Margolyes said that she had asked CBS to announce the cancellation of “Frannie’s Turn” because “it deserved some fanfare.” The British actress added, “Every show gets better as you get into the swing of it.”