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V: Is the ABC Series Already Doomed to be Cancelled?

Published:December 1, 2009

V tv showThough the television networks don’t seem to notice, remakes of old series rarely meet with much success. While shows like Bionic Woman, Knight Rider, and Melrose Place bring name recognition, they rarely live up to expectations. Still, ABC moved ahead with their plans to revive V. Though it was initially successful, will it ultimately meet the same fate?

Like the original, the new V revolves around the arrival of aliens to the planet Earth. While the visitors profess that they’ve come in peace, their ulterior motives slowly become clear. The cast includes Elizabeth Mitchell, Morena Baccarin, Morris Chestnut, Joel Gretsch, Logan Huffman, Lourdes Benedicto, Laura Vandervoort, and Scott Wolf.

The new V started out strong with a 5.2 rating in the 18-49 demographic and 14.3 million total viewers. That was the highest rated debut of the 2009-10 season.

Unfortunately, a large percentage of those viewers didn’t return for the second week. Episode two brought in a 3.8 rating and 10.7 million.

Week three dropped yet again, to a 3.1 in the demo and 9.26 million viewers. Last week, the numbers evened off and episode four attracted a third place 3.1 rating for 18-49 viewers and a total viewership of 9.2 million. While those numbers are pretty good on their own, they do represent a 40% drop in the demo when compared to the premiere.

Will the long hiatus kill the new V?

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If the ratings held steady, the series would likely be headed for a second season. Unfortunately, in part due to backstage problems, ABC has made the risky decision to split up the season into two parts. The first group of V episodes has finished airing and now, the series isn’t expected to return until after the Winter Olympics in March 2010.

If recent viewership trends have taught us anything, they’ve shown that long breaks can be disastrous for a serial drama’s ratings. People naturally become interested in other shows and any momentum is lost. What’s more, because storylines are ongoing and complicated, few new people feel inclined to start watching midseason.

Shows like Lost and Heroes saw significant drops in viewership when they took long midseason breaks. They both had very strong ratings and a lot of buzz going into their respective hiatuses. Fortunately, enough viewers returned to keep them on the air.

TV show supportThe new V doesn’t have nearly as much viewer buzz and can’t afford to lose many more viewers. If a high percentage of people don’t return to watch the second half of the season, V won’t survive and will be cancelled.

What do you think? Are you anxiously awaiting the show’s return? Will the hiatus kill the new V and cause its cancellation?


Image courtesy ABC.

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{ 217 comments… read them below or add one }

Aurelio January 31, 2010 at 8:11 pm

I agree that a hiatus hurts a series. So why are there so many series with hiatuses? I’m thinking of Lost, Prison Break, and others. It seems like a new fad in TV programming. What’s the reason for it? Executive indecision might explain the break in V, but n0t in the other cases.

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Brian S. February 1, 2010 at 1:24 am

ABC should stand for already been cancelled. So many good shows are never given any support. I don

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penny0382 February 1, 2010 at 11:22 am

I think alot of shows get kill when they cut them off and wait months to put them back on. Thats how I stop watching them and start watching something else. Loss interest and start watching something else. I liked “V”. I hate the way they do their TV series now. It was better when they had it the other way.

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penny0382 February 1, 2010 at 11:31 am

Haven’t u notice people are renting movies to watch…because our TV program sucks. U get into there series and it get cut off and months coming back on, then we get into another program. I like the way they did it before. Fall, summer and spring. We knew how it worked. TV series are good, but the people who plan them need to take a look…step back…we have so many stations now a days. I liked V and a few others. But I will forget about them and start watching something else.

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dandaman February 1, 2010 at 3:04 pm

I am very anxious for V to return. I think it’s by far my favorite new show this year and I devoured each episode. I have no clue why others rag on it.

It’s too bad that it went on hiatus after only four episodes. Things are looking grim but I’m crossing my fingers since I liked it so much.

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Robert February 2, 2010 at 7:32 pm

From the episodes of “V” that I watched, I liked the show very much. I was just asking my wife when “V” would be back on. I assumed it would begin again when 24 started up for the new season. I hope you don’t cancel the show.
If ABC doesn’t hype the show, or the viewers don’t let the network know that they like it, it will surely die. That would be too bad…

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sandra February 4, 2010 at 7:25 pm

I am looking forward for its return I really hope that another really good show dosen’t get cancelled

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Kraka Shu February 8, 2010 at 5:27 am

I think everyone is crazy. I grew up in the 80′s and I have hoped for someone to re-make V, and we have it. If anyone watched the first 5 episodes and saw the last clip where they showed all of those ships, then you know what’s gonna happen. I waited for 5 shows for that and the fact the made me wait sucks, but they showed us why it’s worth wating. It will get the ratings back and be an awesome show. DO NOT CANCEL!!!!

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Kosmic February 9, 2010 at 7:11 pm

I was a big fan of the series back in the 80′s while growing up and I watched the new one a bit skeptical at first but I have to say that I really liked it too, with all the new twists and story changes. I’m very eager and can’t wait for the season to begin again. I live in Central America so I didn’t get to see it on national US television but on the web reffered by a friend and we have spread the word so much that we have created a new legion of fans down here who are also eagerly waiting for V too!! please don’t cancel it!! Fans in Panama

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Sue February 10, 2010 at 4:16 am

Im looking forward to seeing more of V. I know alot of others that are awaiting for V to come back again. There is a whole group of us looking forward to another season and more to come. we all are waiting…..

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W.C. Burns February 10, 2010 at 9:10 am

I think the show will not survive. I liked the original V, but I think this new ‘V’, is overall, pretty boring, and unless the writers can come up with something really innovative in the next set of episodes, it’s doomed. I was glad to see some of my faves like Morena Baccarin and Alan Tudyk (from the very excellent and stupidly cancelled series Firefly) working again, but I’m afraid even they need better material to work with.

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Whitney February 10, 2010 at 11:54 am

While I cannot control what ABC does, I can say this for sure – I won’t be watching when it comes back. I marginally enjoyed the series (thought the first episode was horrible, but it improved with each new episode.)

But it’s been gone for so long that I am no longer invested, and not willing to start from scratch again. Same with FlashForward.

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Art Liles February 19, 2010 at 3:25 pm

It seems ABC has become famous for holding back tv shows, like V (2009) that could have lasting power IF they did not make LONG breaks between air times. The idea is to bring a regular audiance to it, and add more as it has a chance to gain more fans. But ‘fear’ of ratings makes them make hugh mistakes in programing and loose fans and ratings all on there own doing. Network fear has killed many good shows, past.

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Derek February 23, 2010 at 7:06 pm

The hiatus won’t kill the show, it killed itself from the start. The only thing worse than the acting was the … well nothing really.

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Paul February 25, 2010 at 1:20 pm

V was lame when it started. Many people rag on it because they didn’t build it up. They just started it fast like “We are aliens and look attractive so we are good and you love us” and everyone just said “OK”. I loved the old series and found myself watching them when they were on SYFY even though I hate watching “old” shows because it’s all grainy and crappy looking but the storyline was great.

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