As I reported earlier, ABC has chosen to cancel the freshman series Commander in Chief. The series stars Geena Davis as President Mackenzie Allen, the first female President of the United States. The show started off strong (with the critcs and in the ratings) but was then plagued by production issues — and then by a declining viewership. ABC has maintained that they believe in show and, though it will not appear on the Fall 2006 schedule, the show may not be gone for good.
It’s been reported that ABC chief Steve McPherson is actually in talks with Chief creator Rod Lurie to bring the characters back for a two-hour television movie. The deal isn’t finalized as yet but McPherson sounds hopeful they’ll be able to work something out over the summer.
“It’s a fantastic story that Rod has in mind, and there’s still a really dedicated audience for the show,” McPherson said. “It would give Rod a chance to tell a lot of stuff he didn’t get the opportunity to tell and give us another look at it (the concept) in a reconfigured form.” If the movie is produced and is successful, then other Commander in Chief projects may be produced in the future.
For those who can’t wait, be sure to tune in to ABC at the end of the month when the network will air the final three episodes of the first (but hopefully not last) season of Commander in Chief. Episodes are also available for download on
Apple’s online iTunes store.
I can’t beleive I enjoyed watching a women president. I cheered for her winning every week when Templeton tried to make her look bad. I hope someday we have a woman as president I know I will vote for her.
I just heard about Commander In Chief. WOW! reading the other comments, yes NYPD Blue was an intellegent show too, but there was just a little too much skin showing at times. The show was great and then at the end you get someones bare end-kinda ruined it. I’m not a prude, but can’t there be a good or GREAT show with out a rear end or other bodily appendages showing? Are they needing that much publicity that their acting can’t carry it over on the screen? I know “CiC”, had a scene or two, but it was not at… Read more »
If viewership was too low for ABC’s satisfaction, it was attributable to the way they mismanaged the scheduling of the show. It seemed it was always being time changed or day changed or replaced by some stupid special or just missing for a week or more. After starting like most shows with some wrinkles to be worked out, it became polished, developed a good story line, but was treated like a stepchild. It should be brought back in place of the vast amount of garbage that the networks offer nowadays.
I can’t believe ABC cancelled this show, as others have said our family loved it. I am sure it would have gained a lot more viewers if ABC would stop messing with the times. Most people are creatures of habit, they watch the same weekly shows every week. Taking a show off for a few weeks, changing times, etc. does not allow it to build a healthy following. I am very loyal to the show and I know I have missed a few because I didn’t know it was on. Think about it!
WE were traveling in May and June and my husband and I have been waiting for this show, only to find out it had been cancelled. You can’t be serious! We don’t watch TV other than news but never missed this and thought Geena Davis was brilliant. I have read all of the comments and need we say more? I am an avid reader and will not miss television per se, but this is a travesty. ABC is owned by Disney …… Hmm.
Judy Snow, Portland
I am saddened that ABC cancelled one of the most fascinating and intellectually stimulating shows it ever produced! Gina Davis is a class act that should have her own show. I can’t understand why ABC would shoot itself in the foot by constantly rescheduling and suspending the show. It is worth the effort to put it back on and let it remain on for a full season in the same time slot. I hope they reconsider. While a 2 hour story is intriguing, it will not satisfy those of us who want a regular diet of Commander In Chief with… Read more »
i am so disappointed that the show will not be back this fall. geena davis is my favorite actress and was perfect for the role. seriously put it back on instead of the bachelor or that rediculous show LOST. viewers want something with depth to it not some dumb show about a bunch of retards. everytime i heard a new episode would be airing i was so excited.it showed geena in an empowering role and encouraged me to run for the presidency someday. i am going to buy this seasons dvds and watch the 2 hour movie, but i truly,hopefully… Read more »
I am very upset that abc decied to cancell Commander in Cheif. I really enjoyed the show and when i would watch it i would want to go to my sc.studies classes. This show had lmost real issues that we had in america today and if Genna Davis would do something like this I think that she would be a good president. I hate the people that cancelled the show and i most certnantly hope that they have the 2 hour movie thing. Thanks.. I really need to get that out of my system
Please don’t cancel the show. Finally a program the family can enjoy together. Theres no nudity, bad language and people aren’t killing each other every 5 minutes. This show along with the West Wing are wonderful. It shows the inner workings of the White House and just how hard some decision from the Oval office are made and how hard they are to make. Bring back the family programming.
Thanks.
Commander in Chief is a great show. I don’t particulary watch a lot of TV and am quite selective. Geena Davis is great. It was not good that they kept switching the days/times of this show, put it in hiatus, and then cancel it. I mean you lose viewers whenever you switch not just the time but the day it’s supposed to be viewed.
Commander in Chief is inspiring for women, raises political issues and makes people discuss. I think it’s a lot better than Desperate Housewives; I grew tired of that. Please have a second season!!!
As a 16yro i dont like shows about the government but this show was off the hook the will lose a lot more viewers with this show gone. It showed that America was not willin to ajust but once they saw she knew what she was doin it was ok. Bring the show back or we want watch ur programs
Actually, I’ve been meaning to write a note to ABC and the other networks THANKING THEM for breaking me of the TV habit. By constantly moving my favorite shows around, substituting unrelated shows for the show I’m expecting to see, and by showing repeats during first-run TV season, the networks are helping me get over my long-term TV addiction, which I’ve had since earliest childhood! Lately, instead of watching my favorite TV shows (which these days I often can’t find), I’ve gone out for evening walks, seen friends, and even picked up a book (though I haven’t actually read any… Read more »
It is a shame this show is not going to come back this fall! Such a well written show. Finally something other than reality TV! ABC please look into this one more, I think they are throwing away a big hit show here. I think that when the fact this show was behind on production messed everything up. This show did very,very well when it first came on at it’s original day and time and then they stopped showing it abruptly for almost 8 weeks then aired it again here and there with 2 week gaps and then started showing… Read more »
COMMANDER AND CHIEF WAS THE BEST SHOW ON TELEVISION. HOW CAN ABC BE SO CARELESS IN THEIR SCHEDULING OF THIS SHOW? IT DISAPPEREARED FOR MONTHS WITH NO EXPLANATION AND THEN REAPPERED ON ANOTHER NIGHT AND TIME? I MISSED SEVERAL EPISODES JUST BECAUSE I HAD NO IDEA ON HOW TO FIND IT AND THEY SAY IT HAD LOW RATINGS? THE VIEWERS WERE NOT INFORMED ON WHY IT WAS OFF THE AIR AND THEN IT RETURNS ON ANOTHER NIGHT. HOW WERE WE TO KNOW?…I DEPENED ON THIS SHOW TO BE ON THE NIGHT IT HAD BEEN SCHEDULED AND WAS VERY DISAPPOINTED WHEN… Read more »
Par for the course for ABC. That is why I usually don’t watch shows on ABC. You get a good one, get interested and they cancel it to put on some really overblown cheesy reality BS. I watched CIC, until they put it on hiatus and moved it. I do not watch enough ABC to be able to know when they bring it back or switch it’s time slot. Besides that, once ABC starts putting shows on hiatus and moving them around, it is a sure sign that you are seeing their death knell. I would say they were threatened… Read more »