Tuning In

Won’t be ’Back’

Kelsey Grammer says Fox is dropping his sitcom, “Back to You,” calling the decision a surprise and a shame.

“They have let it go,” Mr. Grammer told Associated Press. “We were told all this time we were in good shape and we were coming back.”

On Friday, Mr. Grammer taped an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel’s talk show promoting the series. When the veteran sitcom star (“Cheers,” “Frasier”) arrived home later that evening, he received a call telling him that the show was canceled.

“Back to You,” co-starring Patricia Heaton and set in a Pittsburgh TV station newsroom, premiered strongly in the fall with nearly 9.5 million viewers, but its audience has slipped, with last week’s episode drawing slightly fewer than 7 million viewers.

Television watching overall is down, a trend that has been blamed in part on lingering effects of a 100-day writers strike that shut down TV production.

Fox’s fall schedule is set to be announced today in New York. The network declined comment on the fate of “Back to You,” AP reported.

Mr. Grammer said he spoke with Fox executives Peter Liguori and Kevin Reilly on Saturday and that they didn’t fully explain the decision. He speculated that their interest in the show had “waned,” so they were unwilling to be patient with it.

“I’m not really sure what the real reasoning is. I think they ended up with a show that was going to be a great show. It was a great show,” Mr. Grammer said.

An online petition campaign is afoot to save the show, and Mr. Grammer and his wife, Camille, sent an e-mail to friends inviting them to jump aboard. The actor says he’s “nursing a tiny hope” that CBS might pick up the show after talking with CBS CEO Leslie Moonves.

“I spoke with Les the other day, and he was not completely discouraging,” Mr. Grammer said, wryly.

Oprah’s ’Give’ is gone

There won’t be a second season of the Oprah Winfrey reality show “The Big Give,” TVWeek.com reports.

ABC Entertainment President Steve McPherson said the network was willing to greenlight a second season of the show, in which contestants compete to see who can do the most good deeds. Miss Winfrey, however, wasn’t game.

“We would’ve done another season if she had been interested,” Mr. McPherson said. “It was something she didn’t want to continue.”

Her decision probably isn’t too painful for ABC. Though “The Big Give” debuted with big numbers, it lost audience as it went forward, making it a moderate — but not a blockbuster — success.

On tap tonight…

The WETA Guide to Fine Dining (9 p.m., WETA-Channel 26) — Viewers can explore the creme de la creme of Washington area establishments and sample their offerings and atmosphere. The hour-long is show will serve up a lively, mouthwatering tour of such establishments as 1789, the Blue Duck Tavern, Ray’s the Steaks, Minibar, the Inn at Little Washington, Michel Richard Citronelle and the Prime Rib. Bon appetite.

Compiled by Robyn-Denise Yourse from Web and wire reports.