Why Were They Cancelled: Dollhouse, Heroes, Legend of the Seeker, and Past Life
By John J. Joex
Seven Science Fiction and Fantasy television shows got the axe this past season. Yesterday I looked at the reasons why for FlashForward, Ghost Whisperer, and Eastwick. Today, I will look at the remaining four shows by network:
FOX:
Dollhouse – Well, you have to give FOX credit for trying with this one as they gave it the miracle renewal of the ages after its first season. But when it returned for its second season, its numbers dropped even further and perhaps even the CW would have pulled the plug on it. It surely didn’t help that it aired on Fridays when almost no one is watching, but then this show was just not a good fit for the networks. It couldn’t go far enough with its adult themes on broadcast television which resulted in an uneven feel in the quality of the episodes especially throughout its second season. Even the guest appearances by Summer Glau did little to generate viewer interest (and in fact , her track record may suggest she is cursed so NBC’s The Cape needs to look out), and I didn’t even notice much of an effort by the fans to convince FOX to keep it going. Better luck next time, Joss.
Chances of Being Saved: This show has already been put in the attic.
Past Life – If you blinked, you missed this show. But you didn’t miss much. It’s rather muddled premise of investigators looking into crimes based on people’s past life experiences was an ill-advised twist on the procedural formula to begin with, and the creative team did little to inject any life into the show. It pretty much arrived DOA with FOX cutting back its episode order before it even aired and then placing it in the treacherous Thursday 9 PM EST timeslot that had been pummeling Fringe all season while that show went on hiatus in February. It only aired three of its seven episodes before getting yanked, though for those interested it is currently airing out the rest of its episodes on Friday nights at 8 PM EST.
Chances of Being Saved: About as believable as the show’s premise.
NBC:
Heroes – Fans had been clamoring for this one to get its due for at least a couple of years and NBC finally obliged them. Heroes just never managed to live up to the promise of its first season and spent three years ambling through at times uneven and at other times just plain ridiculous episodes. It scored well with the much coveted 18-34 demographic, though, and also performed very well overseas (according to Tim Kring having 45 million viewers) so NBC kept it chugging along. But by its fourth season, its numbers had dropped to intolerable levels and the network (still smarting from its Jay Leno debacle) decided to clean house and drop the dead weight. There is a rumor that a wrap up movie or two could follow and that seems like the best way to go with the franchise at this point.
Chances of Being Saved: Unlikely, I don’t hear too many people crying over its departure.
Syndication:
Legend of the Seeker – I’d say this show made a major misfire by wrapping up its main story arc after its first season and killing off the main antagonist Darken Rahl. Maybe they did that because they weren’t sure they would get a renewal for a second season (though its ratings in its first year were decent), but it really took the wind out of the show’s sails going into the current season. Then they contrived a way for Rahl to return and basically started retreading the ground they had already covered. In addition, the show crammed too much into each episode. It would look like they were introducing a major story arc, but then they would rush to an ending by episode’s end. I believe these factors caused many viewers to lose interest and the ratings suffered. A raucous fan campaign has been working hard to get the show picked up for a third season, but I haven’t heard of any network showing interest yet.
Chances of Being Saved: The best out of any of this season’s cancelled shows, but still slim.
Previous: Why Were Eastwick, FlashForward, and Ghost Whisperer Cancelled?
Next: Why Were V, Medium, Human Target, and Chuck Not Cancelled?
Date: June 4, 2010
Categories: Analysis, Cancellation Watch, John J. Joex
