• Associated Press via MSNBC.com , Tuesday, January 30, 2007 11:15 AM

CBS has apparently had enough of "Armed & Famous," bailing out on the reality series -- which followed C-grade celebrities along their tours as reserve officers of the Muncie, Ind., police department -- after just four episodes. Producers had planned seven episodes of the show, with "stars" including Erik Estrada of "CHiPs," singer La Toya Jackson and Jack Osbourne.

One unaired episode is set to air this weekend on cable channel VH1. The ill-fated program was broadcast Wednesday nights, against Fox's "American Idol" and "Armed & Famous" landed in 44th place in the ratings its first week when two episodes aired. But it cratered all the way to 70th for the Jan. 17 episode. "It came down to ratings," says CBS spokesman Chris Ender. "Going up against "American Idol" was a tall task for the show."

VHI will air at least one new episode -- and the four already broadcast -- and it expects to show the last two "Armed & Famous" shows as if they were completed. Muncie Mayor Dan Canan says the producers had predicted the show would have a tough time against "Idol," a big hit. "I don't understand that part of the business," he says. "I'm just pleased with how the city was portrayed, and how the department was portrayed."

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