Hollywood dream is over for ex-EastEnder Michelle Ryan

[Honey]

She thought her dreams had come true after landing the lead role as TV's Bionic Woman.


But after a few short months, Michelle Ryan has accepted her bid for U.S. glory was not to be and is back in Britain.

The former EastEnders actress, 23, has failed to impress as the lead character in the much-hyped remake of the 1970s science fiction show. Scroll down for more...
Disappointment: Michelle Ryan at Tuesday night's Elle Style Awards. She is said to be depressed by the ratings faliure of her show



Now, with the Hollywood writers strike coming to an end, producers at America's NBC/Universal network have decided not to renew the show for a second season, the Daily Mail can reveal.
A source said: "Barring a last-minute miracle, the show won't be coming back. Inside the network, there's just no appetite to see more episodes, and it was an incredibly expensive show to make week in and week out.
"Producers are sick of throwing good money after bad at this series."
Miss Ryan put on a brave face at the British red carpet event, the Elle Style Awards, on Tuesday night. Wearing a fuchsia pink floor-length gypsy dress, she covered up her disappointment at her dream of international stardom slipping away.
Talking about critics of the show, she said: "You just have to take it all with a pinch of salt. Scroll down for more...
Lean machine: Michelle Ryan hoped her role in the Bionic Woman would open Hollywood to her



"I loved filming in Vancouver and the people were really welcoming. But I really missed being at home.
"It has been great being back with my family, thanks to the writers strike. So I don't really mind if it carries on."
She said she had no major Hollywood projects lined up and added: "I've got to take whatever comes my way."
The former soap star was tapped last year to play robotically-enhanced Jaime Sommers in an updated version of the science fiction hit.
She beat out thousands of hopefuls for the part, which made actress Lindsay Wagner a star in the original series.
But the show was panned by critics and received dismal ratings. Reviewers called it "clichéd", a "total loss" and "dark and depressing".
The source said: "Frankly, the bosses at the network decided to blame Michelle for the show's failure. Their bet was that American viewers would fall in love with her looks, personality, and the character she played.
"But that just didn't happen. She went back to England because the writing was on the wall."
Miss Ryan, who found fame as Zoe Slater in EastEnders, returned to London in recent weeks, according to the source.
It is claimed she is "defeated and depressed" by the outcome of her efforts. And it seems she is turning back to the old comforts of Eastenders - tuning in on the night she arrived home and watching it religiously since her return.
Michelle Ryan as Eastender Zoe Slater (left), with on-screen mum Jessie Wallace


The source added: "She lobbied quite hard to play the Bionic Woman, but even when she finally got the role she allegedly expressed real uncertainty about whether or not she could pull it off. She had no martial arts training and not a lot of experience doing action scenes."


The source claimed: "Her career in the U.S. is over right now. She'll still work plenty in England but she has to do something that really breaks out for her to get more American jobs. She's back to square one."
The show's failure is a costly one for NBC. The network invested up to $6m into each episode, spilling large amounts of cash on special effects.
In addition, more than $15m was spent marketing the show's launch appeal last summer.
The ad campaign seemed to hinge entirely on Miss Ryan's sleepy-eyed sex appeal and the brand recognition of the title.

Bionic Woman was shot in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, although its writers and producers were based in Los Angeles, where Miss Ryan performed her initial screen test for the role.
Many members of the creative team behind the show were veterans of NBC's more successful Battlestar Galactica series remake. But despite a highly rated premiere last September, the action drama haemorrhaged viewers on subsequent airings and never caught on with the fickle science fiction audience that has embraced hits like Galactica, Lost and Heroes.

Hollywood dream is over for ex-EastEnder Michelle Ryan | the Daily Mail

[yoyoma]

Why i'm i not surprised.

[Penny Lane]

Jesus, she's built like a linebacker.

[Bijoux]

That show sucked.

But the strike probably didn't help things.

[Aella]

Good. Bionic Woman SUCKED and Michelle Ryan is a terrible actress. I was only watching it for the (far too rare) moments when the fabulous Katee Sackhoff was on screen.

[Palermo]

She'll always be Zoe to me. And I didn't like her in EE either

[celeb_2006]

I'm still curious as to why producers felt a need to hire an actress all the way over from the U.K. compared to homegrown talent.

[sparkly]

^I wondered that too.

Also, she is a horrible actress, and I was completely unimpressed with The Bionic Woman. I'm glad it got cancelled.

[RevellingInSane]

I can't say I will be sad to see it go. She isn't a good actress and the show is terrible. I watched a partial episode and wondered how this woman was ever even considered for the lead. I've seen white mice who have better skills.