I love good TV. I really do.
I even like bad TV (Survivor but not NCIS, I’m not THAT dirty).
With being involved with production and being able to visit a number of production sets, whether formally invited or not, I have a profound curiosity for how studios make decisions or pretend to…
What better way for people to get excited about a show than to say it’s going to be cancelled? Look at the track record of shows threatened of cancellations and shows that were cancelled:
- Arrested Development, sure the big Prison Break show had huge numbers coming in but look at the DVD sales of the show and now it’s getting picked up by Netflix for an all new season leading up to their movie. It still and will make a lot of money.
- Family Guy, it got cancelled and DVD sales went through the roof which caused FOX to re-look at all of their animated shows which now are pretty much guaranteed returns every season (American Dad, Cleveland Show and yes The Simpsons). Mass amounts of DVD sales and continued dollars when it got renewed.
- Fringe, nearing the end of season 3 there was big speculation the show would not return and would have no tidy ending. Fans spoke up, made a Twitter stir and season 4 was brought back in the fall of 2011.
- House, DVD sales resurged this show, along with some great stars and a cast suited up as producers made this show continue on long after it maybe should have died? But how many times was House threatened with a cancellation notice… despite it’s big audience?

Now take a look at Alcatraz. A fantastic show on the chopping block. Or is it?
If you look over the list of shows here, do you know what the one thing in common is? It’s one word. One studio word. The F word of all television. FOX

FOX knows how to stir up a scandal. They bring people on to American Idol with outstanding warrants. They make lofty promises or throw out TV death threats to stir up the masses. What better way to drive fan craze then to threaten to take away their favourite TV drug.

Maybe next time you hear of your favourite show getting thrown on the chopping block, take a look what studio is behind it and maybe an honest look at the show. Are you being made a puppeteer in a studios form of propaganda? Who knows maybe your show should get the axe, NCIS is actually quite terrible if you would just be honest with yourself.

Cheers,
Matthew A. Hawkins