Axiom's Edge Science Fiction and Fantasy

By John J. Joex

There were twelve Science Fiction and Fantasy bubble shows this past season and of those seven were cancelled. I looked at the cancelled shows last week and now I will take moment to consider what kept the other five from a date with the network executioner.

ABC:

V – This show delivered a not very good revival of an 80’s series that was not all that great to begin with and it failed to ignite many sparks in the ratings. So why did it get an extended lease on life? Some will say that ABC didn’t want to admit failure on both of their heir apparents to the Lost throne (the other one, FlashForward, got the axe). But this is network television we are talking about and I have a hard time buying that. V did score some pretty decent numbers when it first bowed last Fall, though it saw a quick drop-off that accelerated following its extended hiatus. Perhaps they thought that those early numbers indicate that they have something here people want to watch that maybe just needs a few tweaks. Maybe one of the network execs just has a soft spot for the show. Otherwise, I just can’t offer much of a justification. By the time this one wrapped up its season, its numbers were well below the usual threshold for keeping a show like this going. And it really wasn’t very good and I did not see much in the way of fan support for the show. Personally, I would have much rather they kept FlashForward going, but its numbers were even worse. So instead we get assaulted with another season of this retread, though I can’t see it going much further than its thirteen episode order unless they completely retool it to bring it to at least a passable level of quality.

Chances of Surviving Next Season: Slim at best.

CBS:

Medium – So last year, CBS rescued this showed from cancelation when NBC decided to let it out to pasture, and this year it decides to keep Medium going in place of their similarly themed Ghost Whisperer. That surely has the ire of fans of the latter show, but it mostly comes down to a matter of economics. Both Medium and Ghost Whisperer performed reasonably well on the typically low viewership Friday night but the numbers had dropped considerably from the prior year. Still, both shows regularly won their timeslots, so they had that going for them. And Medium is produced in house, so it’s cheaper for CBS than Ghost Whisperer which CBS co-produces with ABC Studios. So they trimmed their losses by letting go of the more expensive of the two. Sorry, Ghost Whisperer fans, but it’s really as simple as that. But I wouldn’t be surprised to see Medium go as well next season if it continues with the ratings attrition it saw this season.

Chances of Surviving Next Season: It really needs to improve its numbers to continue much further.

FOX:

Fringe – Personally I never considered this one a bubble show. Yeah it struggled in the brutal Thursday 9 PM EST timeslot that FOX moved it to this season, but they apparently expected that and the show performed better in that hour than anything else FOX has put there for the last few years. Quite a number of sources around the internet considered the show in trouble throughout the season, but I figured J.J. Abrams’ name alone gave the sow enough clout to keep it going as long as it delivered at least respectable numbers. That said, if it does not at least hold onto its current numbers next season, then the Abrams card may not be enough to keep it afloat.

Chances of Surviving Next Season: Okay, if it keeps its numbers steady.

Human Target – This one I don’t get because it seems like this had all the elements for a hit show. Fast-paced, stand-alone stories, an exceptional cast with a charismatic central character, and great writing. But for some reason it never registered with viewers. Sure, the schedule juggling FOX did with it early on didn’t help, but it eventually settled down into a steady timeslot. Maybe it was just too over the top or too comic book-ish for Prime Time audiences, and maybe a post-American Idol slot could have helped bring it more attention. In any case, FOX apparently had some faith in the show and it did survive the cut. But it can’t like the fact that it gets cast onto Friday nights next season. Still, I’m happy to get at least another thirteen episodes of this one.

Chances of Surviving Next Season: I’d like to say good, but have to say it’s a longshot at this point.

NBC:

Chuck – What more can you say about NBC’s little series that could? This one has lived on the bubble since its first season and just seems to thrive there. It can’t hurt that the NBC execs seem to have a soft spot for the show and always have. And critics seem to love its light-hearted, good-natured stories and continue to spread good buzz about it. Then there is also that very vocal and active diehard fanbase which keep bringing attention to the show as well. Expect this one to always pull mediocre at best ratings, but also expect it to keep chugging along while NBC remains as the fourth place network.

Chances of Surviving Next Season: Never bet against Chuck.