As if inspired by the old Groucho Marx song “Hello, I Must Be Going,” ABC has announced that “The Deep End” (8 p.m., ABC, TV-14) will air its series’ finale next week. That was quick.
Perhaps they thought that this dumb, uninspired dish of warmed-over “L.A. Law” would appeal to fans of “Grey’s Anatomy.” If so, they should have aired “Deep” after “Grey’s” and not before.
At best, “Deep” has served as a curious monthlong palate cleanser for the head-scratcher “Flash Forward,” which returns in mid-March. It’s curious that the network has managed to make viewers forget about a show about a world where everybody has forgotten something.
“The Deep End” isn’t the only Thursday-night show that deserves a speedy exit. Like most critics, I found “Past Life” (9 p.m., Fox, TV-14) to be humorless, contrived, far-fetched and dull. And, more importantly, audiences did too. Blessed with an “American Idol” lead-in for its debut, “Past” managed to lose 70 percent of its audience by the time it came to its dreary conclusion. Last Thursday on Fox, a new episode of “Past” was watched by far fewer people than a repeat helping of “Bones.” It’s difficult to buy into a reincarnation detective drama that comes dead on arrival.