ABC’s new outer-space drama debuted on Sunday night. Will Defying Gravity be allowed to complete its mission or, like so many shows before it, be lost in space?
Defying Gravity follows the adventures of eight international astronauts as they fly a spaceship named Antares. On a top-secret mission, their lives are being recorded and telecast on Earth as part of a documentary. Despite the fact that the crewmembers wear libido-suppressing devices, there are plenty of romantic entanglements.
The show features the talents of Andrew Airlie, Christina Cox, Paula Garces, Laura Harris, Peter Howitt, Florentine Lahme, Karen LeBlanc, Ron Livingston, Ty Olsson, Zahf Paroo, Eyal Podell, Maxim Roy, Dylan Taylor, and Malik Yoba.
The sci-fi drama’s storyline is strangely similar to the failed pilot for Virtuality that aired a month ago. Defying Gravity is a Canadian series that’s co-produced by CTV, Omni Film Productions Limited, and Fox Television Studios. Filming has been completed on all 13 episodes of season one and Defying Gravity is currently airing in Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, and the United States.
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The show has been pitched as “Grey’s Anatomy in space” but unfortunately it hasn’t attracted the same level of viewership for ABC. Defying Gravity debuted on Sunday with a pair of episodes and was outperformed by competition of predominately repeats. The first hour attracted merely 3.83 million viewers and only a 1.1/3 rating/share in the 18-49 demographic. The second hour dropped to 3.56 million while the demo numbers stayed the same.
Defying Gravity moves to its regular timeslot of 10pm this Sunday night. Based on these numbers and the expected drop in ratings for the show’s second night, it’s very doubtful that ABC will continue to air the series for very long.
One has to wonder if ABC really expected the series to last very long anyway. As of now, the network has only scheduled some of the 13 episodes. By the time that Brothers & Sisters returns for its fourth season, at most only nine episodes of Defying Gravity will have aired.
Whether ABC intends to move the show to a new night (normally Saturday but there’s college football coming) or pull it altogether remains to be seen. Either way, with numbers like these, it’s inconceivable that the show will be coming back for another year on ABC.
What do you think? Should the show have a future or should ABC just pull the plug and cancel it already?
Image courtesy ABC.
I agree with all the comments above……a good start to something that looked authentic..
like going to the space station……nothing since Star Trek Voyager…..demented!!!!!!!
I agree completely with Shay’s comments. This show would have been awesome and actually was picking up some good momentum in episode 13. Honestly, a book usually sucks in the beginning, but it always ends up being great. The same thing happens with TV shows, just got to give it a chance. For all the Canadians out there, I swear I saw what seemed to be like a commercial for season 2. I am not entirely sure, but I think it was on CTV. Now why it was important, is that (although not sure) I believe I saw it about… Read more »
Do the higher ups at the networks only think about ratings in the first few episodes? Have they forgotten the lessons of Star Trek and a few other shows that started with low numbers in the genesis of the series? Just look at the phenom regarding Trek and its follow ups. One of the most prolific franchises on TV was canceled in its prime due to low ratings. Law and Order started low too, and look at it now. I just wish the bean counters would have a little longer view of these things. Defying Gravity would have gone on… Read more »
Defying Gravity was one of the few science oriented shows that I really got into, and it was the interaction between the characters that snared me from episode one. I am very hopeful that the series will continue and that the faithful watchers will not be left high and dry. At the very least, ABC should produce a 2 hour movie to give their fans some closure and know what the characters have been up against and how it will affect their lives and relationships. Isn’t that what good really good TV is all about, relationships? Anyway, I hope we… Read more »
Maybe if ABC put as much advertising into this as it did/does Grey’s Anatomy, there would be a greater fan base.
For the record, I believe Defying Gravity actually has a much better and much more original plot base than Grey’s.
Why? When you are really into a show, they just leave you hanging forever. Please bring it back!!!
Defying Gravity may not have scored much according to ratings but, this show had so much more substance and quality actors than the new Stargate diabolical!…I think that if this series was aired on the Sci-Fi Channel it would have been received with much viewing anticipation!….I know that Sci-Fi fans like my-self look to the Sci-Fi Channel for quality Sci-Fi programs….I am sorry that such a fabulous series has been canceled!….I would like to know how I can view the last episode?…Anyone know out their?…….De
Ididnt even know there was such a series until recently I came across it then Instantly gotten addicted. Series is fantastic. Unlike some “COMIC” like Scifi series. these are more toward the possible near future. Show was great but I can see why some are not into it, as its more based on factual “SCIENCE “with limited audiences who may be into these kind. Honestly though its one of the best series I seen in recent years. Since it ends with visiting the planet venus, it will be very intersting to see continuation of journey through rest of the planets… Read more »
I just discovered that this show was canceled. It just seems to me that they don’t want a good sci-fi based movie. They place it in time slots and days that are so completive that a new show doesn’t stand a chance. This show was a smart show it had believable relationships between the actors which are far from the mindless 30min sitcom that are on today. It also had a good story line that would have matured if the show was given a chance. I realize that the rating were not that good but neither were Star Trek’s ,… Read more »
How about the fact that many of us didn’t even know the series existed and was being shown on ABC. I’ve just now seen the first 4 episodes and I must say that I’m hooked. The inter-relationships between the cast member is very exciting to me. The charaters are smooth yet volitoial and I can’t get enough.
I’d like to see more! I guess I will have to dig around the internet.
ABC had conditioned me to ignore it’s programming until “Defying Gravity” came along. Someone must have ratted me out however, because as soon as I got interested they shot themselves in the foot again. Hopefully some independants will pick up the show.
being aired on bbc2 here doesnt help ratings
i could cry, me and the boyf are gutted, we loved it x
“Defying Gravity” was a really intriguing show, much better than I had expected it to be. ABC should have at least run all of the episodes; renewal would have been a welcome bonus — perhaps as a summer show? (Note to ABC: cable has unique seasons for shows spread across the year, and they’re quite successful at this!)
Sure hope that it at least comes out on DVD, with all of the eps!
I really was disappointed with it being cancelled. Once you got to grips with the forward and back motion of the flash backs, it really got you stuck into it. From about esp 8 onwards were the best, it got going. But it is rather annoying about american economics that the dropped it after the 1st series, i partly blame the bbc as well!