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.[1][2] Only 8 episodes were aired on television, though all 13 episodes were available online.[3] 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.[4]
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.
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.[5] 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.[6]
The series received mixed to average reviews from viewers and mixed to negative reviews from critics.
The debut episode had a modest start averaging a 2.4/6 among 18-49s, with 7.80 million viewers tuning in.[14] 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.[15] 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.[16]
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.[17] 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.[3]
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.[18] (Work It would fare even worse in the Man Up! time slot, being cancelled after airing just two episodes.)[19] 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.
The series was picked up in the following countries:
