Sunday 24 May 2015

How Dare They Cancel My Favourite Shows


I am absolutely fed up of American networks cancelling shows that I love, particularly when the season finale is either a cliffhanger or leaves hooks that lead into a continuation of the story in a new season.

How dare they!

I have just finished watching season three of The Following starring Kevin Bacon as a flawed FBI agent hunting psychopathic serial killers. I was excited because although the story of season was concluded, it left things open for an interesting season four.

“I can’t wait for that,” I said to Mrs PM who also enjoyed it.

Imagine my disgust when I discovered not ten minutes ago, that there would be no season four at all.



Rant? I think I may have redefined the word. My soapbox is struggling under the ferocious assault and the cats are watching my fury, wearing their specially made ear defenders so they can laugh at my antics.

Oh dear - he's off again!!!
 This isn’t the first time shows have been cancelled prematurely. I really hate it when a story doesn’t finish.

It’s like having a book you are reading snatched from your grasp and hurled into an incinerator and then discovering that it was the only copy. Or watching a film and discovering that it was only partly finished.

The behaviour of these faceless people infuriates me.

I can imagine a bunch of suited men in black sitting in an office and deciding whether to continue the season. Just because a few thousand less people watched it, is that truly grounds for pissing me and thousands of other people off?

It doesn’t matter whether the show is a triumph – it’s all to do with money at the end of the day – and that’s a real shame.

Don’t get me wrong; if a series finishes and ties up all of its loose ends to bring the story to a satisfactory conclusion, then I am happy. I may not be happy with the ending, but at least I have some kind of closure, something I desperately need from such a series.

One of my favourite shows ever, Babylon 5, survived for 5 seasons, despite the threat of cancellation lurking over it like an unseen nemesis. As brilliant as the show was, I feel that it seasons three and four were somewhat rushed in order to get as much of the story in as possible. The result was a triumphant season four story arc that thrilled me. It was so good that season five was commissioned and, sadly, didn’t reach the high standards of its predecessor. However, at least the writer managed to conclude the story in a satisfactory manner, leaving one happy Plastic Mancunian.

Some series have been so popular that the television company has persevered and allowed them to run to a conclusion and I’m delighted that they have. One example is Breaking Bad, which Mrs PM and I are currently ploughing our way through. Somebody bought us the DVD box set for Christmas with a recommendation that we should give it a try. We are currently close to finishing season three and are both thoroughly enjoying it, knowing that the series reaches a satisfying conclusion. I am happy that I can watch the remaining episodes in the knowledge that there will be complete closure.

I have to say, that UK TV companies generally allow a series to run its course and seldom cancel a show at the end leaving a massive cliffhanger. It has been known though. The world’s longest running science fiction series, Dr Who, was eventually terminated after 26 years in 1989 and the UK geek world was outraged. Thankfully the BBC had a change of heart, though it did take another 16 years to do it.

I just wish that the US networks, who are meant to provide entertainment, would concentrate less on being so ruthless and look at the bigger picture. There are millions of people outside of the US who love these shows.

Think about that, Fox, NBC and all of you other US networks. Next time you want to cancel a show, ask me first!

How about you, dear reader.

Have you suffered the deep frustration of having your favourite TV shows cancelled?

If so, which ones?


12 comments:

joeh said...

When a show is essential a soap opera they alwAys have loose ends, but I do feel your pain.

Plastic Mancunian said...

Hi Joeh,

Yes - I agree if it truly is a soap opera. I just don't like loose ends.

:o)

Cheers

PM

JahTeh said...

Babylon 5 was only going to be that long, beginning, middle and end but the spin-offs didn't last beyond one season. I only read yesterday that The Following wasn't cancelled but my current favourite Forever was although that did manage to tie up the loose ends. And it was junked in favour of a spin-off of Agents of Shield which the forums say is a bomb.
Grimm, Person of Interest and Sleepy Hollow are still safe.

Snoskred said...

I deeply love Breaking Bad. I actually write a blog about it, I loved it that much. I link to it from my main blog. I'm really careful about spoilers and if you dropped by you'd see the episode names in the sidebar where you could click to read about each episode as you have seen it. :)

The creator of the show, Vince Gilligan, was very generous with the fans. There was a weekly podcast with Vince, editor Kelley Dixon and crew and cast members regularly dropped in for a chat. It was a fascinating insight into the show I loved. So part of the blog is putting links to the podcasts so that people can find them - they were not especially easy to find if you don't live in the US and have an Apple of some kind, but I give an mp3 link for each ep.

One show I was really upset about was a little Aussie show called Tangle. It was very well written and acted, and sadly at the end of season 3, it was no more.

British TV is having a really great moment - this past year I deeply enjoyed The Missing, Babylon - not as in Babylon 5, but a police drama show called Babylon, I caught up on Mr Selfridge and at present I am working my way through The Paradise.

The Following is on my list to watch but there are so many shows on there, and I am starting work on Breaking Bad season 5a, which is a season I have not seen as much of, in face 5b I have only seen 3 times, compared to a zillion times for 1,2,3 and 4.. :)

Plastic Mancunian said...

Hi JT,

I watch Forever too - and Sleepy Hollow.

Sadly (for you) I also like Agents of Shield.

:o)

Cheers

PM

Plastic Mancunian said...

Hi Snoskred,

I am really enjoying Breaking Bad. Initially I thought it was over-hyped but the truth is that it lives up to it.

The Following is definitely worth it and, although I mourn it's loss - it did kind of finish. It just left the story open for continuation and the idea was fantastic. It's a real shame.

Mrs PM watches the other shows you mention. We'll look out for Tangle.

:o)

Cheers

PM

River said...

The Following has more than one season?? damn. I've missed so much because it doesn't seem to be on here.
I agree with your rant 100%. Good series get left in the lurch, yet silly things like Days of our Lives goes on forever.
I enjoyed watching The Blacklist (James Spader) and waited for season two, waited, waited, waited, eventually it was shown, but I haven't heard anything about season three :(
Yet.

Plastic Mancunian said...

Hi River,

I think the Blacklist is now on season three. It's not a show I've watched but I may do.

:o)

Cheers

PM

mm said...

its loss

JahTeh said...

I also like Agents of Shield even when they put it on at the midnight hour.
I have just watched a Sci-Fi called Charlie Jade and I couldn't imagine the USA audiences following it and I was right. There was only one season made and I was down to the last of the 6 discs, last 2 episodes and the message kept coming up "corrupted file", fortunately the last episode played on my computer. Most of it was made in South Africa and had to be concentrated on so I can't imagine it with advertising every 10 minutes.
If you come across it, I'd like your review of it.

Plastic Mancunian said...

Hi JT,

I'll look out for it.

:o)

Cheers

PM

Plastic Mancunian said...

Hi JT,

I'll look out for it.

:o)

Cheers

PM