Why The Hallmark Channel Canceled The Martha Stewart Show
At one point, Martha Stewart was considered an unstoppable juggernaut of cozy home-and-hospitality TV. Then it turned out that she can, in fact, be stopped.
The Hallmark Channel canceled The Martha Stewart Show due to its high production costs, which surpassed $10 million for the variety show and $5-8 million for the promotional campaign. Despite growing ratings during its daytime slot, the show failed to generate sufficient ad revenue to justify its expenses. The network's acquisition of the show in September 2010 was initially seen as a favorable match for Hallmark's new daytime programming block.
However, the premiere episode drew only 199,000 viewers, and the show's average ratings in 2011 were meager, with 41,000 women aged 25-54 tuning in per episode. These low ratings, particularly among the target demographic, led to the decision to cut three hours from the originally planned eight-hour daily programming block and replace them with reruns of Little House on the Prairie.
The show's cancellation in January 2012 marked a significant setback for Hallmark's financially strained position, as the lease for its expensive Manhattan studio was set to expire soon. Martha Stewart, despite the cancellation, continued her career with Martha Bakes on PBS, which became a successful baking show.
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