Alias, Alas
This post will be relevant to exactly two people who I know personally. For the rest of you... please feel free to continue with your post-Thanksgiving celebrations.
ABC has announced that spy drama Alias will not be renewed for another season. Its five-season run will come to an end in May of next year.
The handwriting has been on the wall for some time, and let's face it: Alias has been living on borrowed time for quite a while now. Never a mass-audience success, Alias has enjoyed a loyal yet small cult-like following over the past five years. Its continued existence can likely be attributed less to its audience drawing power and more to the fact that until last year, the ABC network's prime-time fortunes were... oh, how can I say it and still sound charitable... BAD (sorry, there was just no way to say it charitably). No one was watching ABC back then; in fact, the network was often mired in fourth place in the prime-time Nielsen ratings. Thus, it could afford to hold onto a show that attracted a loyal, albeit small, audience.
Things began to change last year for ABC. Can you say Desperate Housewives? How about Lost? Perhaps you've heard of Grey's Anatomy? Yes, thanks to these and a few other shows, ABC has enjoyed a big-time reversal of fortune, and now there just isn't room for marginally-performing programming. Alias did enjoy a slight uptick in its ratings last year, when the alphabet moved the program into the slot following Lost (both Lost and Alias are the brainchilds of the same creator, by the way).The operative word here is slight. The ratings increase just wasn't enough to justify unwavering support by the network for the show. Thus, this Fall Alias was shuttled off to the dreaded Thursday-at-8 slot, to face the titan of reality television, Survivor. Oh, and did I mention that this time slot was also populated by Joey, Everybody Hates Chris, The O.C., and Smallville? Not exactly the Saturday night schedule, is it?
Since this move to Thursdays, ratings have been less-than-spectacular, leading ABC to make an early call as to the fate of the show. By making this early call, the network will at least allow the show to plot its own exit, thereby rewarding loyal fans with a satisfying conclusion to the ride of the past five years.
So, Alias fans, for your loss I am very sorry. But take comfort in the fact that the father of Alias has that other little show called Lost. If you haven't tried it yet, then what are you waiting for? This next generation of JJ Abrams television is waiting for you every Wednesday night at 9. Give it a shot. You won't be disappointed.
ABC has announced that spy drama Alias will not be renewed for another season. Its five-season run will come to an end in May of next year.
The handwriting has been on the wall for some time, and let's face it: Alias has been living on borrowed time for quite a while now. Never a mass-audience success, Alias has enjoyed a loyal yet small cult-like following over the past five years. Its continued existence can likely be attributed less to its audience drawing power and more to the fact that until last year, the ABC network's prime-time fortunes were... oh, how can I say it and still sound charitable... BAD (sorry, there was just no way to say it charitably). No one was watching ABC back then; in fact, the network was often mired in fourth place in the prime-time Nielsen ratings. Thus, it could afford to hold onto a show that attracted a loyal, albeit small, audience.
Things began to change last year for ABC. Can you say Desperate Housewives? How about Lost? Perhaps you've heard of Grey's Anatomy? Yes, thanks to these and a few other shows, ABC has enjoyed a big-time reversal of fortune, and now there just isn't room for marginally-performing programming. Alias did enjoy a slight uptick in its ratings last year, when the alphabet moved the program into the slot following Lost (both Lost and Alias are the brainchilds of the same creator, by the way).The operative word here is slight. The ratings increase just wasn't enough to justify unwavering support by the network for the show. Thus, this Fall Alias was shuttled off to the dreaded Thursday-at-8 slot, to face the titan of reality television, Survivor. Oh, and did I mention that this time slot was also populated by Joey, Everybody Hates Chris, The O.C., and Smallville? Not exactly the Saturday night schedule, is it?
Since this move to Thursdays, ratings have been less-than-spectacular, leading ABC to make an early call as to the fate of the show. By making this early call, the network will at least allow the show to plot its own exit, thereby rewarding loyal fans with a satisfying conclusion to the ride of the past five years.
So, Alias fans, for your loss I am very sorry. But take comfort in the fact that the father of Alias has that other little show called Lost. If you haven't tried it yet, then what are you waiting for? This next generation of JJ Abrams television is waiting for you every Wednesday night at 9. Give it a shot. You won't be disappointed.
posted by TV Boy at 4:15 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home