Cancellation Watch Breaking News: Hannibal Will Dine Again for a Second Season

The wait is finally over!  NBC has left the small but devoted legion of fans (which includes myself) for new series Hannibal hanging as to whether the show would return for a second season.  But last night they made it official that the infamous serial killer would be returning for another repast after the current season ends.  The show started out with decent enough numbers for the Thursday 10 PM EST timeslot for the fourth place network (the premiere pulled a 1.6 rating in the 18-49 demographic based on the overnights).  But then it began to slide and has averaged closer to a 1.0 rating the last few weeks (note that the numbers they reference in the press release include DVR viewing).  NBC did not announce the show's fate at the upfronts when the networks typically unveil their schedule for the upcoming season.  But apparently the critical acclaim the series has garnered as well as its devoted following (that has been very active on social networks like Twitter and GetGlue) was enough to convince the network to bring the show back for a second season.  They have said that it will get another thirteen episode run which will commence at mid-season.  They should consider giving it the post-Grimm timeslot on Fridays where limited series Dracula will air in the Fall.   Hannibal would pair up nicely with the supernatural series that has done well on Fridays and will be well into its third season.  Those scheduling decisions will come at some point in Fall, but at this point fans have to be rejoicing (with a nice glass of Chianti) over the renewal decision.  You can see the final status of all of this past season's shows over at the Cancellation Watch Page.  And check out my preview of the Summer sci fi and fantasy shows at this link.

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Why Were They Cancelled? 
The Plight of Science Fiction and Fantasy Television in the Face of the Unforgiving Nielsens and Networks

Ever wondered why your favorite science fiction and/or fantasy show disappeared from the television schedule, never to deliver anymore new episodes? The reason why, most likely, is that it was cancelled because its ratings were low. And this book looks at those many cancelled sci fi/fantasy shows as well as the Neilsen ratings and television networks that dictate their fates. Available now for only $2.99 on Kindle from Amazon.com.

The Summer Sci Fi/Fantasy Shows Start the First Week of June, Here's What to Expect

The 2012-13 season is all but over (Revolution has its finale on Monday and Hannibal will wrap up later in June) and it's time for the networks to start rolling out their Summer lineup.  This used to be the time when the cable channels would beef up their genre programming, and we still see some of that with the returns of Teen Wolf, Falling Skies, and True Blood.  But it appears that Syfy has no original programming planned for their usual July start (they have a couple of cast-offs that begin in June), and the broadcast networks seem to have mostly given up on original genre programming in the Summer (though CBS does have one offering, with possibly a second from NBC), mostly using it now for burn-off runs.  You can see the full schedule of genre shows (as it currently stands) at this link, and following are my thoughts on how these shows will fare in the ratings.  (And for a look at the Fall schedule, go to this link.)

Teen Wolf (MTV, Mondays 10 PM EST, Season 3 Premieres June 3rd): This teen werewolf series has done well-enough in the ratings that MTV considers it a success.  Early on, it looked like it had the potential to become the next Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but instead it decided to coast closer to the Vampire Diaries-type angsty-teen melodrama angle.  That works for its network, though, and this one should continue to pull decent enough ratings (around a 0.7 rating in the 18-49 demographic based on the overnights) to win it a fourth season.

In the Flesh (BBC America, Thursdays 10 PM EST, Premieres June 6th):  This British zombie series is likely looking to capitalize on the current popularity of AMC's mega-hit The Walking Dead, though it offers its own twist with the zombies live amongst humans.  The first season already aired over in the UK and a second season has been ordered there.

Continuum (Syfy, Fridays 10 PM EST, Season 2 Premieres June 7th):  This Canadian export time travel series kicks off its second season in the U.S. (which is already airing up north).  Its numbers for Syfy weren't great during its late-Winter/early-Spring run (usually pulling a 0.3 or 0.4 rating), but then I don't know that it relies on those too much.  I believe its performance in Canada and worldwide will have a bigger influence on whether it gets a third season.

Sinbad (Syfy, Saturdays 9 PM EST, Premieres June 8th):  This British made retelling of the Sinbad legend has already been cancelled overseas, though apparently Syfy decided to pick up the twelve episodes produced to pad out their schedule with alleged "original" programming.

Primeval: New World (Syfy, Saturdays 10 PM EST, Premieres June 8th): Another cast-off, this Canadian spin-off of the British Primeval series was already cancelled up north.  So along with the network rejects (see below), we can call Summer Saturdays Sci Fi Burn-Off Night.

Falling Skies (TNT, Airs Sundays 9 PM EST, Season 3 Premiers June 9th):  This alien-invasion series had a lot of sci fi fans grumbling about it through its first and second seasons, but it still ranks as TNT's highest rated original drama.  Plus, they are already prepping for Season 4, so unless it has a major drop-off in the Nielsens, expect it to return again next Summer.

True Blood (HBO, Airs Sundays 9 PM EST, Season 6 Premieres June 16th):  This vampire melodrama may be getting long in the tooth (though I thought Season 5 had its moments), but it still draws a big audience over to pay channel HBO.  Consider it a lock to come back for a seventh season.

Under the Dome (CBS, Airs Mondays 10 PM EST, Premieres June 24th):  CBS typically won't touch sci fi shows during the regular season (unless they are heavily disguised as procedurals like Person of Interest), but they are giving this genre entry a chance in Summer.  It's based on the book of the same name by Stephen King and this is the show I am most looking forward to in the coming months.  With King's name attached it could actually draw a decent audience and it doesn't have to pull huge numbers in Summer to be considered a success.  It's designed as a mini-series, but they've also built in a plan for a continuation if it does well.  I give it slightly higher than average odds of succeeding, though it would probably have a better chance on one of the cable networks.

Futurama (Comedy Central, Airs Wednesdays 10:30 PM EST, Season 7.5 Premieres in June): This animated sci fi comedy returns to air out the second half of its seventh season at some point in June, but then that's it.  Comedy Central has announced the will not be continuing it beyond that.  I hear there is a fan movement to get it moved to another network, though, so the story may not be over yet.

Siberia (NBC, Airs Mondays 10 PM EST, Premieres July 1st):  The details on this show about a reality series gone wrong are still a bit sketchy, but it sounds like it could have some horror/sci fi elements as part of its premise.  Sounds interesting, but the lack of promotion makes it seem more like a cast-off show.  I'll tune in to check it out, but I don't expect an extended run from this one.

Being Human (BBC America, Airs Saturdays 10 PM EST, Season 5 Premieres July 13th):  This will be the last season for the BBC incarnation of this show (does that spell an end to Syfy's version as well?), and it seems appropriate that it will air on the Summer's Sci Fi Burn-Off Night.

Network Burn-Off Shows:  The broadcast networks cancelled several genre shows this last season and most will get their burn-off runs on Saturdays this Summer such as 666 Park Ave (ABC), Do No Harm (NBC), and Zero Hour (ABC).  The CW's Cult will air out its episodes on Fridays, though.  Check the schedule at this link for times and premiere dates, and don't expect that any of these shows will make enough ratings noise in the hot months for their networks to reverse their cancellation decisions.

Available on DVD and Blu-ray from Amazon.com:

Cancellation Watch: Which Sci Fi Shows Benefit the Most from the Fall Scheduling and Which Ones Got the Shaft

With the Fall schedule set (pretty much at least, things can always change) we know where the broadcast network sci fi/fantasy shows will land once the new season kicks off this coming September.  However, the Prime Time landscape can be a tricky thing with some timeslots offering a cushy resting place for a series while others can prove quite treacherous.  And don't think that the hour a show airs does not have much impact on its ratings numbers.  Just this past season, we saw NBC's Revolution benefit quite nicely from its post-Voice berth on Monday nights at 10 PM EST (though it didn't help the show too much during the latter half of the season).  We also saw the Thursday 8 PM EST slot destroy two consecutive genre shows as both Last Resort and Zero Hour failed to woo too many Nielsen households to ABC during that hour.  Here's a look at some of the winners and losers as far as scheduling is concerned for this upcoming Fall season (and you can see the full schedule of genre shows at this link and my early predictions for the new shows at this link).

Winners:

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (ABC, Airs Tuesdays at 8 PM EST) This is not a particularly coveted timeslot, but then it's not that heavily competitive either.  CBS has aging NCIS in that hour and NBC has The Biggest Loser which both have their established audiences.  But FOX has two new comedies and The CW has freshman entry The Originals, and S.H.I.E.L.D. has some major buzz propelling it into the season in a timeslot that won't work against it.  I expect this show to be Fall's biggest hit and will give ABC the chance to lay claim to Tuesday nights.

The Tomorrow People (CW, Airs Wednesdays at 9 PM EST)  This reboot of the British 70's show should have some buzz pushing it into the season and it lands in the best hour that the fifth place network has to offer: the lead-out slot for Arrow.  This past season Wednesdays were the only nights that The CW maintained a 1.0 or higher rating for two solid hour for pretty much the entire season.  I expect The Tomorrow People to take the reigns from Supernatural (which moves to Tuesdays at 9 PM EST) and to help this continue to be the network's strongest night.

Dracula (NBC, Airs Fridays at 10 PM EST)  Finally, NBC is doing something that makes sense on Fridays.  Grimm has proven a hit on that night, so they needed to take the ball and run with it and find a good pairing for that show.  They missed the opportunity with Hannibal this season, but in Fall Dracula will take the 10 PM EST lead-out slot.  It's a perfect match with Grimm and the show will not have to pull huge numbers to be considered a decent performer in that hour.  It's only scheduled for a ten episode run (with a possible extension if it does well), so perhaps NBC will do the smart thing and slot Hannibal (which is still awaiting word on its fate) in that hour at mid-season.

The Neighbors (ABC, Airs Fridays at 8:30 PM EST)  This much-maligned aliens-among-us sitcom defied the critics (and my predictions) to survive its entire first season and get renewed for a second year.  And while some might think that casting it to Fridays is a strike against the show, it actually will likely work in its favor.  It follows the modestly successful Tim Allen show Last Man Standing and it doesn't have to pull huge numbers to be considered a success in its timeslot.  If it scores in the 1.0 to 1.5 range throughout the season, then consider it a good candidate for renewal.  And the show did improve somewhat quality-wise by the end of its first season, so maybe it could turn into a bit of a sleeper.

Losers:

Revolution (NBC, Airs Wednesdays at 8 PM EST)  NBC gave this show the primo, post-Voice timeslot in its inaugural season and now they are kicking it out of the nest and telling it to fly on its own.  Problem is that since returning from its (extended) hiatus this past season, it has continued to slip in the ratings despite its strong lead-in and has fallen below a 1.9 rating just recently.  Now they want it to lead Wednesday nights?  And against some pretty stiff competition from Survivor on CBS and The X-Factor on FOX? That seems like a major stretch and this one looks like it could tread the same path as other two-season-and-out genre entries that started strong and then faded like V and Touch.

The Originals (CW, Airs Tuesdays at 8 PM EST)  I realize that The CW is banking off the popularity of their biggest hit Vampire Diaries with this spin-off to establish a beachhead on a night they have had little success with of late.  But then they are pitting The Originals against some well-established shows on CBS and NBC and what will likely be the biggest hit of the season, ABC's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.  You'd think they would give this one the post-Vampire Diaries slot on Thursdays, but then that hour hasn't produced many ratings victories of late.  And it also seems like it would have made more sense to lead off the night with Supernatural (which will air at 9 PM on Tuesdays) because that one seems to pull an audience no matter where it lands.  It's going to be a tough battle for The Originals, though fortunately it does not have to pull huge numbers to be considered a success on the fifth place network.

Once Upon A Time in Wonderland (ABC, Airs Thursdays at 8 PM EST)  Why not give this one the post-Once Upon A Time hour on Sundays?  Seems like the perfect pairing for a two hour fantasy block on Sundays.  But instead, ABC is throwing it into the black hole timeslot on Thursdays that has devoured multiple shows over the last couple of seasons.  True, this one plays better to that hour than either this season's Last Resort of Zero Hour, both of which would have probably done better in a later hour.  But then parent series Once Upon A Time has slipped notably in the ratings the second half of this last season, so are there enough people out there interested in tuning in for a spin-off?  This one looks like it could be the first genre casualty of the season.

Beauty and the Beast (CW, Airs Mondays 9 PM EST)  By all rights, this show (which only averaged a 0.6 rating in the 18-49 demographic based on the overnights) should have been cancelled this season.  But it appears that The CW has that planned for its second season.  It gets moved to the night that has been a disaster for the fifth place network of late and its lead-in (non-genre entry Hart of Dixie) is another show that barely registers in the Nielsens.  But then this network seems to have given up competing with the Big Four (and several of the cable channels as well), so maybe they will let this one coast another year.

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Why Were They Cancelled? 
The Plight of Science Fiction and Fantasy Television in the Face of the Unforgiving Nielsens and Networks

Ever wondered why your favorite science fiction and/or fantasy show disappeared from the television schedule, never to deliver anymore new episodes? The reason why, most likely, is that it was cancelled because its ratings were low. And this book looks at those many cancelled sci fi/fantasy shows as well as the Neilsen ratings and television networks that dictate their fates. Available now for only $2.99 on Kindle from Amazon.com.

New in Comics: Clive Barker's Next Testament, John Carpenter's Asylum, and (Maybe) Jericho #3

A few choice selections from the comics due out May 29th (Note that the release dates are tentative on some of these titles):

Clive Barker Next Testament #1 (of 12)
Boom! Studios

Description: The first all-new original comic series created and written by Clive Barker is here! Julian Demond, captain of industry, has left behind everything to begin a walkabout -- he believes he's on a mission from God. While in the wasteland, he comes across a figure unlike any other, who calls himself WickÖand claims to be God. Their journey will span the globe, as neither man merely wants to make a mark on a world, but a scar. Clive Barker, with internationally acclaimed artist Haemi Jang (HELLRAISER: THE ROAD BELOW), come together to create the next legendary work in the canon of one of the great writers of our era. Ask your retailer about the ultra-limited edition signed Clive Barker variant cover, painted by the master of horror himself!

By: Clive Barker, Haemi Jang, Javi Montes

John Carpenters Asylum #1
Storm King Productions, Inc.

Description: There's a war coming to the City of Angels. In tunnels beneath the city, in the dark alleys among the homeless, demons lurk and Lucifer bides his time. One man knows. One man sees. One man walks those dark streets. Father Daniel Beckett's seen demons and he's spoken to the Devil, but he's never seen an angel and he's never spoken to God. Obsessed and driven as much by betrayal as righteousness and anger as redemption, he walks the smoke-filled encampments of lost souls like Dante's nine rings of the Inferno. He is God's warrior at war with God.

By: Bruce Jones, Leonardo Manco

Jericho Season 4 #3 (of 5)
IDW

Description: John Smith's dominance in Jericho continues as his plans for the ASA begin to take shape. With Hawkins imprisoned, Jake is left to deal with the duplicitous Smith on his own, and finds himself having to risk everything in order to carry out a secret agenda.

Meanwhile, ASA mole Palmer ingratiates himself with Major Beck, dangling the perfect bait in the hopes that Beck will grow to trust him-and tell him everything. But while tensions grow high in Jericho, danger pervades beyond it. Little does Hawkins know, his worst nightmares are about to come true when Allison is thrust into grave jeopardy.

By: Kalinda Vazquez, Andrew Currie

King Conan: Hour of the Dragon #1
Dark Horse

Description: An imprisoned King Conan battles a forgotten evil!

King Conan has faced many threats to his throne in Aquilonia-but none more deadly than a traitorous alliance backed by the resurrected sorcerer Xaltotun, at whose command mountains crumble!

* Adapts Robert E. Howard's only Conan novel in two six-issue miniseries!

* The return of a fan-favorite Conan creative team!

By: Timothy Truman, Tomás Giorello, José Villarrubia, Gerald Parel

The Wake #1 (of 10)
DC Vertigo

Description: THERE'S SOMETHING DOWN THERE. . . '

When Marine Biologist Lee Archer is approached by the Department of Homeland Security for help with a new threat, she declines, but quickly realizes they won't take no for an answer. Soon she is plunging to the depths of the Arctic Circle to a secret, underwater oilrig where they've discovered something miraculous and terrifying. . .

Writer Scott Snyder (BATMAN, AMERICAN VAMPIRE) and artist Sean Murphy (PUNK ROCK JESUS) bring their acclaimed talents to this sci-fi/horror epic that explores the horrors of the deep, probes the origins of human history, and leaps far beyond to a frightening future.

By: Scott Snyder, Sean Murphy

X-Men #1
Marvel

Description: Because you demanded it!

The X-Women finally get their own book, from critically acclaimed superstars Brian Wood (X-MEN, ULTIMATE X-MEN, DMZ, The Massive) and Olivier Coipel (AVX, HOUSE OF M, THOR)!

An old enemy shows up at the X-Men's door, seeking asylum from an ancient evil come back to earth.

Meanwhile, Jubilee has come home, and she's brought with her an orphaned baby who might hold the key to the earth's survival. . . or its destruction.

Against a backdrop of what seems like an alien invasion and an eons-spanning war between brother and sister, Storm steps up and puts together a team to protect the child and stop a new threat that could destroy all life on earth!

By: Brian Wood, Olivier Coipel

Adventures Of Superman #1
DC

Description: Don't miss the debut of this all-new, digital-first series starring The Man of Tomorrow, written and illustrated by some of comics' finest talents! Witness Superman's first encounter with the work of Lex Luthor, brought to you by Jeff Parker (Hulk) and Chris Samnee (Daredevil)!

By: Jeff Parker, Chris Samnee

More of This Week's Comics at This Link 

Cancellation Watch: Hannibal's Slipping Numbers Not Helping Its Cause

Last Thursday's airing of NBC's Hannibal saw the show slip to a 1.0 rating with 2.7 million viewers.  That's a drop of one tick from the 1.1 score it posted the week prior and not necessarily good news for the show.  The network has yet to announce whether the series will return for a second season, and a drop in its already low numbers definitely won't help its cause.  But if NBC chooses to pass on the show, there is still hope that another network might pick it up.

Below are the numbers from last week for the sci fi/fantasy shows still airing new episodes.  All but Hannibal have already received their renewal notices.  Keep an eye on the Cancellation Watch Twitter Site for the early returns from this week's shows and, you can see the Cancellation Alert status of all the shows currently airing plus the final results from prior seasons at my Cancellation Watch page.  And for questions on how the ratings work and my Cancellation Alert statuses, you can see the Cancellation Watch FAQ.

Ratings Results for the Week of May 19:  
Game of Thrones (HBO Sun 9 PM) Rating: 2.6 | Trend: Up | Cancellation Alert: Renewed
Defiance (Syfy Mon 9 PM) Rating: 0.8 | Trend: Up | Cancellation Alert: Renewed
Warehouse 13 (Syfy Mon 10 PM) Rating: 0.4 | Trend: Steady | Cancellation Alert: Renewed
Bates Motel (A&E Mon 10 PM) Rating: 1.2 | Trend: Up | Cancellation Alert: Renewed
Revolution (NBC Mon 10 PM) Rating: 1.9 | Trend: Steady | Cancellation Alert: Renewed
Grimm (NBC Fri 9 PM) Rating: 1.7 | Trend: Steady | Cancellation Alert: Renewed
Hannibal (NBC Thu 10 PM) Rating: 1.0 | Trend: Down | Cancellation Alert: Elevated


Ratings Source: TV by the Numbers

Nielsen TV Ratings: ©2013 The Nielsen Company. All Rights Reserved.

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Amazon Prime: Get Free 2-Day Shipping, Instant Access to Thousands of Kindle Books, and Free Streaming of Sci Fi TV Shows Like These:

New on DVD: Beetlejuice Animated Series, Doctor Who Series 7, and More

DVDs/Blu-rays due out May 28th:



More New and Recent Releases at This Link

Cancellation Watch Preview: Early Predictions for the New Fall Sci Fi/Fantasy Shows

I realize that most of the announcements about the new shows for this coming Fall season just went out and that none of them has aired a single episode yet and will not until September or later.  But that's not dissuading me from making some early predictions.  I've seen the trailers, read the synopses, and observed where they have landed on the schedule.  And I've been monitoring the performance of sci fi/fantasy shows in the ratings for years now, so I tend to have a good gut feel for how things typically fall out once the season begins.  I have posted the full Fall schedule of new and returning genre shows at this link which also includes the official descriptions and trailers (where available) for the new entries.  And here's my quick look at the freshman class will fare once the season begins.  Take these with a grain of salt, because we really don't know how good any of these shows really will be at this point.  But I'm still willing to stick my neck out there and make a few guesses.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (ABC) Tuesdays 8 PM EST
Is there really any doubt about this one?  A spin-off from one of the all-time highest grossing films with fan favorite Joss Whedon at the helm?  This one should definitely grab that broad appeal that networks always covet, and Whedon can still have leeway to slip in some of his trademark quirkiness.  I know I'm pumped about this one and I'm thinking a large part of the Prime Time audience is as well.
Chances: As much of a sure thing as you can get.

Almost Human (FOX) Mondays 8 PM EST
This buddy cop series from J.J. Abrams has a twist: one of the cops is a robot.  The trailer makes the show look pretty decent, but you can still see traces of the standard cop show tropes that could weigh it down (and will it really deliver on the sci fi side or just give us cops in the future?).  It will step in late Fall to lead off Mondays for FOX and could succeed at grabbing that same cross-genre appeal of sci fi and cop show as Abrams' Person of Interest which has done well on CBS.  That's assuming, though, that it lives up to the promise of its trailer and that it can fend off some pretty heavy competition from NBC's The Voice and the CBS comedy entries during that hour.
Chances: Maybe slightly better than average

Dracula (NBC) Fridays 10 PM EST
Yet another return to this classic character, but this period drama looks like it is planing on going all out.  And it gets the perfect pairing with NBC's Friday anchor Grimm which will return for its third season.  Since Dracula airs on Fridays and at the 10 PM hour, it doesn't have to pull huge ratings to be considered a success.  And I've heard this one is just planned as a limited series, but if it does well in the hour I'm sure they will find a way to let it stick around.  Or after it ends, put Hannibal in that slot which would make for another good pairing.
Chances: Bloody good!

Once Upon A Time in Wonderland (ABC) Thursdays 8 PM EST
The trailer for this one looks pretty darn trippy and I plan on checking it out even though I lost interest in parent series before its first season ended.  But then apparently quite a number of people have tuned out on Once Upon A Time based on its ratings slide the second half of this season and that can't be good for the spin-off.  Add in the fact that this one lands in the highly competitive Thursday 8 PM EST timeslot that has been murder for ABC the last few years.  It does play better to that hour than this year's failed Last Resort and Zero Hour, but it still has an uphill climb ahead of it.
Chances: Could be the first casualty of the season among the new genre entries.

The Originals (CW) Tuesdays 8 PM EST
This spin-off from The CW's successful Vampire Diaries series would seem like a sure thing, but then the parent show is getting a bit long in the tooth and there's the issues of its network's struggles.  Plus, it is leading off a night that The CW has not done well on in quite a while and it has to contend with potential uber-hit Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.  All of that seems to stack the deck against this show, but then its network is only looking for small victories at this point, so it doesn't have to climb too high to be considered a success.  And I know that the trailer has me interested in tuning in (and I've never been a fan of Vampire Diaries) so it may attract an audience beyond the one that follows the original show.  It will need it.
Chances: Decent because its on the 5th place network.

The Tomorrow People (CW) Wednesdays 9 PM EST
This show about people with enhanced abilities is a prime candidate for a reboot (the original British 70's series was so cheap it made early Doctor Who look like a big budget production) and it fits right into the youth-skewing audience that The CW targets.  Plus, it follows that network's second highest rated show (Arrow), and it airs on the one night that The CW managed to maintain a 1.0 rating or higher for two straight hours this last season.  The preview of the show looks good, and I definitely know I will be tuning in.
Chances: The CW's most likely candidate for a hit.


Sleepy Hollow (FOX) Mondays 9 PM EST
I wasn't sure what to make of this one when they first announced it, but the trailer definitely piqued my interest.  It looks like it will blend elements of Supernatural, Grimm, The Da Vinci Code, and (unfortunately) cop shows.  But it also looks like it may have an epic, apocalyptic feel about it and could prove pretty interesting.  Its survival all depends on how much FOX expects out of the timeslot which has to contend with the second hour of NBC's The Voice and the strongest comedy offerings from CBS for the night.  Plus, it may not be able to grab that broader appeal networks prefer, making it more a cult show which rarely translates to success on the broadcast networks.
Chances: The odds are not in its favor.


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Cancellation Watch: Amazon's Zombieland TV Series CANCELLED . . . By the Viewers!

This past year, Amazon decided to get into the original programming game with their Instant Video service to compete with other online streamers who have been doing the same like Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, and more.  And they came up with what I thought was a very sensible approach which involved putting the pilots for several shows out for people to view (you can check out all of their offerings at this link) and giving them the chance to vote on which ones they want to continue as ongoing series.

Seemed like a pretty decent idea to me.  For once, the viewers are calling the shots.  They are acting the part of the network executives and making the decisions on which entries from among the pilot offerings will go to series.  Only instead of just a small number of people who appear to be disconnected from the average viewer (and we would all agree way out of touch with the average sci fi viewer), this time it is the people themselves who will be watching the pilots and voting en masse for which shows get the greenlight to a TV series.  Seems like the ideal way for episodic programming to prosper through grassroots support.

Yeah . . . seems that way.  But it didn't work out so great for the Zombieland series that was hoping to have a run as one of the Amazon Originals, but instead got "hated out of existence" by the fans.

That series was designed as a continuation of the successful (and much beloved) feature film, though it had different actors assuming the roles of the four main characters.  Still onboard were the original creators Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick who wrote the pilot and would have stayed on to helm the series.  Personally I was pumped for this one, but also knew I had to temper expectations because of the budget limitations that would impact the show.  I watched the pilot and felt that it had some flaws to it, but also saw that it had a lot of potential.  The biggest drawback (mostly for the fans of the movie) was the cast and that fact that they were not the original actors.  The actors playing Columbus (Tyler Ross) and Little Rock (Izabela Vidovic) just seemed too young.  And there's just no replacing Woody Harrelson (who's one of my all-time favorite actors, and yes I do have a man-crush on the guy).  But to make matters worse, Kirk Ward delivered a rather oafish portrayal of Tallahassee.  But then these are mostly just nitpicks because I was comparing them heavily to the original actors and handicapping them out of the gate.

The writing for the pilot definitely had that same spark of cleverness that we saw with the movie, though several of the jokes you could see coming from a mile away and other running gags ran way too far.  But it definitely made me laugh out loud several times and they established a decent enough premise for the show that could have kept it running for several seasons.   It's always hard to set up the concept for a show in the limited timeframe of a pilot episode, and this one had several additional factors working against it.  It had to get new viewers up to speed with its original premise (which picks up almost right after the movie ended) while getting fans of the movie onboard with the cast changes and also laying the groundwork for what the ongoing series will be about.  And all of this in twenty five minutes time.

Apparently, though, the fans of the movie were pretty unforgiving and ripped the show a new one in the feedback section that Amazon had for the pilots (which appears to be closed now).  And according to Rhett Reese, the "series will not be moving forward on Amazon".  In a tweet he sent out a few days ago, he definitely seemed miffed about it, saying "I'll never understand the vehement hate the pilot received from die-hard Zombieland fans. You guys successfully hated it out of existence."

So is this yet another case of a promising series cancelled too soon, but with the twist that the fans themselves were the ones that gave it the axe?

Personally, I would have to say yes.  I am a huge fan of the movie and would probably rank it in my Top 20 or 25 all-time favorites.  And while I would definitely say that the pilot did not measure up to the movie and the new actors were a bit hard to swallow, I knew going in that it had a hard act to follow.  I wanted to see a well-written episode that was funny and didn't disrespect the movie.  I got that and more.  Plus, the actors had already started to grow on me by the end of the episode (in fact, I started to like super-cutie Maiara Walsh who played Wichita even more than Emma Stone) and I could have learned to like them.  I believe that if this pilot had gone in front of the network executives, it would have had a much better chance of making it to series.

So did Amazon give the viewers too much power and does this prove that we need network execs to pick what people should watch instead of the viewers choosing for themselves?

I cetainly hope not, but this experiment did fail to greenlight what I considered a potentially promising series.  And looking at another experiment in progress, sci fi fans--who have been clamouring for the next big epic space opera series--have failed to step up and support David Gerrold's Star Wolf that he is trying to launch via Kickstarter (more on that at this link).  It appears obvious that fans want to complain about the networks and the sub-par genre offerings that they typically place on their schedules.  But it also appears that they may be a bit too demanding, looking for shows that are out of reach of the scope and budget of the typical episodic series. 

I really would have liked to see Zombieland go to series because I believe that it could have developed into a fun little show.  Maybe it never would have reached the heights of the original movie, but I will take it over ABC's The Neighbors or pretty much any of the sitcom offerings on the broadcast nets or cable these days.  And perhaps Zombieland still has a chance on one of the cable networks (it was actually originally rejected by the broadcast nets before the writers turned it into a movie). 

I'd also like to see David Gerrold's Star Wolf go into production, giving us possibly the next major sci fi franchise, only this time it is driven solely by the support of the fans.  But if those very same fans start getting too picky and demanding, they will undermine these emerging new venues that give them more of a say in the episodic programming they will be watching.  And thus ultimately sustain the old model with stogey, disconnected network execs deciding what we watch and instead of us having more of a say in what sci fi television has to offer. 

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Why Were They Cancelled? 
The Plight of Science Fiction and Fantasy Television in the Face of the Unforgiving Nielsens and Networks

Ever wondered why your favorite science fiction and/or fantasy show disappeared from the television schedule, never to deliver anymore new episodes? The reason why, most likely, is that it was cancelled because its ratings were low. And this book looks at those many cancelled sci fi/fantasy shows as well as the Neilsen ratings and television networks that dictate their fates. Available now for only $2.99 on Kindle from Amazon.com.

New in Comics: Solid State Tank Girl, Transformers Prime Beast Hunters, and More

A few choice selections from the comics due out May 24th (Note that the release dates are tentative on some of these titles):

Solid State Tank Girl #1 (of 4)
Source Interlink Intl

Description: Tank Girl, Jet Girl, Booga and Barney are back, in a mission to save their favorite little radio store. Everything goes to plan, but somewhere along the line Booga manages to electronically summon a gang of evil counterparts, fronted by the darkest bitch on the planet -- Anti-Tank Girl! The fight is to the death, as each gang member draws on their deepest, most screwed-up powers to eliminate their own personal nemesis. Things are about to get very dark, very bloody, and very stupid.

By: Alan Martin, Warwick J. Cadwell

Transformers Prime Beast Hunters #1
IDW Publishing

Description: BEAST HUNTERS! They were there when CYBERTRON fell-but what happened to the DINOBOTS for the past few thousand years? Here's a hint-GRIMLOCK and company haven't been sitting around and relaxing! The time is now-the place is CYBERTRON-and the recipe is ACTION!

By: Mairghread Scott, Agustin Padilla, Ken Christiansen

Accelerators #1 (of 6)
Blue Juice Comics

Description: Time travelers Alexa and Bertram pursue each other through the decades in a deadly chase. Each is armed with a time machine that has only one rule: it can only move forward in time, never backward. Alexa must leap further into the future, with Bertram never far behind. Caught in the crossfire is Spatz, a teenager from the 1990s who tries to help but instead gets dragged into another time.

By: R.F.I. Porto, Gavin Smith, Walter Flanagan

Akaneiro #1
Dark Horse

Description: From the brilliant imagination of video game auteur American McGee comes a dazzling reenvisioning of Red Riding Hood set in the wondrous world of Japanese folklore! Justin Aclin and Vasilis Lolos take Kani a young woman torn between two cultures on an epic adventure battling devious yokai for the fate of her world!

* Based on the hot new game by American McGee's Spicy Horse Games!

By: Justin Aclin, Vasilis Lolos

Green Team Teen Trillionaires #1
DC

Description: INVENTORS! EXPLORERS! ADVENTURERS!

Do you need money to finance an important project? Then you should set up a meeting with THE GREEN TEAM!

Nature of world-changing idea:

Amount requested:

Does your project have the potential to: Fracture space-time? Replace the combustion engine? Attract extraterrestrial attention? Prove/disprove existence of deities? Piss off The Justice League? Render the human body obsolete?

If any of the above are checked, please fill out liability release form GT2013-05. Send any 82 drawings, plans, models, or photos with request.

By: Art Baltazar, Ig Guara, Amanda Conner

More of This Week's Comics at This Link 

Cancellation Watch: Cable, Amazon Interested in Hannibal if Cancelled by NBC; Warehouse 13 to End After Shortened Fifth Season

Get the Quickest Updates on Sci Fi TV Ratings at the Cancellation Watch Twitter Site

This last Thursday, NBC's Hannibal pulled another 1.1 rating in the 18-49 demographic with 2.5 million total viewers and the network still has not announced the show's fate (it's the only 2012-13 series still awaiting a decision).  But the word is that if NBC decides to pass on a second season, others may be interested in keeping the show going.  According to Deadline Hollywood, at least one cable network (they did not specify which one) would be interested in picking up the series and Amazon might raise their hand as well to add it to the original offerings of their Instant Video service.  Both of these moves would make plenty of sense because the show, with its rather grim subject matter, would seem to fit better in an off-network setting (NBC already pulled one episode because they thought it was too graphic for Prime Time, and their Salt Lake City affiliate also yanked one episode).  However, it may not be as simple as cable or Amazon raising their hand to continue the show.  There are licensing agreements in place and the Hannibal franchise (which also encompasses the books and movies) is one that its studio (not quite sure who owns it) will likely want to keep a tight grip on.  But the interest alone means that the show still has a chance, perhaps even as a join venture between Amazon and NBC similar to what DirecTV did with Friday Night Lights.  And it's still possible that NBC could decide to renew the show for a second season and bring it back for another thirteen episode run at mid-season.  So don't count this one out yet and keep an eye out here and at the Cancellation Watch Twitter Site for updates on its status.

We do know the status of Syfy's Warehouse 13 now (currently airing its fourth season) as the network made an announcement last week that the show would come back for a final season of six episodes.  That show, which was once their flagship scripted series, has slipped in the ratings during its fourth season and the network apparently decided to go ahead and put it to rest with a pretty robust development slate currently in their pipeline.  It has averaged a 0.5 rating in the 18-49 demographic throughout its fourth season, which apparently they have decided is not enough to keep it afloat for an extended, ongoing run.  The network made a similar move with Eureka last year, though they nixed a planned six episode sixth season and ended the show with the fifth season that was already in production.  The final season of Warehouse 13 will air at some point in 2014.

Below are the numbers for all the genre shows from last week.  Since all the renewal and cancellation notices (except for Hannibal) have gone out and most shows have had their finales, I won't be running my usual mid-week column covering the latest ratings developments.  But I will continue to post the numbers for those shows still airng on the Cancellation Watch Twitter Site and the full week summary here on Mondays.  Plus, I will be running several posts this week and beyond recapping this past season and looking ahead at Summer and Fall.  You can see the Cancellation Alert status for all of this season's genre shows plus the final results from prior seasons at my Cancellation Watch page.  And for questions on how the ratings work and my Cancellation Alert statuses, you can see the Cancellation Watch FAQ.

Ratings Results for the Week of May 12:
Once Upon A Time (ABC Sun 8 PM) Rating: 2.3 | Trend: Up | Cancellation Alert: Moderate
Game of Thrones (HBO Sun 9 PM) Rating: 2.4 | Trend: Up | Cancellation Alert: Renewed
Defiance (Syfy Mon 9 PM) Rating: 0.6 | Trend: Steady | Cancellation Alert: Low
Warehouse 13 (Syfy Mon 10 PM) Rating: 0.4 | Trend: Steady | Cancellation Alert: Low
Bates Motel (A&E Mon 10 PM) Rating: 1.0 | Trend: Steady | Cancellation Alert: Renewed
Revolution (NBC Mon 10 PM) Rating: 1.9 | Trend: Up | Cancellation Alert: Renewed
Grimm (NBC Fri 9 PM) Rating: 1.7 | Trend: Down | Cancellation Alert: Renewed
Arrow (CW Wed 8 PM) Rating: 0.9 | Trend: Steady | Cancellation Alert: Renewed
Supernatural (CW Wed 9 PM) Rating: 1.0 | Trend: Steady | Cancellation Alert: Renewed
Vampire Diaries (CW Thu 8 PM) Rating: 1.1 | Trend: Steady | Cancellation Alert: Renewed
Beauty and the Beast (CW Thu 9 PM) Rating: 0.5 | Trend: Steady | Cancellation Alert: Renewed
Hannibal (NBC Thu 10 PM) Rating: 1.1 | Trend: Steady | Cancellation Alert: Elevated
Nikita (CW Fri 8 PM) Rating: 0.4 | Trend: Steady | Cancellation Alert: Moderate


Ratings Source: TV by the Numbers

Nielsen TV Ratings: ©2013 The Nielsen Company. All Rights Reserved.

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Amazon Prime: Get Free 2-Day Shipping, Instant Access to Thousands of Kindle Books, and Free Streaming of Sci Fi TV Shows Like These:

New on DVD: True Blood Season 5, 1990 Captain America on Blu-ray(!), and More

DVDs/Blu-rays due out May 21st:



More New and Recent Releases at This Link

From the Upfronts: The CW Shuffles Schedule with Tomorrow People after Arrow and The Originals Leading In Supernatural, Plus Josh Holloway Returns to Sci Fi with Intelligence

The CW's Tomorrow People

Yesterday, fifth place network The CW was the last of the broadcast networks to announce their Fall schedule at the upfronts, and they presented one dominated by genre entries.  Of the ten hours that the network progams from Monday through Friday in Prime Time, six of them will be genre entries (with three more waiting in the wings for mid-season).  This involves shuffling their three highest rated shows (Vampire Diaries, Arrow, and Supernatural) across three nights to spread out the ratings wealth and anchor the schedule a bit better for the network.  Supernatural gets moved to Tuesdays--where The CW has struggled for quite a while--and will stay in the 9 PM EST timeslot while Vampire Diaries spin-off The Originals will lead out the night at 8 PM.  The network must have a lot of faith in that one if they are giving it the start-off hour for the night and perhaps they can finally see some ratings gains on Tuesdays (where unfortunately Cult was cast to die a quick death this past season).  Arrow will remain on Wednesdays and new series The Tomorrow People will take the lead-out slot for that night.  That sounds like a pretty solid genre pairing and gives the new entry a pretty good chance of succeeding.  Vampire Diaries will stay on Thursdays with non-genre historical soap Reign taking the lead-out slot for that evening (which proved less than cushy for The Secret Circle and Beauty and the Beast the last two seasons).  Moving to Monday nights is low-rated series Beauty and the Beast which will pair with equally low-rated non-genre entry Heart of Dixie.  The prospects for those two on that night where The CW has struggled for some time does not look good.

In addition to the six genre shows scheduled for Fall, The CW has three (and possibly more as they are retooling their Wonder Woman pilot) waiting in the wings.  The post-apocalyptic series The 100 has been picked up as has the aliens-among-us soap opera Star-Crossed.  Both of those will hit the schedule a mid-season (perhaps after Beauty and the Beast and Heart of Dixie get cancelled).  Also returning at some point will be spy fi entry Nikita which has been picked up for a shortened, six episode final season.  All in all, The CW is definitely gambling high on genre appeal, even if it most of their entries do appeal to a younger-skewing crowd.  But the general sci fi community should be able to find several shows they like among these offering, particularly Arrow, Supernatural, The Tomorrow People, and The 100.

The least sci fi friendly network, CBS, announced their schedule on Wednesday and had no new genre entries on the schedule for the Fall line-up.  But they do have one targetted for mid-season that genre fans will want to check out.  Lost alum Josh Holloway will star in Intelligence, a series about a man (played by Holloway) with a computer chip implanted in his brain that he can use to tap into the worldwide information grid (whether he can uplink to The Machine from Person of Interest is yet to be seen, but it would make a cool cross-over).  Sounds like just another procedural with a twist, but it will be good to see Holloway back in action (again playing a bad boy-type character) and should be worth a look (the full description for the show is below).  CBS's other (quasi) genre entry Person of Interest will be getting moved to a new night and time: Tuesdays at 10 PM EST.  That's not a particularly great landing spot, but the show should still be able to keep itself afloat there throughout its third year.

I will be compiling the full schedule of genre shows for the Fall 2013 season shortly and also pointing out the shows that are in the best position in the new lineup as well as those that have hard times ahead based on these scheduling moves.  Keep an eye out for that as well as my recaps from this past season.

Intelligence (CBS Mid-Season Entry)
INTELLIGENCE is a dramatic thriller starring Josh Holloway as a high-tech intelligence operative enhanced with a super-computer microchip in his brain. With this implant, Gabriel (Holloway) is the first human ever to be connected directly into the worldwide information grid and have complete access to Internet, WiFi, telephone and satellite data.  He can hack into any data center and access key intel in the fight to protect the United States from its enemies. Leading the elite government cyber-security agency created to support him is Director Lillian Strand (Marg Helgenberger), a straightforward and efficient boss who oversees the unit’s missions. Strand assigns Riley Neal (Meghan Ory), a Secret Service agent, to protect Gabriel from outside threats, as well as from his appetite for reckless, unpredictable behavior and disregard for protocol.  Other skilled members of the Cybercom team include Chris Jameson (Michael Rady) and Gonzalo “Gonzo” Rodriguez (James Martinez), two resourceful federal investigators. The brains behind the design of the chip is Dr. Shenendoah Cassidy (John Billingsley), whose son, Nelson (PJ Byrne), is jealous of Gabriel’s prominent place in his father’s life. As the first supercomputer with a beating heart, Gabriel is the most valuable piece of technology the country has ever created and is the U.S.’s secret weapon. Michael Seitzman, René Echevarria, Tripp Vinson, and David Semel (for pilot) are executive producers for ABC Television Studios in association with CBS Television Studios.

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From the Upfronts: ABC Fall Schedule - SHIELD Leads Off Tuesdays and Once Upon A Time Spin-off Gets Tough Slot

ABC just announced their Fall schedule as they prepare to go into this afternoon's upfront presentation with the advertisers.  Of course the question that everybody is asking is where will Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. land, and the answer is that it will be leading off Tuesday nights in the 8 PM EST timeslot.  I don't know if that move was planned in advance of NBC unveiling their schedule earlier this week, but it definitely shows ABC taking advantage of its rival's move of ratings juggernaut The Voice.  I expect S.H.I.E.L.D. to be one of this coming season's breakout hits, and not having to compete with the singing competition show will help it out even more.

Not so lucky is spin-off series Once Upon A Time in Wonderland.  That show gets the brutal Thursday 8 PM EST hour which squashed two genre entries this current season (Last Resort and Zero Hour).  However, OUaT in Wonderland does have in its favor that it is a more family friendly entry, something that I believe worked heavily against those other two shows in that timeslot.  Still, ABC has not had much success in that hour for quite a while, so I can't say I like this move and you have to wonder why they didn't just pair it up with the original series (which retains its Sunday 8 PM EST timeslot).  Maybe if it falters out of the gate, ABC will make that more logical move, but then scheduling shifts to help a struggling show seem to be few and far between among the networks of late.


The much-maligned aliens-among-us sitcom The Neighbors received a late renewal announcement last week, but it's getting bumped from its previous Wednesday night timeslot to land on Fridays at 8:30 PM EST.  Getting moved to low-viewership Fridays isn't necessarily a knock against the show, though, and could actually work in its favor.  Sitcoms are not held to the same ratings standards as hour-long dramas because they are usually much cheaper to produce.  So if The Neighbors manages to pull ratings between a 1.0 and a 1.5 on that night--which is quite doable following the decently performing Last Man Standing--then it could find itself in a comfortable spot to ride its way into a third season renewal.

New shows Resurrection and Mind Games are not on the Fall schedule and it looks like they will be held over for mid-season.  The former series has definite genre elements and the latter looks like it might have some genre appeal as well. You can get more detail on all of ABC's new genre entries at this link.

CBS presents their schedule on Wednesday (though the only genre show they have to offer is Person of Interest) and The CW presents its genre-heavy schedule on Thursday.  Stay tuned to this site and the Cancellation Watch Twitter Site for more information on schedule announcements and for a full run down of the sci fi/fantasy shows that will air on Prime Time beginning in Fall.

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Amazon Prime: Get Free 2-Day Shipping, Instant Access to Thousands of Kindle Books, and Free Streaming of Sci Fi TV Shows Like These: