The TV Show Cancellation Update for the Media curious

[shadowkat]

For anyone who cares or is keeping track of tv shows up for or in danger of cancellation, according to the deathwatch game on the Brilliant But Cancelled website - the current status is:

Kidnapped has been the first series to get the all mighty AX. That's right cancelled. So if you liked it? Sorry. But...If you voted for it on deathwatch - you might get an ipod.

Smith and Happy Hour are in Comas. Justice and Vanished are on Hiatus.

The Class and Studio 60 are in trouble.

Yet, oddly, Jericho is still alive and kicking and looks like it might make it. (which of course was the one I voted would get the ax on deathwatch. I should know better.)

And this my friends is one of the many reasons I have no interest in working in the tv biz.

Comments

[elz.livejournal.com]

I'm shocked that Jericho has done so well. Clearly this is because I decided not to watch it.

And I'll be interested to see what happens if Studio 60's ratings go down again this week. I think there's a lesson in there about not making a show so expensive that it needs to be blockbuster hit to break even financially. It's almost impossible to meet those kinds of expectations.

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

Yep, so am I. Apparently Jericho is number 2 in it's time slot at the moment, but this is before 30 Rock premieres this week. So the only thing beating it currently appears to be Bones.

Not sure where they are putting the money in Studio 60 - there's no location shots, it's all interiors and all just one large set. No big special effects. No action or stunts. So must be the cast and writers salaries? Only thing makes sense.

We'll see what NBC does. NBC is an interesting network - they own Bravo and Sci-Fi channel, by the way. And have put on shows ranging from Star Trek to Hill Street Blues to Homicide Life on The Streets, all of which struggled. They gave Trek two seasons, I think, before cancelling it. (At least I think that was NBC). Of the big three - NBC tends to try to push the envelope the most, do something different. They go after the younger crowd, singles, 30 somethings. CBS is the older more traditional crowd. ABC is families. So we'll see. Of the networks - shows have a greater chance of surviving longer on NBC. Particularly if critics love them. Homicide Life on The Streets had low ratings it's first few seasons (I know, I was the only one I knew watching it when it first showed up late Friday nights), Hill Street Blues (same deal), and Cheers? (it was up for cancellation but they changed their mind even though it was at the bottom of the ratings) Same deal with Seinfield.
So, NBC can be patient. I think Studio 60 may have a better chance of making on NBC than it would have on ABC, CBS or Fox. Again it all depends on how much money it's costing them and how much they are making off of it.