They cancelled Pushing Daisies, David Tennant is leaving Doctor Who, Stargate Atlantis is in its last season, and even in the face of True Blood, I’m still mourning Blood Ties. I’m suffering serious abandonment issues here folks.
A great many folks I know gave up on television years ago, preferring to catch everything on DVD rather than get attached to a show only to find reruns of [insert dreadful reality show here] in its place. I understand their disenchantment and admire their patience, I however, can’t do it.
I love television, it’s my fix of paranormal and procedurals to tide me over as my favorite authors write as fast as they can. There’s nothing better than tuning in every week and catching up with favorite characters you’ve come to know as friends. It’s like picking up your favorite series and getting a short story every week, (and couldn‘t we all think of authors we‘d love to supply that kind of awesome).
But throwing ones self into the thrill of unfolding stories week after week and season after season means risking the heartache of cancellation. How many times can a broken heart mend? How many times can you step up and take the leap only to find there’s no net beneath you and no coming season to catch you? How often can—wait, I need a minute…
I think as a reader and writer I’m drawn to television and the readily available escape into other worlds, because I live in my own head so much of the time. The shows of others draws me out of my head and into theirs for a while. And I take the passing of a show personally, because I know how the writers feel to have their babies kicked off the bus too soon. The potential in shows that have come and gone is enormous and I can only ache in empathy with writers who foresaw ten seasons in something that barely made it to two.
I guess that empathy leads to wanting their success as deeply as I want my own. And the eternal hope I have for my novels to come, keeps me leaping every season to fall in love again the way I want others to fall in love with my worlds on day. How many times can the broken heart of a loyal fan break and mend? In my case…just enough.
What are the favorite shows you’ve lost to the Demons of Cancellation? And how excited do you get each season when new shows begin?
I still miss Felicity and Veronica Mars, and I haven’t seen Reaper on this year, either. I understand why shows are canceled—they start costing more to produce than they earn back in advertising—but it’s still frustrating and sad. And then I think about what shows replaced them. Does the world really need another Survivor, Pussycat Doll, or Top Model? Should we really be asking ourselves if we’re smarter than a fifth grader? Will our viewing options eventually be limited to CSI: Toledo, Survivor: Toledo, and Law and Order: Toledo? This is why I pay extra for Showtime and HBO.
I’m not much for TV, but I do have one show that I follow each week and that’s NCIS. This show is so much fun. The characters are believable and loveable. I know that eventually it will go by the wayside but for now I intend to enjoy every minute. There will always be the DVD sets to sustain me when the show is gone. Right now I can catch three re-runs back to back on weeknights on USA.
When this show is gone, I’ll go back to movies on DVD until I stumble onto another winner.
What????? They’re cancelling Stargate Atlantis? Whoa! I thought it was just the end of another season. What the heck? I hate investing in a television show and then the networks cancel it. I’m really into Supernatural (the CW Thurs nights at 9EST), so much so that I have alll 3 seasons on DVD, and I’ve never bought TV episodes before. I hear they keep threatening to cancel the show and it scares me, as Supernatural is in season 4 now, and was intended to be 5 seasons long for the overall story arc.
I may have to lay down. No more Stargate Atlantis? I’m stunned…
Marie
Marie: I had to lay down too, I was just overwhelmed. I admit that I’m still recovering from Stargate SG1 being cancelled, but I thought Atlantis had at least two to four more seasons in it the way it’s parent show did. But there were issues with syndication which the show became eligible at episode 100.
I’m deeply attached to Supernatural as well and also frightened at it’s “on the bubble/off the bubble status”, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed that CW can’t afford to cancel it and syndication after season 5 will seem a better alternative.
Crystal: I catch NCIS every now and again and always lament that I missed the beginning of it. It’s a show I hope to catch up on one day because I’ve enjoyed every episode I’ve seen.
Liz: I originally heard that Reaper was to be bad mid-season so there’s still hope. But I really miss Veronica Mars. Every time I see Kristen Bell on Heroes, I miss VM all over again.
Reality tv is so cheap, it’s hard to keep up with the economic demands of scripted shows. My hope is that as things settle on internet rights for television shows, the numbers will reflect the true following of shows and advertisers will step up and support what we all really want to see.
Thanks for the comments everyone
~X
I’m heart broken about David Tennant! I just adore the 10th Doctor. And to boot, there will be no series five next year – just 4 specials
I’m a die-hard Torchwood fan, and their next series is only 5 episodes long! Sigh.
And Stargate Atlantis… whimper… but seriously, I wasn’t happy with the way they treated Carter’s exit. Woolsey in command? I like Woolsey, but ack. However, Major Davis will be in the series finale, and so will Carter, so I am looking forward to that one. Plus, I hear they’re already making movies. Hopefully, something good can come out of cancellation.
As for other things that have been cancelled… I actually miss Enterprise. But now there’s a new ST movie scheduled for next May – time will tell if it’s any good.
Good topic for a blog… thanks. Back to staring at David Tennant and John Barrowman – gotta love the omnisexual Captain Jack!
Jacquie: Another Torchwood fanatic-I mean fan, I’m so happy!
I still can’t believe the news about David. He’s the entire reason I got sucked into Doctor Who to begin with. I was highly resistant to the new show having grown up with the Tom Baker reruns and the transition to Peter Davidson. But David Tennant combined the best of Tom Baker and Peter Davidson and quickly became My Doctor. Now I don’t what I’m going to do after the five specials for ’09.
And yes, gotta love the omnisexual/pansexual Captain Jack (and Captain John, James Marsters was brilliant). I can’t wait to see the specials next year and then get them back to a regular season for 2010.
Enterprise was a good show. I had a crush on Scott Backula back from the Quantum Leap days (another show I miss) and enjoyed him as Captain Archer. But I must confess that my crush of crushes (I always crush on one character per Star Trek series) was Commander Trip played by Connor Trinneer. I was so pleased to see Connor on Stargate Atlantis as Michael and wish more could have been done with him and Teyla.
I haven’t yet made peace with the new Star Trek movie. I’m trying to get over Zachary Quinto as Syler on Heroes and see him as a young Spock. I’ll need a little more time.
One thing on Stargate Atlantis and the leaving of Carter, that really wasn’t the shows fault. Amanda Tapping’s side project of Sanctuary got picked up and they had to take Carter out. The best way to do it without blaming Carter was to say that the base needed to be under civilian command again as it had been with Dr. Weir. They worked with what they had.
I just hope the third Stargate SG1 movie gets made along with the Stargate Atlantis movies. And then there’s the third spin-off of Stargate to consider, so we’ll see where that goes…
~X
I’ll miss David Tennant too, he’ll be a damn hard act to follow. Perilously close to being the definitive Doctor!
And I was just starting to get into Torchwood when they went and killed off half the characters. Waah, I loved Burn Gorman! But it was worth it to see James Marsters playing a charming psychopath. He does it so well!
Kate: David Tennant is the Doctor by which all future Doctors will be measured, no doubt!
As for Torchwood, Burn Gorman is great, but I easily made peace with Owen’s death. Toshiko’s however had me near tears. She was just getting to a point of opening up and becoming a deeper character. But as long as Captain Jack and Ianto stay together, I can weather the storm of other departures.
And YES, James Marsters does sexy psychopath like no one else.