View Full Version : Shows that were killed by an outside source?


TMC
05-09-2015, 01:02 AM
In other words, shows that caused you to lose interest in because of something that DIDN'T happen on the show?

Examples:
*Dawn Ostroff had Smackdown cancelled (and moved to MyNetwork), despite the show being The CW's most popular show, saying that it didn't fit her vision for a network (i.e., Lifetime-lite). She also dropped Reba, despite it being one of their top rated shows, even the repeats were outdrawing everyone else's.

*The Crow: Stairway to Heaven. Good ratings, good critical reception, got killed when PolyGram was sold to Universal in 1999, who promptly killed the PolyGram TV division and all its productions as they had gotten out of producing television the year previously.

*Just the Ten of Us was killed by ABC because Miller and Boyett, the production team for most of their TGIF block, wanted to have the entire block. Instead of simply moving a show with moderate ratings to a different night (or, you know, telling M&B to be happy with what they had), they killed the show to make a couple of producers happy. The replacement show was crap and quickly cancelled.

*Sons of Guns was killed because the main character was under suspicion of being a pedophile. Don't know if it's gone to court yet.

*Firefly was killed by executives who wanted it to be Star Trek.

*Murder She Wrote was killed because the network decided to run it against Friends.

*Gilligan's Island was cancelled to make room for Gunsmoke, it was the wife of the president of CBS's favorite show.

bmasters9
05-09-2015, 05:09 AM
*Murder She Wrote was killed because the network decided to run it against Friends.

Just plain bonehead, that one! MSW had done well for most of its run after football and 60 Minutes on CBS, and then was moved to Thursdays against Friends?! How incredibly lame!

tlc38tlc38
05-09-2015, 08:20 AM
Just plain bonehead, that one! MSW had done well for most of its run after football and 60 Minutes on CBS, and then was moved to Thursdays against Friends?! How incredibly lame!
I agree. The MSW move was just dumb. It probably could've went a few more seasons because it actually never lost steam. I keep my fingers crossed for a new MSW TV movie!

70s show watcher
05-09-2015, 05:43 PM
les moonves killed promised land by ordering producer Martha willimson to make all sorts changes wich were not needed I have read that while he tolerated touched by an angel he had an absoloute hatered for promised land and tried to to everything possible to sabatoge it

TMC
05-09-2015, 07:07 PM
Just plain bonehead, that one! MSW had done well for most of its run after football and 60 Minutes on CBS, and then was moved to Thursdays against Friends?! How incredibly lame!

I always thought that CBS at that point in time (especially when Les Moonves came in charge) was kind of embarrassed that MSW was one of their top rated shows at the time. I say this because CBS at the time was fighting a stigma that they were the TV network for "old people" and nothing epitomized that more than a show starring Angela Lansberry.

You also need to keep in mind that by the time that Friends went on on the air in the fall of 1994, CBS no longer had football, having lost the NFC package to Fox.

tlc38tlc38
05-09-2015, 08:35 PM
I always thought that CBS at that point in time (especially when Les Moonves came in charge) was kind of embarrassed that MSW was one of their top rated shows at the time. I say this because CBS at the time was fighting a stigma that they were the TV network for "old people" and nothing epitomized that more than a show starring Angela Lansberry.

You also need to keep in mind that by the time that Friends went on on the air in the fall of 1994, CBS no longer had football, having lost the NFC package to Fox.
I never have liked Les Moonves or his wife (that's the reason I can't stand "The Talk" or "Big Brother"). They both act too snobby and uppity.

I've always been a MSW fan and I'm only 32 but then again I've always considered myself to have an "old" soul.

James
05-12-2015, 02:15 AM
ABC canceled The Wonder Years after Ron Perelman at Revlon decided not to sponsor the show anymore, at least according to an interview in 2007 with Dan Lauria (aka Jack Arnold). This was when the cast was getting ready for a seventh season, only to wind up on unemployment. After watching the interview (43 minutes on YouTube, to be specific) I have in some years written letters to Revlon asking their President to fire Mr. Perelman on May 12, the day its finale aired in 1993.

Then in 2011 President Obama nominated Mr. Perelman for a position in his Cabinet ... and he won reelection in 2012! What's this world come to?!?!?!

TMC
05-12-2015, 02:39 AM
ABC canceled The Wonder Years after Ron Perlman (sp?) at Revlon (http://www.forbes.com/free_forbes/2005/1010/050.html) decided not to sponsor the show anymore, at least according to an interview in 2007 with Dan Lauria (aka Jack Arnold). This was when the cast was getting ready for a seventh season, only to wind up on unemployment. After watching the interview (43 minutes on YouTube, to be specific) I have in some years written letters to Revlon asking their President to fire Mr. Perlman on May 12, the day its finale aired in 1993.

Then in 2011 President Obama nominated Mr. Perlman for a position in his Cabinet ... and he won reelection in 2012! What's this world come to?!?!?!

Speaking of Ron Perelman, do you know that he had a hand in almost destroying (http://www.milehighcomics.com/tales/cbg38.html) Marvel Comics (http://www.denofgeek.com/movies/marvel/34092/how-marvel-went-from-bankruptcy-to-billions)?

UMFaninMD
05-14-2015, 07:54 PM
ABC cancelled All My Children and One Life to Live so they could focus more on less-expensive and younger-skewing lifestyle shows. In its place was The Chew, a food show, and The Revolution, about weight loss and health. The Chew is still on but The Revolution was yanked after three months due to very low ratings...proof that viewers will not automatically flock to the latest "change your life" show and do want scripted escapist entertainment.

MrCleveland
05-14-2015, 09:57 PM
(I Think) Futurama and Family Guy in the early 2000's were killed by The Simpsons...then The Simpsons killed The Cleveland Show and American Dad...though FG returned to FOX, AD went to TBS, and Futurama ran on CC...The Cleveland Show just ended and though I'd like to see a 2nd run...it won't!

treky
05-15-2015, 12:03 AM
In other words, shows that caused you to lose interest in because of something that DIDN'T happen on the show?

Examples:
*Dawn Ostroff had Smackdown cancelled (and moved to MyNetwork), despite the show being The CW's most popular show, saying that it didn't fit her vision for a network (i.e., Lifetime-lite). She also dropped Reba, despite it being one of their top rated shows, even the repeats were outdrawing everyone else's.

*The Crow: Stairway to Heaven. Good ratings, good critical reception, got killed when PolyGram was sold to Universal in 1999, who promptly killed the PolyGram TV division and all its productions as they had gotten out of producing television the year previously.

*Just the Ten of Us was killed by ABC because Miller and Boyett, the production team for most of their TGIF block, wanted to have the entire block. Instead of simply moving a show with moderate ratings to a different night (or, you know, telling M&B to be happy with what they had), they killed the show to make a couple of producers happy. The replacement show was crap and quickly cancelled.

*Sons of Guns was killed because the main character was under suspicion of being a pedophile. Don't know if it's gone to court yet.

*Firefly was killed by executives who wanted it to be Star Trek.

*Murder She Wrote was killed because the network decided to run it against Friends.

*Gilligan's Island was cancelled to make room for Gunsmoke, it was the wife of the president of CBS's favorite show.GUNSMOKE was the CBS PRESIDENTS favorite show; not his wifes. And it was GILLIGANS ISLAND and RUN BUDDY RUN that were canceled to make room for it.

treky
05-15-2015, 12:05 AM
THE HONEYMOONERS was canceled by their sponsor, Buick. Back then a shows sponsor could do that.

MrCleveland
05-15-2015, 09:56 AM
THE HONEYMOONERS was canceled by their sponsor, Buick. Back then a shows sponsor could do that.

I heard many cartoons like Linus the Lion-Hearted were cancelled because of the uses of a sponsor for a TV Show...it wasn't allowed by 1969.

Can this policy be revamped today? We see American Idol use Coca-Cola a lot....

KurtfromPitts
05-20-2015, 11:21 AM
Run Buddy Run had been gone for some time when Gilligan's Island got the boot in favor of Gunsmoke. Mr. Terrific replaced RBR in January.

Coffeecup
05-20-2015, 04:14 PM
ABC cancelled All My Children and One Life to Live so they could focus more on less-expensive and younger-skewing lifestyle shows. In its place was The Chew, a food show, and The Revolution, about weight loss and health. The Chew is still on but The Revolution was yanked after three months due to very low ratings...proof that viewers will not automatically flock to the latest "change your life" show and do want scripted escapist entertainment.
How many scripted shows are on in the day now? Most are chit chat shows, judge courtroom shows or Maury Povich disfuntional type shows or a few games shows. Times have changed.