THAT'S A WRAP

ABC has officially cancelled V. We hate to end the saga on such a game-changing cliffhanger, but them's the breaks.

After being on the viewer-fan end of many an unfair cancellation (hello Firefly, Karen Sisco, Threshold, etc.), it's interesting and enlightening to be on the creative side for a change. No matter what the show's about, or who's involved, it all comes down to money. And while V did respectable numbers and gave the network one of its few shows with a strong male viewership, it was in the end too expensive to continue.

While I can see the reasoning clearly from the other side, it's no less frustrating to experience. There were so many cool tales left to tell. We'd opened up a new world of stories that would've been fun to explore. Now we'll never see Erica shattered and vengeful over her murdered son. We'll never find out what Bliss is doing to the troubled soul of Father Jack. And we'll never see the all-out global war as humans use every weapon they've got to take back their planet.

Many fans have written to ask: Can V continue on another network? If another network's interested, then sure, it's possible. Other shows, like Medium, have jumped networks to survive. But the major networks have already committed their budgetarty war chests to the upcoming fall slate of new and returning shows. None of them have any room or money for V right now. In another year they might ... but the actors' contracts will be long expired by that time.

Is cable an option for V? Sadly, no. Cable shows are produced for a fraction of the budget of a network show, and there's just no way for an effects-heavy show like V to scale down the numbers.

I had a great time on my first TV writing gig. I worked with and learned from some amazingly talented people, and was thrilled whenever something I'd written made it to the final cut. The actors and crew and everybody else flat-out rocked.

If you are one of the millions of people around the world who watched what we made: thank you, deeply and sincerely.

Now it's off to the annual merry-go-round known as staffing season. When I emerge on the other side, either with or without a new gig, I'll report back on that singular experience.

Comments

[Brian Hodge]

Sucky news. I hate to hear it.

Does it never cross the panicky minds of the Powers that the more they pull the plug this way, the less likely some viewers will be to start watching anything new that they try to introduce?

That's the point I'm at now. I'm down to 2 network shows, and one of them is The Simpsons, which, in context, maybe doesn't even count. The rest are on FX, A&E, HBO, etc., where they seem to commit more definitively, and provide some sort of resolution when something does get the axe.

The main networks, though, have effectively lost me for good. I've seen promos for things that looked interesting, but didn't even consider giving them a try. It's like, "Why bother? They'll just set up a bunch of stuff and then drop it."

If what you bounce to next is on one of the networks, sure, I'll tune in then, but that will be out of loyalty to you.

[Brandon]

I watched it, all of it, from the first episode to the last. Highly enjoyed it for what it was. I'd be really interested in hearing what parts of yours made it to the final cut of the episodes.

[Rebecca]

Thanks for the work you all did with V!

I watched every episode from the series premiere to the series finale and will miss it, terribly.

[ken petrusch]

i loved the serie V. my favorit was 24 when the dont do anymore season A find the V show, a hate all the comic shows, and finaly a real good scfi show on the television.Sandly abc cancelled it, and a hope that it will be on air again.Ken! sweden!

[Shakia]

The show was GREAT! V Really kept me on the edge of my seat! I haven't been this intrigued by a show since the first season of Prison Break! I was VERY concerned about Morris Chestnut being the only African American on the show, constantly wondering if his character would live or die and the fact that the show elected him to be the judas of the group was a bit disappointing. Other than that I LOVED IT!!! The writing was PERFECT!!! There shouldn't be any complaints but for the people that do, you can't please everybody! I think if the ratings were good but the show's budget was too expensive to support the writing, I think as the writer that it's a great compliment! Even though the ending is sad, I think you made the show the HIT that it is, and ABC couldn't handle how much of a creative mind that you have. I would walk away with my head up high! Maybe instead of writing for tv shows this is your sign that your ready now for movies!

[Jeannette]

I watched both V series--the original back in the 1980s and the new show. Seems like many science fiction shows never make it past the 1st or 2nd season. I was also disappointed by the cancellation of Firefly, Jericho, Flash Forward. It was particularly disturbing to have V cancelled on a cliff hanger with Anna winning! Can't you get some support for a 2 hour TV film to wind up the series? Like Serenity did for Firefly?

[Saqib]

It seems u do have a few friends to comment on you post, but believe me dear, it did started well but what u made it was one of the lamest shows in TV history. Really really stupid. Thank God it got cancelled and saved me many hours