Did you notice that we didn’t yell that 666 Park Avenue has been canceled? That’s because technically it hasn’t been. In spite of all of the headlines you may have read to the contrary, the actual story is that the “back nine” episodes weren’t ordered. As of the writing of this post, the show has not yet been released by ABC.

Here’s how it works. Most network shows are given a 13 episode order to start the season. If they do well, they get an order for “the back nine,” meaning the nine additional episodes that would complete a full 22-episode network season. To add to the confusion, most cable shows – for Syfy, USA, TNT, AMC, etc. – have 10- or 13-episode full seasons, not 22 episode full seasons, and of course series on subscription channels like HBO sometimes have even shorter seasons.

The point here is that ABC has announced that they will not be ordering the back nine episodes for 666 Park Avenue. It is still possible, according to Deadline (who nevertheless still has “cancels” in their headline), that ABC will order 13 more episodes for Fall 2013, though the chances are extremely slim without a back nine order.

TV Guide confirms that the remaining episodes of the original 13 will be aired. As of today’s date only seven have aired, and the eighth episode is scheduled for November 25. So although the news is likely sad for those of us who love the Terry O’Quinn creepfest, it isn’t, technically, canceled, and either way, we still have several more to watch and enjoy. It’s a great show, and if you haven’t watched it, we highly recommend it.

666 Park Avenue, starring Rachael Taylor, Dave Annable, Terry O’Quinn, and Vanessa Williams, airs Sundays at 10/9c on ABC.