Why Do All the Good Shows Get Cancelled?

Have you ever wondered why all the good shows get cancelled?  Over the past few years I’ve been disappointed with the cancellation of both promising new shows, and some long-running TV series.  I think some shows reach their natural conclusion and simply run their course, like The Sopranos and Sex and the City.  Other shows are critically-acclaimed and still don’t survive, like The Wire and Arrested Development.  I never watched the latter show, but I recall the outcry when it was cancelled.  Are these fans just a vocal minority?  If a show is good enough to arouse such passion, why aren’t more people watching?

The Wire

The Wire had a nice little run and garnered numerous accolades, including Emmy nominations and a Writers Guild Award.  Despite consistent praise from critics, the show received poor Nielsen ratings and remained overlooked by most of the viewing public.  Perhaps its depiction of urban blight didn’t resonate with the average viewer.  At least it hung around for five seasons and became a cult classic.  At the end of the day, networks want to protect their bottom line.  If viewership for a certain show is lacking, it stands to reason that the network may lose advertising dollars during that time slot.  Not only does the public have to support quality programming when they find it, but there should be some measure of equity when determining which American families receive Nielsen boxes to record their viewing preferences.  I’ve never been contacted to get a Nielsen box and don’t know anyone else who has been contacted. Do you?  Who’s getting these things?  I don’t suggest some grand conspiracy to get certain shows canned, but certainly there are some demographics that will prefer one type of television show over another.  I don’t suspect that The Wire was very popular viewing in say, Boise, Idaho, for example. I could be wrong.  Taste will always be subjective, but it’s a shame that the truly unique shows don’t last.

Last year ABC premiered a series called Life on Mars, a drama about a cop who is transported back in time to 1973.  The show was a trippy, atmospheric mix of science fiction and mystery with some humor thrown in.  I thought it was great but it never seemed to catch on with viewers, despite a strong cast including veteran actor Harvey Keitel and The Soprano’s Michael Imperioli.

Life on Mars

Networks ostensibly want their shows to be successful, but some shows aren’t given a fighting chance.  If it starts out with a crappy time slot, your favorite show might not make it.  If it follows a flagship show, it might have a chance to piggyback off its success.  Take ABC’s Private Practice, for example.  It’s nowhere near as good as Grey’s Anatomy, but it follows the popular series and has to snag some leftover viewers by default. I asked why all the good shows get cancelled, but “good” is relative.  Critical acclaim and popularity don’t always co-exist.  If you’re a fan of a TV show and it’s on the ropes, spread the word. Encourage your friends and family to tune in.  Then again, if they don’t have Nielsen boxes, does it even matter? *sigh* Your last resort is to start a letter writing campaign to the network, a tactic that has proven successful in extending the life of some shows like CBS’ Jericho, if only temporarily.  If you get to that step though, chances are the network has already decided to axe the show.  I guess “good” shows get cancelled because the right people aren’t tuning in.  If you find an obscure gem of a show that you like, hopefully the masses catch on or you may find yourself wondering where all the good shows have gone.  No wonder we’re stuck with reality TV.

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Photographs courtesy of ABC, HBO, and IMDbPro.