by Cookie N Screen
Brace yourselves, TV show cancellation seasons is in full force. More brutal than a scene of Game of Thrones (which is staying so no worries there,) this time is fateful for the avid small screen lover who has invested so much into series and shows. As we grab our friends in woe, our stomachs coiled with fright as another studio executor, I mean executive, decides which shows are ill-fitting for our further consumption, it’s a hard and tentative few days of announcements as heads roll.
But why does it feel that this year, shows barely in fruition seem to be taking the chop like The Viking’s sacrificial virgins (which is another show that is staying)? Have we lost faith in originality?
Brace yourselves, TV show cancellation seasons is in full force. More brutal than a scene of Game of Thrones (which is staying so no worries there,) this time is fateful for the avid small screen lover who has invested so much into series and shows. As we grab our friends in woe, our stomachs coiled with fright as another studio executor, I mean executive, decides which shows are ill-fitting for our further consumption, it’s a hard and tentative few days of announcements as heads roll.
But why does it feel that this year, shows barely in fruition seem to be taking the chop like The Viking’s sacrificial virgins (which is another show that is staying)? Have we lost faith in originality?
There is no denying that this time of year is particularly vicious. In 2014’s turn, the various networks killed over 40 shows. This year, channels such as NBC, FOX and Starz have already announced 25 series that have been chopped and 17 of them barely got out of the paddock. Alarmingly, whilst flawed shows such as Gotham rampage on, innovative, witty and enthralling ones such as Constantine and Marry Me were taken away from our television plate just as we were satisfyingly tucking in. Acclaimed shows such as Selfie, Weird Loner’s Forever and All About A Boy were wildly entertaining yet seemed incapable of escaping from the scorn of studio executives.
Then there were the truly bizarre shows that still had a bustling audience, aching for more to swallow. The Mindy Project, that had people constantly talking, was snatched away from audiences, depriving us of the vibrant personality and emotionality of lead Mindy Kahling, but was then picked up by Hulu. The Following, through dwindling statistics was still an evocative television show with a brilliant cast and Unforgettable still showed smatterings of its originality. Whilst we understand that shows long passed their expiration date had limped on foolishly, Two and a Half Men, The Mentalist and Glee to name but a few, there were some still in their heyday or early stages of brilliance.
Trying not to roar on about a subject that has been explored before but all this smacks of no faith or room to grow and prosper. Surely people FOX had learned from their Firefly antics? Joss Whedon’s sci-fi romp has had constant calls for a return as its audiences expands despite the show only having one season before cancellation. It all reeks of a lack of trust in showrunners to keep the seasons going. This season of cancellations is nothing more than numbers, albeit probably not stellar ones, hanging over the heads and control the scenes rather than moving on with a show.
Then there were the truly bizarre shows that still had a bustling audience, aching for more to swallow. The Mindy Project, that had people constantly talking, was snatched away from audiences, depriving us of the vibrant personality and emotionality of lead Mindy Kahling, but was then picked up by Hulu. The Following, through dwindling statistics was still an evocative television show with a brilliant cast and Unforgettable still showed smatterings of its originality. Whilst we understand that shows long passed their expiration date had limped on foolishly, Two and a Half Men, The Mentalist and Glee to name but a few, there were some still in their heyday or early stages of brilliance.
Trying not to roar on about a subject that has been explored before but all this smacks of no faith or room to grow and prosper. Surely people FOX had learned from their Firefly antics? Joss Whedon’s sci-fi romp has had constant calls for a return as its audiences expands despite the show only having one season before cancellation. It all reeks of a lack of trust in showrunners to keep the seasons going. This season of cancellations is nothing more than numbers, albeit probably not stellar ones, hanging over the heads and control the scenes rather than moving on with a show.
And I get it. You know? Why order a bunch of episodes and funnel your money into it when it’s going to flag behind other shows? It’s a waste of money, especially when the audiences start complaining about the show. Yet it seems like more of a waste to drag shows out until they are thin versions of themselves, leaving the audience stuck with this stale energy that only love can keep them hanging on. Criminal Minds, Supernatural and heck, even Sherlock keeps banging out formulaic episodes and are left with abandoning their likeable characters to seem hip and shocking (buzzwords that I’m sure are bounced around a studio executive meeting).
What does seem to be off-kilter is the balance between shows cancelled and fresh ones ordered. Studios seem more immersed in rehashing other source material such as Scream and Minority Report or rebooting classic shows like Full House. Whilst this isn’t solely a TV venture, film is getting enough of the remake line that we’re, too, dismayed, it does irritate and hurt. Why invest in a tired old show that has been and gone or transform canon into something new when screenwriters and showrunners are trying desperately to bring us creativity? We know it’s there and supported, Jane The Virgin and Empire are prime examples. So why the others? Could we be to blame? Shoddy audience members who’d rather rise from the internet then invest in the show? The scorn of social media who tweet bullshit whilst the episode is screening? Or are the popular shows tapping into a cult of people with ingenuity and more.
So perhaps it’s time for TV Executives to take notice. And showrunners too. Heck, even us as an audience. We need to start communicating with each other much more than a select audience sample. Why not? Let’s reach out to what is working and what’s not and instead of placing them in the guillotine, maybe we can which a harmonious relationship where thoughts and ideas are discussed before the dreaded execution.
Because television is not meant for a one quick insurgence, it’s meant to evolve. How can it if we are cutting it down before its prime?
What does seem to be off-kilter is the balance between shows cancelled and fresh ones ordered. Studios seem more immersed in rehashing other source material such as Scream and Minority Report or rebooting classic shows like Full House. Whilst this isn’t solely a TV venture, film is getting enough of the remake line that we’re, too, dismayed, it does irritate and hurt. Why invest in a tired old show that has been and gone or transform canon into something new when screenwriters and showrunners are trying desperately to bring us creativity? We know it’s there and supported, Jane The Virgin and Empire are prime examples. So why the others? Could we be to blame? Shoddy audience members who’d rather rise from the internet then invest in the show? The scorn of social media who tweet bullshit whilst the episode is screening? Or are the popular shows tapping into a cult of people with ingenuity and more.
So perhaps it’s time for TV Executives to take notice. And showrunners too. Heck, even us as an audience. We need to start communicating with each other much more than a select audience sample. Why not? Let’s reach out to what is working and what’s not and instead of placing them in the guillotine, maybe we can which a harmonious relationship where thoughts and ideas are discussed before the dreaded execution.
Because television is not meant for a one quick insurgence, it’s meant to evolve. How can it if we are cutting it down before its prime?
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