It’s that time of year again. Season and series finales are abundent and network upfronts are right around the corner. Sadly, for some shows when you watch their “season” finale you won’t know for a couple weeks if what you watched was the season or the series finale. So let’s do a quick rundown of what is in danger this year of being cancelled.
Chuck has for the past two seasons been one of my favorite television shows out there. It is clever, fun, and has great music playing with it. The abundence of geek references really appeal to me. Unfortunately, the ratings have only been on average for NBC, who is no longer the powerhouse they were 10 years ago with Friends, ER, Frasier, etc. This show has some really loyal fans so this one won’t go down without a fight.
What makes this show worth saving? The cast is probably the best thing about this show. The production values don’t really set anyone a buzz, they aren’t bad, just a bit childish at times. What makes Chuck very special is the actors in it. There is not a single weak link in the cast. As the two seasons have progressed the cast has seemed to mesh better than almost any cast on tv right now. Add into the mix the last few episodes of this season which have been it’s best to date and you have a show worth saving. NBC might be able to salvage this one with a slightly different marketing approach and maybe a timeslot where it doesn’t go up against as many heavy hitters.
Will it be renewed? Chances are better than you think. Many websites such at TvByTheNumbers.com have been giving it a good chance to be renewed. We should find out sometime around the upfronts whether or not it will be renewed. Although, I wouldn’t expect an early announcement I think NBC is going to use their time to hold out for cheaper liscening fees from WB.
2. Dollhouse
Ahh, the TV genre king, Joss Whedon, comes back with another show. I actually am one of the people who have to say the beginning of this show threw me off. It seems to finally be finding it’s groove, but it took it long enough that I don’t really blame people. There were rumors that Fox made Whedon change the pilot, which I hope is true, because it was pretty boring. Even though the show has some great tv writers, so far it is too up and down.
What makes this show worth saving? Well, mainly the fact that it is Joss Whedon’s show. If there is one thing he has proven over the years with Firefly, Buffy, Angel, and Dr. Horrible, the man knows how to make compelling television. The mythos of the show if finally expanding, and if they can break away from doing too many one shot doll episodes (which are when the show gets boring), then they might have a really good show on their hands.
Will it be renewed? Ha, probably not. I think Fox showed what it thought of the show by putting it in the Friday death slot. Let’s hope that the next show Whedon comes up with, he doesn’t give it to Fox.
3. Reaper
This is a show that is actually surpassing expectations on the CW, but still is in danger of getting cancelled. Why is that? Well because the CW is positioning itself to be basically the tween network for girls. Reaper’s demos are more male skewed, so they just aren’t as important to the network as a show like Gossip Girl. Hey, you gotta keep your advertisers happy I guess?
What makes this show worth saving? The humor in it great. When I first saw the pilot for this and Chuck I felt the shows were both very similar in tone. Everyday guy has to be become an extrodinary hero because of someone else’s choice. However, they started to grow apart after the first few episodes. Both shows are funny. Reaper is definately the more juvenille of the two, but still stays very fun. It also probably has the lesser talented cast. The show is great escapist fun. It’s worth checking out on DVD just to see Ray Wise as the Devil.
Will it be renewed? I’m beginning to think no. I think it is a big mistake for the CW to pigeonhole itself into one market. It wasn’t that long ago that FOX was struggling to compete with the major networks also, but once it found it’s hits it kept rolling them out. CW needs to look at this show as a stepping stone to draw in more of a market, but they won’t.
4. Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles
To be honest, I’ve slacked on this one. I haven’t watched any of it beyond the first two episodes of the first season. It has been on my list as a show I have wanted to catch up on, but I haven’t gotten around to it. What I do know about the show makes me interested. I really like the Terminator series and this appears to grow the mythos a bit and keeps the suspense notched up. Sounds like a good time.
What makes this show worth saving? Well, once again I haven’t watched much of the show (although I plan to over the dead season of tv, which we call The Summer). I really think a good genre show is great for Televison. We will never see them continue if Fox keeps putting most of them in the Friday slot. Let’s try something new shall we Fox?
Will it be renewed? Out of all these shows I look at this one as having the least chance of renewel. A few things might help it though. It’s extremely rabid fanbase will be pelting the network with all kinds of “save my show” campaigns. The one that looks the most promising for it though is the new movie Terminator Salvation. This movie has good buzz and most likely will be a huge movie this summer. That should draw up enough buzz in the franchise again to maybe save the show. I wouldn’t hold my breath though.
So guys, what shows do you want to see come back for next year? Comment in the section below and tell me why and if you think your show will be renewed.
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This sucks. I watch all of these shows, and they are some of my favorites. These all have original ideas and I don't know about anyone else, but I don't find forensic work as compelling as others. Apparently if you want a show to work out it has to be labs, lawyers, or hospitals. Well that's my rant, and I don't want any of these series to be cancelled.