‘Girls Club’ Is Canceled by Fox

News Corp.’s Fox has canceled “Girls Club,” the drama from writer David E. Kelley that the slumping network was hoping would inject new life into its prime-time lineup. Instead, it was a ratings dud in its two weeks on the air, finishing sixth in its time period Monday night. The show was produced by David E. Kelley Productions and 20th Century Fox Television.

“Girls Club,” which aired at 9 p.m., this week lost nearly 1 million viewers -- to fewer than 5 million -- and gave up more than half the audience that tuned in for Kelley’s “Boston Public” in the preceding hour. That left Fox finishing behind the WB and UPN networks.

“While I am disappointed that the show did not succeed, I remain proud of the entire cast and crew of ‘Girls Club,’ ” Kelley said in a statement.

Fox will air a rerun of “Boston Public” next week and specials through the duration of the November sweeps. For Kelley, the writer-creator behind ABC’s “The Practice” and Fox’s “Ally McBeal,” “Girls Club” represents the second short-lived show of his otherwise successful career. His “Snoops” was canceled by ABC after less than a season in 1999-2000.

“Girls Club” also is the second show this fall that didn’t make it to its third episode. This month, ABC yanked “That Was Then” after two Friday airings.