ABC Drops Two Series

Two recent replacement shows on ABC, “Sable” and “The Pursuit of Happiness,” will be axed in January to make room for two new shows.

The two new programs are “The Thorns,” a half-hour comedy from Mike Nichols, and “Juarez,” an hour drama about a Mexican-American lawman in El Paso.

“Sable,” an action-adventure show about a children’s author with a dual identity, has been on the air since Nov. 7. “Pursuit of Happiness,” a comedy with a college setting, debuted Oct. 30. The shows’ last airings are scheduled for Dec. 26 and Jan. 8, respectively.

“The Thorns” is Mike Nichols’ first television project since co-creating ABC’s “Family” in 1976. The family comedy stars Tony Roberts and Kelly Bishop as Sloan and Ginger Thorn, heads of an eccentric clan trying to live beyond its means in a fashionable New York neighborhood.

“Juarez” stars Benjamin Banda as Sgt. Rosendo Juarez, fighting crime with the El Paso sheriff’s department.