Man Up!


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. Only 8 episodes were aired on television, though all 13 episodes were available online. 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.

Plot

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.

Cast

Main cast

Recurring cast

Production

The series was poised to be one of the four breakout hits for the 2011-12 television season according to advertisers who had seen the pilot. 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.

Critical reception

The series received mixed to average reviews from viewers and mixed to negative reviews from critics.
  • The Hollywood Reporters Tim Goodman noted that the actors were saddled in a sitcom world of limited potential, asking "How long can they play this joke?" He concluded that "Isn't it really time to let go of stereotypes and clichés and maybe write a sitcom that has more to joke about than one thing over and over again?"
  • JAM! gave the series a "Thumbs Down", noting that "...if you're pining for the next great male sitcom, this isn't it."
  • Varietys Brian Lowry noted that "...it'll take more than sociology to pump up this stale sitcom."
  • The Oregonians Kristi Turnquist called the show "Unfunny" in her short review.
  • Fantriads Matt Peterson found that among a mixed gender group of 25- to 34-year-olds, Man Up! ranked among the top 5 of weekly watched television series. The group described the show as, "a fresh take on comedy" and "laugh out loud funny," during online polls and questionnaires. Among other shows listed highly by this group were Last Man Standing and Grimm.
  • TV Guides Matt Roush called the series, "An insult to all genders".

Ratings

The debut episode had a modest start averaging a 2.4/6 among 18-49s, with 7.80 million viewers tuning in. 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. 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.
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. 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.
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. 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.
No.EpisodeAir date18-49 RatingViewers
1"Pilot"2.57.80
2"Finessing the Bromance"2.06.78
3"Digging Deeper"1.86.36
4"Wingmen"1.76.22
5"Acceptance"1.76.27
6"High Road Is the Guy Road"1.96.29
7"Disciplining the Keens"1.76.59
8"Men and Their Chickens"1.64.82
9"Camping"N/AN/A
10"Fear"N/AN/A
11"Up All Night"N/AN/A
12"Letting Go"N/AN/A
13"Be Who You're Not"N/AN/A

International broadcast

The series was picked up in the following countries: