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ABC is pulling its lowest-rated show, “Ten Days in the Valley,” off the schedule for the next several weeks



It will return in December to play out its order on Saturday nights in what’s almost certainly a precursor to cancellation.

The move takes effect this week. In its place, ABC will double up on “Shark Tank” for a few weeks, airing back-to-back new episodes at 9 and 10 p.m. ET/PT on Oct. 29, Nov. 5 and Nov. 12. The network airs the American Music Awards Nov. 19; the 10 o’clock slot after that is to be determined.

“Ten Days in the Valley” will return with two episodes at 9 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 16, after ABC finishes its college football slate for the season. Single episodes will air at 10 the following two Saturdays, with a two-hour finale on Jan. 6.

“Ten Days,” starring Kyra Sedgwick as a TV producer whose daughter is kidnapped, is the lowest-rated new series on the Big 4 broadcast networks this fall, averaging just a 0.4 rating among adults 18-49, along with 2.71 million viewers. It’s tied with FOX’s “The Exorcist” for the lowest 18-49 mark overall on the Big 4.

The first three episodes had an average gain 0f 0.3 in adults 18-49 and 1.84 million viewers with a week of delayed viewing.

“Ten Days in the Valley” was designed to finish telling its story after 10 episodes, but the show’s producers have said they were interested in doing more seasons as well. That’s unlikely to happen now.