(Photo by: Greg Gayne/NBC)
This comedy has run out of gas. NBC has cancelled American Auto, so there won’t be a third season. The second season of 13 episodes finished airing in April.
A workplace comedy series, the American Auto TV show stars Ana Gasteyer, Harriet Dyer, Jon Barinholtz, Humphrey Ker, Michael B. Washington, Tye White, and X Mayo. Set in Detroit, the story finds the corporate executives of Payne Motors at a crossroads — adapt to the changing times or be sent to the junkyard. Shaking things up is the new CEO, Katherine Hastings (Gasteyer), whose leadership, experience, and savvy is only slightly offset by her complete lack of knowledge about cars. Those also working at the company include Sadie (Dyer), the type-A head of communications; Dori (X Mayo), the sweet assistant to the CEO; Cyrus (Washinton), the Chief Producer Designer; Elliot (Ker), the Chief Sales Officer; Wesley (Barinholtz), the direct descendant of the company’s founder; and Jack (White), an assembly line worker. From the corporate office to the factory floor, the crew of Payne Motors is driving home the laughs.
Airing on Tuesday nights, the second season of American Auto averaged a 0.28 rating in the 18-49 demographic and 1.95 million viewers. Compared to season one, that’s down by 25% in the demo and down by 10% in viewership in the live+same day ratings (includes DVR playback through 3:00 AM). It was one of the peacock’s lower-rated series of the season. In the live+7 day ratings, episodes picked up only 20% more viewers.
Justin Spitzer created American Auto. The cancellation news comes a week after NBC ordered St. Denis Medical to series. Spitzer and Eric Ledgin created the new comedy, and it will star Wendi McLendon-Covey (The Goldbergs), David Alan Grier, Allison Tolman, Josh Lawson, Mekki Leeper, and Kahyun Kim.
What do you think? Have you watched the American Auto TV series? Are you sorry this NBC comedy has been cancelled instead of renewed for a third season?