The biggest television networks have been firing on all cylinders this week, choosing what shows to renew, what new shows to add, and what titles would be executed via cancellation.
The busiest of the powerhouse networks have been ABC and NBC, who extended and killed off some big names in their lineups. The biggest of these was easily NBC’s Heroes, which people have expected to get canceled for a long time now, but it just kept on going. There were thoughts of bringing the show, which lost its appeal by the end of the second season, back for one more closing season. Instead, NBC decided to just end the show now, but they may still do one more special finale to wrap up whatever might need wrapping up in the world of Heroes. The network also ended Law & Order (but renewed spinoff SVU) and medical dramas Mercy and Trauma.
On ABC’s side of the court, they decided to cancel a bunch of shows, including their “next Lost” hopeful, FlashForward. The show started out strong with an epic occurrence and some solid storylines, but over the course of the first season, interest was lost and the rating dwindled. Also in ABC’s line for a ride to the afterlife from the Ferryman are shows like Scrubs (which was canceled long ago but has been network jumping), Better Off Ted, and Romantically Challenged.
On to happier things: NBC has renewed fan-favorite Chuck, and ABC has renewed the up-and-down science fiction remake, V. To these shows and their currently-running hits, the networks will replaced their deceased titles with brand new ones that have hopes of becoming the next big thing.
This is just a basic round-up of of NBC and ABC’s chaotic last week — many networks are doing the same thing, and as you can see, it’s a wild time to be in the business!
[Source: The Live Feed]
Heroes “lost its appeal” while Chuck is a “fan-favorite”? Their ratings were basically the same, if I’m not mistaken. The difference? Heroes used to a huge hit and Chuck has never had a large audience. That’s why the perception is what it is. It’s unfortunate.
Comment by LOTNorm — May 14, 2010 @ 10:41 pm
I LOVE FLASH FORWARD AND SO DO ALL OF MY FRIENDS! It’s so stupid that they r canceling it!! I WILL make a petition, but who would i send this to?
Comment by FlashForwardFan — May 14, 2010 @ 11:00 pm
I’ve watched heroes all the way through – while I enjoyed most episodes, it walked a fine line. I think it’s major sin was chaotic plotting and writers with incredibly short attention spans. Plotlines and characters would be picked up and then dropped again without being properly resolved, or only given a half-arsed cursory wrapping up. Grand set-ups hardly, if ever, had satisfactory payoffs in the season finales.
Still, I will miss it a little.
I’m glad V has another chance. The new series has slowly grown on me. It’s clear they are trying to copy a lot of things from the reimagined Battlestar Galactica; but it that totally a bad thing?
Comment by Shilling — May 15, 2010 @ 5:22 am
I am happy they kept Chuck. I can’t believe they are keeping the L & A spin-offs. I have had it with cop shows and reality TV, no wonder the networks are struggling. All I want is some originality, and believable acting.
Comment by Sam — May 15, 2010 @ 9:59 am
I’m not happy about FlashForward or Mercy getting the can, but at least there is still V.
Apparently, Castle has also been renewed. SO that’s good.
Comment by Brian — May 15, 2010 @ 10:29 am
aaaand NBC is dead to me for the time.
they also fired Fran Kranz from a pilot they picked up. how could they, he’s so cute!
yay for castle being renewed tho!!
Comment by Sierra — May 15, 2010 @ 11:45 am
Oh Heroes, we all knew it was coming, but it doesn’t make it hurt any less. Someone recently told me ‘TV take all of the fun out of superheroes,’ and while i don’t completely agree with that, It sure as hell tried to suck the fun out of it.
The MAIN problem with Heroes, regardless of the underdeveloped characters, the disappearance of fan favorite Micah, and the reappearance of Nikki… a few times, was the EXTREMELY predictable endings.
In just about every season finale, the good guys win, the bad guys lose… (england prevails) but there are never real repercussions in the real world. If the heroes FAILED to stop Samuel, and there was an evil super team like the Morlocks or the Brotherhood or something, I guarantee you a more fun show that wouldn’t have gotten canceled.
The sad part was, when the all star crew of comic-related writers became consumed by the politics of television, and lost sight of what heroes could have really become.
That is all.
NZ
Comment by NickZak — May 15, 2010 @ 1:26 pm
Its sad to see Heroes go. I hope they make something to end it all properly (dont just leave us with last seasons fart ending). Of all the med shows ever Trauma is my favorite and i believe they screwed up by canceling it. Yet im glad V will be around a bit longer. i never really got into the other shows being canned or renewed.
Comment by GiantRobotMunki — May 17, 2010 @ 12:53 pm
To be honest, the characters in Heroes rarely got to be heroes. It’s too bad, there was so much potential. It seemed the character development got hung up though when Peter and Sylar both ended up too god-like.
Comment by tumulus — June 16, 2010 @ 3:38 am