WINTER 2014: NBC CANCELS 'SEAN SAVES THE WORLD'

While Sean Harrison was busy trying to save the world, and Sean Hayes was busy trying to save his new show, viewers were busy saving something else.

Sean Saves the World has spent the better part of this TV season trying to rack up viewers and decent ratings for NBC, unfortunately to no avail. News broke yesterday that the network has abruptly stopped production on the freshman comedy. There were four episodes left to produce in the 18-episode order. So yeah, basically the show is cancelled.

NBC moved the struggling comedy to a new time slot to boost ratings, and it failed miserably. Two episodes remain to be aired and will be scheduled after the Winter Olympics.

FALL 2013: NBC SHAFTS 'PARKS AND RECREATION' TO HELP STRUGGLING 'SEAN SAVES THE WORLD'

Fans of NBC's Parks and Recreation aren't going to be happy about this, and frankly we can't blame them.

The network has placed the Amy Poehler comedy on a brief hiatus until November 14 in order to salvage one of its struggling, underwhelming new comedies, Sean Saves the World. The next three episodes of Parks and Rec, including a Halloween-themed episode that was to air on October 31, will be pushed back to next month as NBC rotates specials in the 8 pm hour. 

The demise of new comedy Welcome to the Family, which was canceled last week, has left a hole in NBC's Thursday night comedy lineup. The poor numbers Welcome attracted is to blame for the weak outing of the 9 pm comedy hour featuring Sean Saves the World and The Michael J. Fox Show. Or at least that's what they want us to believe. Truth be told, the Sean Hayes and Michael J. Fox comedies have been hit-or-miss this season despite heavy promotion during the summer.

This week, The Voice's Battle Rounds episode will replace Parks and Rec, and a holiday-themed Saturday Night Live special will air on Halloween night. Finally, The Voice's live playoffs show, which was slated to replace Hayes' and Fox's comedies for the night, will be bumped to the 8 pm hour. NBC is hoping that this move will increase viewership for its 9 pm comedies, especially with the numbers The Voice brings in each week.

Will it work for NBC? We'll see this Friday!

FALL 2013: COMING TO TV TONIGHT (10/3)!

The vampires and adulterers return tonight!

The fifth season of The Vampire Diaries gets started in a whole new different realm: College. Elena ends a passionate summer with Damon and enters college life. Of course nothing is as easy as it appears. 8 pm on The CW.

New comedy The Millers debuts tonight with recently divorced Nathan Miller (Will Arnett) throwing his parents marriage into disarray. When his parents separate, Nathan ends up rooming with his momma. Shenanigans ensue with this new roommate arrangement. 8:30 pm on CBS.

Hey look! Burt Hummel is on a new show! Glee's Mike O'Malley and Desperate Housewives' Ricardo Antonio Chavira portray the patriarch leads on Welcome to the Family. The dads and their respective families are suddenly united when their teenage kids become expectant parents. Yay Planned Parenthood! That's how you do comedy. You'll definitely want to check this one out. 8:30 pm on NBC.

The Vampire Diaries spin-off, The Originals, kicks off tonight in a special time slot. It will normally air on Tuesdays after the first episode. In the premiere, Klaus, the original vampire/werewolf hybrid, returns to New Orleans where he is joined by his siblings Elijah and Rebekah. If you followed the flagship show then you'll know who these people are exactly. 9 pm on The CW.

Sean Hayes returns to sitcom television with his new outing, Sean Saves the World. Hayes portrays a divorced gay dad who suddenly has his teenage daughter show up on his doorstep to live with him. Alice's Linda Lavin portrays Hayes' character's mother who arrives to help her son with this new transition. Another plus, Megan Hilty from the ill-fated musical drama Smash co-stars as one of Hayes' co-workers. 9 pm on The CW.

Scandal fans get a double helping of the hottest political affair to hit the airwaves. First at 8 pm on ABC, Scandal: The Secret is Out recaps every juicy, jaw-dropping moments from the first two seasons of the show. The new episode of the third season then airs at 10 pm as Olivia handles the fallout of her exposed affair and the appearance of her shady pops.

Also on TV tonight

Comedy powerhouses The Big Bang Theory and Parks and Recreation air new episodes, while The Crazy Ones and The Michael J. Fox continue to gather an audience; Glee concludes its Beatles tribute with the second of a two-parter; Elementary and Parenthood bring the drama.