MovieChat Forums > V (2009) Discussion > If you ever get a sci-fi show on the air...

If you ever get a sci-fi show on the air. . . . . .

posted 13 years ago by Ezel
4 replies | jump to latest

. . . be sure to write in a clause in your contract for 3 "tie-it-together" episodes that will get made even if the show gets cancelled no matter what lousy ratings the show has.

This constant behavior from the TV-studios to end shows without a conclusion to the story (V, Event and so on. . ) is pissing the viewers off!

The only solution seems to be to avoid any new shows until they are fully concluded on air before even considering watching them by buying the boxset. And that doesn't bode well for the future of TV.

Yeah, V 2009 sucked and was full of logical gaps (mostly that there were thousands of Visitors around and never an accident where the public got a look at their green skin and no demand/request from the humans to compare their bodies/anatomy to ours), but when a viewer starts to view a show and commits to it, they god damn deserve a conclusion even if it's a lousy show.

ABC - You are now on my hatelist!

[–] cambeck-2 13 years ago

I totally agree. When starting a show, there should be something in the contract that allows for a graceful ending.

This is indeed a vicious circle. Viewers won't tune in into new shows fearing it will be cancelled early. So ratings will be low and the shows will be cancelled just as expected.

Plus these days there are different viewing habits. Many people (including myself) don't watch shows on TV anymore, one episode per week. We watch them once the season is complete, all episodes in a row, on DVD or as download.

[–] TheSolarSailor 13 years ago

Well said, OP. I have pretty much abandoned network TV for good. I could care less what they have to offer, as the chances are that once I start watching, it'll get cancelled with no resolution at all. It's happened too many times in the past and I refuse to give the networks another chance. I'm done with them.

- - - - - - -
Whose idea was it for the word "Lisp" to have an "S" in it?

[–] Trioxin_Zombie 13 years ago

If I ever had a show or a movie out there. I would sure as hell never ever never ever ever have an Eric(a) Evans type character in it. Not in a trillion years would I have some annoying *beep* like her in it. They could cancel it or keep it going all they like. One thing IS guaranteed though and that would be no Eric(a) Evans types would be anywhere near it.

"I want to kill everyone. Satan is good. Satan is our pal."

[–] P-K-One 13 years ago

The problem is that:

1. Often shows have to many storylines to tie them up in anything less than one season.
2. The finale of a show is often the most expensive thing to shoot (Especially in Sci-Fi you expect some epic battles and exploding starships which are expensive special effects). So it would be costly to do it for a show that is not profitable at that point.
3. The set space is needed. Shooting a couple of episodes takes a couple of weeks. The decision to cancel often comes in the break (Shows run for 6 months, than go on break for 6 months). At that point you want to get rid of the sets and build sets for a new show and start filming so you have something for the new season. If you film 3 last episodes at that point, you will have 3 episodes of an old show and no new show for the new season.

So although I generally kinda like the idea, I doubt it will ever happen (because of 2 and 3) and would probably not work out well anyway (because of 1).