Life on Mars Ending, But Will Get Closure
March 4, 2009 by brian
After coming under fire for letting Dirty Sexy Money, Eli Stone and Pushing Daisies drift off into oblivion, ABC will allow Life on Mars to finish its story.
Variety confirmed the American revamp of the British sci-fi series will end this season, but ABC has informed producers so they can resolve the story in 17 episodes. Ironically, the British original ran only 16 episodes as a closed-ended series. That show then spun into the 1980s with Ashes to Ashes, a show following Lt. Gene Hunt. No such luck for the American series.
The American version was troubled from the beginning, undergoing a total overhaul and recastings before the pilot aired. It was generally well received by critics, but after a strong showing for its heavily advertised premiere ratings kept dipping.
I’m just going to save the phrase “generally well-received by critics but still canceled” and keep copying/pasting for future reference. Still, if there’s a silver lining here it is that the show will get to wrap up its storyline. Hopefully that’s the beginning of a trend not just at ABC, but at all the networks.
Image: Bauer-Griffin
The Doctor Is Out
October 30, 2008 by brian
Doctor Who fans are bracing for another regeneration, as David Tennant has dropped the bombshell that 2009 will be his last year aboard the Tardis. BBC News reports the wildly popular actor made the announcement after winning the Outstanding Drama Performance Award at the National Television Awards.
Tennant told the BBC News that he wanted to go while there was a chance people might miss him, rather than overstaying his welcome. Nobody will likely miss him more than the BBC, who have reaped the ratings bonanza of the revamped Who series. Almost 10 million viewers watched as the doctor began the process of “regeneration” that usually signals the casting of a new actor, although he didn’t complete it.