The network took "The Chair" off life support this week after a downward trend in its ratings was capped by a disastrous move to Monday night. The game, in which contestants have to keep their heart rates under control to win money, proved to have too weak a pulse to survive.

The show, hosted by tennis great John McEnroe, premiered Jan. 15 to an audience of 12.3 million people and a solid 5.1 rating among adults 18-49. In five subsequent airings at 8 p.m. Tuesdays, the show's viewership declined, hitting a low of 6.2 million viewers opposite the Olympics on Feb. 12. Still, its average audience of 9.3 million was about the same as that of "Dharma & Greg" and "Spin City," the two comedies it temporarily replaced.

ABC ordered 13 episodes of "The Chair," and there's a chance the network may air the remaining produced episodes later this year. No specific plans have been made.

An ABC News special marking the six-month anniversary of Sept. 11 will run in "The Chair's" place Monday, March 11. A "Before They Were Stars" special will fill the slot on March 18, and the net's new reality series "The Bachelor" begins a six-week run March 25.

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