Defying Gravity

[clarabelle]

Has anyone seen this? I liked the first episode (got it off I-tunes) but I don't want to get involved if it looks like they are going to pull the plug.

 

[bicker]

My wife and I find the show very enjoyable. However, it is important to know that, even at the time that the first episode was scheduled on ABC for August 2, it was already determined that the final five episodes of the first thirteen filmed would not be presented, at least not this year. (They simply didn't fit into the available time slots.)

Now, since then, the show did premiere on ABC, and has done very very poorly, despite very good promotion. People simply aren't watching the show. So maybe we'll see the final five episodes, maybe not; if not, we'll possibly be able to catch them on the DVD. A second season, though, is pretty unlikely. The show did poorly even in its country of origin (It's a Canadian show) , and was even moved out of a plum Sunday night time slot to the wasteland of Saturday night, there, as a result of how poorly it did there. So if their US partner (ABC) pulls out of a second season, there likely wouldn't be enough support to do a second season.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Haven't seen it or heard the promotion.

So, OP you don't want to watch because you get hooked and get mad that they don't finish it. Sort of like my TV show "Fallen" which was terrific (2006) and they are not going to finish it, I guess. Drives me crazy.

 

[clarabelle]

Thanks Bicker!

Mystery -there is a "mysterious" object? Character? in the show that is sight unseen. If I get all into it -I might never find out what it is.

 

[bicker]

Producers have been more than forthcoming in recent years filling in the blanks of unfulfilled mysteries, either with finish-up TV movies, graphic novel follow-ups, or just through interviews in the press after the series has been canceled.

 

[5 'LIL *TWINKERS*]

I thought it looked pretty good in the previews, but after watching the first episode, I just couldn't get into it.

Im kinda mad at ABC right now, they took off LIFE ON MARS.

I loved that show! Set back in the 70's. It was cool. Whats up with them canceling everything??? Im afraid if I start to get into a show, they will take it off the air.

I still love my LOST though Ooooooo, can't wait till that starts again, I think its the last year

 

[bicker]

Whats up with them canceling everything???

The biggest problem is that instead of a handful of options, people now have literally hundreds if not thousands of different options, so there really isn't enough money to go around to support what each one used to provide. Television is in for a radical change in the years to come. We see some indications of this with the Jay Leno Show, NBC essentially turning five hours that they used to program with quality original dramas and comedies with much less expensive variety programming instead. However, that's not the only example this year: The CW turned five hours on Sunday (the network used to provide programming from 5PM to 10PM ET) back over to their affiliates (which most will just fill with old reruns and such), because there simply wasn't enough money available to program that slot with decent content. So basically ten hours of broadcast network entertainment lost all at once. This won't be the end of the changes.

The good news is that there is an answer. Since the problem is money, the answer is, unremarkably, money. While broadcast networks basically just have to rely on advertising and a pittance that they get from retransmission fees, channels like HBO and Showtime pull in good money from subscribers directly, and networks like TNT, TBS, USA, Syfy, and FX pull in a bit of money from each source. That supplemental income might make the difference -- it sure seems to. Those channels do tend to stick with shows longer, allow them to play out, etc. Just over the past year and the year to come, there are a good number of cases where those networks have allowed/are allowing series to write themselves to a graceful end: Battlestar Galactica, Rescue Me, Monk, The Shield, The L Word, Stargate Atlantis, etc. So that's probably where we need to focus a lot of our hope, for some measure of stability with regard to television series we become fans of.

 

[clarabelle]

Thanks Bicker
I appreciate your input
I have started watching most of my TV on my I-pod.
(While waiting for something or on car trips) I know I can get them for free at home -but I don't like watching TV at home as much.