R.I.P. Eastwick

The final episode of Eastwick aired on ABC last week, overlooked with little promotion and an odd airdate. If my DVR hadn’t been programmed to grab it, I would have missed it, and it looks like only about 3.26 million other people noticed it. Terrible numbers for the end of what should have been at least a moderate hit and a show that was getting better with each episode. Why didn’t Eastwick catch on?

What Worked

Likable Cast – Rebecca Romijn, Lindsay Price and Jamie Ray Newman were very likable as our lead trio. Gorgeous, quirky, and with good chemistry, it was believable to watch their three characters become friends as they explored their new powers. Paul Gross was also both dangerous and intriguing as the mysterious man who, we learned in the final episode, only came around if they needed him.

Supernatural Powers – the supernatural is hot, hot, hot right now. Yes, most of the attention is on vampires, with werewolves/shifters on the horizon, but witches discovering their powers is in the same vein.

Intriguing Storylines – watching our trio of witches discover and learn to control their new powers was interesting, but the mysteries surrounding them really gave the show substance. Who is out to get Joanna? Why is young Gene calling the shots and why did he and his “dad” move to Kat’s neighborhood? Just what is Darryl? Flashbacks to Darryl/Sebastian’s first appearance in Eastwick would have provided plenty of additional storyline to mine.

What Didn’t Work

Expendable Men – With the exception of Paul Gross’s Daryl Van Horn, none of the men on the show have been all that memorable or given much character development. Lovers have come and gone, sometimes inexplicably (where did the hot photographer go?), and each new man presented a potential threat. Jamie turned out to be an evildoer, Kat’s husband only serves to show that she needs to be single, and Roxi moves from man to man so fast that I can’t remember their names. Even the series finale showed that Kat’s new neighbor was trouble and Joanna’s new love interest/co-worker had an ulterior motive to getting close to her. Yes, I want to know what was going to happen, but a little more character development for the men would be nice.

Timing – this is the big one. Yes, the supernatural is hot right now, but the genre is dominated by vampires with werewolves about to claim the spotlight. I liken Eastwick to Moonlight: both were promising shows, getting better over time, but appeared a year too soon. I’m willing to bet that come January 2011, we’ll be hearing a lot more about witches and probably even have a show on the air or debuting soon.

For those wondering about the Save Eastwick postcard campaign we mentioned a few weeks ago, alas, Lifetime has gone on record saying they don’t intend to pick up the show. Looks like this was it for Eastwick. What are your thoughts on why the show didn’t catch on?