Why do the TV networks cancel new shows so quickly?
By lacieice
@lacieice (2060)
United States
March 8, 2013 10:32am CST
I know...you are gonna say because not enough people watched them, but, really, they don't even give them a chance. "Do No Harm" was on for 2 episodes and was cancelled. "Zero Hour" made it 3 episodes before it was gone. How can these shows build up a fan base when they are gone so quickly?
The one that really bothered me was "the Event". It was on a couple of seasons ago...I watched the promotion of it for months before it started. It was on for quite a few episodes, then it went on hiatus for several months, and people lost interest. When it finally came back, after a couple of episodes, it was cancelled. If they hadn't kept it off for all those months, people would not have lost interest in it.
Those are the 3 shows that come to mind...I know there are many more. Have you had shows that you enjoyed cancelled after a couple of episodes? How did you feel about it?
1 person likes this
5 responses
@paperdolls28 (222)
• Philippines
8 Mar 13
Could be because of the show's tv ratings. I've been following "House", "Chuck", "Breaking Bad", "Vampire Diaries" and a lot more. I felt bad when the first one has to end because I've been following it for years. Right now, I am following a not so new tv show "Teen Wolf" and I heard it will be on it's last season (Season 3) due to ratings problem. I just don't know if it's true. There was a newly released show entitled "Cult" (aired its Season 1, Ep 1 just recently), I just hope it will last for few more episodes or another season because I find it interesting :)
@paperdolls28 (222)
• Philippines
8 Mar 13
Right, those shows are from the US. I am a follower of your shows. Whenever I heard from other friends that a certain show is good, then I'll begin to watch it. But it's true that the new shows would be given more chance to gain followers before the network decides to pull it out. It should have been at least 1 complete season ( I guess).
@mariaperalta (19073)
• Mexico
8 Mar 13
because they go by all the ratings. Instead of asking all the people what they like to see.
@paperdolls28 (222)
• Philippines
8 Mar 13
I have not heard of a show that only lasts for 1 or 2 episodes. In our country, new shows (normally) will have minimum of 3 months "viewers test" (approximately 60 episodes for 5 days a week shows, and 12 episodes for once a week show) to air and if it's not successful to get huge number of followers, they will end the show. If it succeeded to get followers, they will extend the show and make some twist for the story to last.
I agree with you that producers/network owners should give them chance to attract fans and get the "pulse" of viewers. I wonder why it's only for few episodes. It could be just a trial or something.
@lelin1123 (15595)
• Puerto Rico
8 Mar 13
I feel the same way that you do. They don't give these new shows time to acquire a fan base. Especially when they let the show go off the air for so long. People forget and move on to some other show that took the timeslot of the other show. I remember a show called Eastwick with Rebecca Romijn the model. The show was on maybe 4 to 6 episodes if that and then canceled, not giving it a chance. That really upset me along with the show Dirty Sexy Money that didn't last very long either. I loved it though and then they just took it off the air.@lacieice (2060)
• United States
8 Mar 13
Do you remember "Jerico"? When they cancelled it, a great number of people expressed their displeasure by sending peanuts to the network. (They sent peanuts because of something that was said during the show.) They acutally brought it back for a few episodes and brought an end to the storyline.
I was hoping another network would pick up "The Event", like may SYFY, but it didn't happen.
@ladysilver (370)
•
8 Mar 13
I'm trying to remember the title of the show.It was a love story involving a private detective and a female reporter.They cancelled the show after first season.I loved the chemistry between the main characters and I waited for the second season hoping that they would change their minds and start making new episodes.But they never did.Now the main actors look much older and they completely lost their charm.
Good shows shouldn't vanish from TV screen like that.
@doroffee (4222)
• Hungary
8 Mar 13
Because they are all about money and profit, and if a show doesn't bring in the views they'd like, they give it the axe. I don't like this behaviour, because it's unfair to the audience, who might start to like a show, and then, whoom! It's not there, sometimes without any notification. In my country, the public tv started to broadcast an own-production TV show, which got cancelled after 2 episodes, without them tellingh any details of the reasons or any proper notification. And they didn't even put the show up on their video website, where they put all their own-production stuff, and it can't be viewed and downloaded anywhere... which is sad because I just go to know about this, and I just found out one of my fave actors had a small but regular role, and he is really not that person who gets these gigs so often, and he's not in all TV shows and in all magazines... :(.
@lacieice (2060)
• United States
8 Mar 13
I do realize it's all about money, and I would imagine the advertizers have a lot to say in the matter, but I think they should also consider the cost of making several episodes that will never be seen. That seems like it would cost them more money.
