Top > Entertainment > 2007 > February > 2007-02-05

CBS Cancels "Armed & Famous"

CBS pulled the plug on the celebrities-as-police-officers reality show `Armed & Famous` after four episodes, blaming uninspiring ratings for its fall. The series debuted in 45th place with 8.1 million viewers and attracted about 7.7 million viewers in weeks two and three. But its ratings plunged to 5.8 million when it went head-to-head against `American Idol.` "Going up against `American Idol` was a tall task for the show," Chris Ender, a CBS spokesman, said. "I don`t understand that part of the business," Muncie Mayor Dan Canan. "I`m just pleased with how the city was portrayed and how the department was portrayed." Canan added that police officers told him they thought the show gave a realistic view of local police procedures. "It`s showing the general public what they`re doing in the middle of the night when everyone else is asleep," Canan said.

The Muncie, Indiana set series chronicled television actor Erik Estrada, singer La Toya Jackson, `Jackass`` Jason `Wee Man` Acuna, MTV reality veteran Jack Osborne and former WWE star Trish Harder as they trained to become reserve police officers and then went on patrol with their real police officers.

Armed & Famous January 10th, on CBS. First-run episodes were also aired on VH1 in the United States. The series followed five celebrities as they train to become reserve police officers for the Muncie, Indiana, police department, followed by graduation. After that, the `celebrities` were to go on patrol with the same training officers who traditionally ride with new officers. The series stared Erik Estrada, La Toya Jackson, Jack Osborne, Trish Stratus, and Jason Acu?a, a.k.a. "Wee Man" on Jackass.