Two posts in one day… wow… but I just had to take time to have a major rant…
I am SO TIRED of investing my time watching a new TV series only to have the network pull the plug before the season even finishes. This seems to becoming more and more the norm these days. Networks are all about instant gratification and any show that is not an “immediate” number pull gets canceled while shows that “used to be great but now suck” stay around and die a slow death.
This season ABC came out with a new series Defying Gravity. It’s been really good so far – a show we look forward to watching every week. It’s been one of the better shows to come out in a long time. But as usual it’s already in cancellation talks – they might not even show all the made episodes. Nice.
The network advertising for Defying Gravity has been poor at best as was the initial release date of the show. It’s an ABC new show. Have you even heard of it? Hopefully some of you have… but if not… check it out. It’s a good show. But the show started its season so early in the fall schedule (abnormally out of sync – it has already aired 8 episodes) that most people weren’t ready for the “new shows” and were still in the summer mindset. This show could be great and have a tremendous following if it was advertised properly and put in the correct fall schedule.
Why should viewers invest their time watching new shows when these networks don’t give the new shows a fighting chance to survive? LOST’s first season wasn’t all that great. It wasn’t until end of season 2 and the beginning of season 3 where it really picked up its steam. In fact if I recall correctly, LOST was on the chopping block at one point too. But LOST has got to have one of the biggest cult followings ever. The internet made that show.
Networks are starting to make a habit out of coming up with great new – unique – shows and casts and then cutting the legs out from under them before they have a chance to really succeed. As a viewer, I’m beginning to not trust the networks. This is 4th or 5th show in the past year that had potential to be great (good premise, great cast, great acting) but was canceled. Who the hell needs another “reality” show… I for one can do without.
We started watching Kings (an NBC show) – another show that had a very unique premise and good acting but poor advertising and poor time slot – CANCELED.
We used to watch the new Knight Rider series (an NBC show) with the kids last season. It wasn’t great on plot or acting but it was a decent family show one the kids really enjoyed – CANCELED.
We watched Terminator: the Sara Connor Chronicles (FOX show) – another one the kids liked. This one was actually starting to get decent with an interesting plot – CANCELED.
I’m almost afraid to even mention Merlin (NBC show) that we have been watching. It’s been very good and the kids really like it. We are fearful this one will be canceled too. Sad.
My all time favorite… this one was painful… Battlestar Galactica (SciFi) – CANCELED. But at least in this case, SciFi gave it a “final (short) season” to allow the series to wrap up the plot and tie everything together. They did that well so I at least have that… but was it really necessary to cancel a great show like that? I mean it was one of the best SciFi shows on the SCI-FI channel! What more do you want, network?
SciFi also canceled Stargate Atlantis for no real reason – it was just too successful and too costly to make. Right. Loved that show too. And the irony here is that just like Battlestar Galactica, they were going to turn around and produce a spin-off to the series. Why the spin-offs? Why not keep the original shows considering they were still good – in both cases. Incidentally, whatever did happen with Caprica? They advertised that one to death during the final days of Battlestar but then nothing ever materialized. I know they DVD’d the movie but I thought a series was in the works. Must have gotten canceled based on poor DVD sales. LOL! I think SciFi has another Stargate spin off series in the works too. But seriously? Why would I want to invest the time in a show that is just going to get canceled when it starts to get good. I’m so tired of being played a fool.
Speaking of rants and SciFi…. the SciFi channel drives me nuts. They are supposed to be a SciFi station but all they play is their own homegrown movies that are awful. I mean utter CRAP! The great sci-fi shows of the past and present are no where to be seen in their programming. It’s truly disgusting from a sci-fi fan point of view. And what is up with that new “SyFy” logo? How stupid is that name? SYFY? You have got to be kidding!
… but hey they got their trademark now so it most have been a great strategic move… um… not.