You wouldn’t think a show like The Bachelor would provide the most entertaining, controversial, and exciting television of the night. After all, this was season 11! But last night’s finale, when Brad Womack dissed not one but both finalists, has everyone talking. We got Bachelor creator Mike Fleiss to dish about Brad’s decision, the original ending, and why the network wasn’t happy.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: At what point did you know that Brad wasn’t going to propose to DeAnna or Jenni?
MIKE FLEISS: Not until the day of. Much like Jenni and DeAnna, I was convinced this guy had fallen for one or both of these girls. It was a shock to the whole staff. When we knew how he wanted to play it, it was like a morgue around here. Usually at the finale there’s a happy couple afterwards and they’re all drinking champagne. This time when it happened the staff just freaked out. Everyone shlumped back to their cars. It was really dark.

What happened? He seemed so happy. He even picked out a ring.
I don’t know why. I don’t know why he said the things he did. I don’t know why he let the girls say the things they did. I don’t know. Maybe he was trying up until the last minute to make it work. Only Brad knows for sure. And maybe [his twin brother] Chad.

Ah, Chad. You can’t go wrong with the whole twin twist. Did Brad have to tell you his decision?
It’s not mandatory. But we’re around him so f—ing much that he needs someone to talk to. I live right next door so I would see him every day. I didn’t see it coming. I thought any of the final three girls could have won.

Can you give us any insight? Or will it all be revealed on the After the Final Rose special tonight?
He’ll give it some explanation, like he just sort of woke up that day, was cranky, and sort of said, ”F— it.” He couldn’t see himself with either of those chicks and so he blew them both off.

As a producer, were you thinking you struck gold or that this would ruin your franchise?
We knew it was going to be controversial and that some people would say, ”F— that. I’m never watching the show again.” But it’s not supposed to be a guaranteed proposal. It’s about how men and women relate and date. It’s about getting into the mind of a single guy and the mind of a single girl, and we certainly got that. What he did was the thing that women fear the most — he became intimate and then split the next day. The fact that it happened to two girls at once was a unique opportunity.

So are you happy Brad was your Bachelor or do you regret it?
I think he did a great job. He’s a great guy. I wish he would have been a little more committed to making those girls happy too. I think that’s what was lost. Those girls really put themselves out there. Jenni might have been more open with her emotions than any other girl in the history of the show. She wasn’t a blithering, crazy girl. You felt like she was truly in love. I really felt for her. I felt myself tearing up, which almost never happens.

I kind of thought he would go with DeAnna in the end.
Yeah, but when he and Jenni were together they couldn’t keep their hands off each other.

Was the network upset that there was no happy ending?
They weren’t happy about it. They would much prefer a proposal and a happy couple like Trista and Ryan or Byron and Mary.

Yeah, but this was a much better ending than those were.
The original ending, before the network made me change it, was after the girls were crying we fade down and come back up to a shot of Brad sitting on the couch, remote control in hand, clicking on the game, munching on a submarine sandwich. That’s what I wanted at the end. But the network said no.

Any plans for the next installments?
We’re doing another Bachelor in the spring and a Bachelorette for summer.

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SPOILER ALERT: If you haven’t watched the finale yet, then skip this post!

After I watched the finale last night, my first instinct was that I was pissed! I called Erin immediately and said “CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT!?” I was mad that I had watched every episode of this season, only to have him turn around and pick neither of the girls? How dare he! He owes us!

But then the more I thought about it, the more I actually kind of liked the finale. I can really appreciate him NOT choosing someone just for the sake of the show. I like the fact that he didn’t feel pressured to pick someone, just for the hell of it. AND not to mention the fact that I didn’t like either Jenny or Deedee. I found them both extremely annoying.

What do you guy think?!

Yippee! Despite the strike wreaking havoc on every show from Army Wives to Without a Trace, ABC is going ahead with an investment in Dirty Sexy Money! We’re hearing the Alphabet net has ordered the back nine of DSM, giving the Darlings a full first season. Excellent news, and congrats to Berlanti and company.

Are you still watching? Still liking? Who’s your bet for the nonbiological Darling kid? Post your thoughts in the Comments.

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It has been rumored lately that Big Shots has been cancelled, though ABC has yet to announce it officially.  I hope ABC gives it another shot - I think the show has potential.  I don’t think it’s the best show on TV, but I think it’s definitely better than a lot of shows right now.

What do you think?  Should Big Shots be given a chance?

ABC has canceled its planned premiere later this month of new drama series Cashmere Mafia due to the WGA strike.

Cashmere, which stars Lucy Liu, Frances O’Connor, Miranda Otto, and Bonnie Somerville as successful, driven women in New York City, was set to debut at 10 p.m. on Nov. 27, behind the finale of Dancing With the Stars, before moving to its regular spot at 9 p.m. Tuesdays.

ABC has opted to hold the show in case it needs more scripted programming later in the season. Instead, the network will bump the two-hour Dancing With the Stars finale to 9 p.m. on Nov. 27 and air specials in the Tuesday 9 p.m. slot.

More episodes of Samantha Who? have been ordered! (I gotta say, I’m slightly surprised I like this show!)

Having already extended full-season pickups to a pair of freshman hits — Private Practice and Pushing Daisies — ABC seems poised to go for a hat trick, having ordered an additional half-dozen scripts of Samantha Who?, according to the Hollywood Reporter. In its first two weeks, the Christina Applegate starrer has averaged 14 million-plus viewers, demonstrating strong retention from that dancing-and-fainting celebs show.

And some scheduling notes:

Perhaps looking to break the time-slot change record set by Bernie Mac, Men in Trees is again being uprooted. The wonderful, deserving-of-a-better-audience series will air two hours earlier, Fridays at 8, starting Nov. 2. (In turn, 20/20 reclaims its 10 pm berth.)

Elsewhere on ABC, Samantha Who? will move up to 9 pm Monday starting Nov. 26 — the night of DWTS‘ final performance show — where its lead-out will be Notes from the Underbelly. And as scooped by Ausiello, October Road returns Nov. 22 with a special post-Grey’s outing before settling into its Mondays-at-10 home a few nights later.

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Another show has joined the thus-far small ranks of new series to earn a full-season order: ABC’s forensic fairy tale “Pushing Daisies.”

The network confirms it has picked up the critically praised show, adding nine more episodes to its initial order of 13. “Daisies” joins its Wednesday-night companion “Private Practice,” CBS’ “Big Bang Theory” and The CW’s “Gossip Girl” as the only new shows thus far this fall to earn full-season orders.

The show stars Lee Pace as Ned, a piemaker with the ability to bring the dead back to life with his touch (but only for a minute, lest something or someone else die), which he and a private investigator (Chi McBride) who knows his secret put to use in solving murder cases and collecting reward money. The arrangement gets more complicated, however, when Ned revives his childhood sweetheart, Chuck (Anna Friel), and lets her keep living. Now he can’t touch her again, because if he does she’ll die again, permanently.

Despite the not-easily-explained premise, viewers have warmed to the show. Though it’s not a huge hit — no new series is — “Pushing Daisies” has averaged 11.37 million viewers over its first three airings. It also draws a 4.1 rating in the crucial adults 18-49 demographic, handily winning its timeslot.

Bryan Fuller (”Dead Like Me,” “Wonderfalls”) created the series and executive produces with Barry Sonnenfeld, who directed the first two episodes, Bruce Cohen, Dan Jinks and Brooke Kennedy.

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