Dear Network Execs
Remember the good old days when you used to give warning before a show was cancelled? You know, so the show could wrap up all the storylines at the end of the season?
It's bad enough when, even with notice, you cancel great shows garnering good ratings. Remember Angel, WB? You know, the show that had a huge, loyal following? The show you cancelled and forced to switch gears mid-season in order to wrap up 5 seasons worth of history in just a few episodes…resulting in the worst series finale in history? I'm still bitter over that incident. I haven't watched The WB since.
So that's bad enough. But I've noticed a growing trend over the last few years. You started cancelling shows between seasons. Shows that ended their seasons with killer cliffhangers. You don't bother announcing the cancellation, so eager viewers wait all summer for the fall premiere of the show, only to wait…and wait…and wait.
Then…no premiere. After a little research, the viewer finds that the show was rudely canceled. Last year, Fox got me hooked on Tru Calling. Last summer, it ended with a great cliffhanger. I was SO looking forward to the fall premiere. No such luck. Thanks a lot, Fox.
So cancelling a show between seasons without giving the show a chance to wrap up is bad, too.
But nothing…NOTHING is so heinous, so diabolical, as canceling a show MID-SEASON. What are you thinking, people??? Cancel Firefly??? Not just cancel it, but rip it from television after 9 episodes without letting the season wrap up? Oh, Fox, you're on a roll.
Fortunately, the folks at Universal Studios were smart enough to recognize the brilliance in the show, and they gave the thumbs-up for a movie, which, if successful, will be followed by two sequels.
Obviously, I've been steaming for a while over the above examples. But the last straw, the spark that fueled this rant, was the fact that last night I wondered why Life As We Know It hadn't been on for a couple of weeks and again wasn't scheduled for this coming Thursday. Well, I did a little digging. Sure enough…canceled. Right in the middle of the freaking season.
Would it be too much to ask for a little notice? Maybe an apology? "Hey, loyal ABC viewers. Sorry to do this to you, but we superior minds think you'll like Supernanny better, because doesn't everyone like watching idiots who can't control their bratty kids? So we're cancelling the entertaining show you like, and forcing you to watch the bad acting in Hope and Faith, and the men of Rodney and According to Jim, who pull such moronic stunts that no one can understand why their beautiful model-wives don't leave their dumpy, dumb asses. Enjoy, loyal viewer, who is clearly too stupid to know what you should like."
And you network brains wonder why you're having trouble building loyal fanbases for your shows. Gee, think it's because viewers are afraid of becoming emotionally invested in shows that get yanked just when they get good?
ABC is going to be airing a new show called Blind Justice soon. Looks like it might be good. Am I going to watch? Hell, no. Because I just know that I'll get hooked and it'll get canceled. :angry:
Yep, I'm going to be shutting off the TV and doing a lot of reading in the future. At least with romance novels, you know that the stories are going to be wrapped up in the end.
:satisfied:








