We’ve received quite a few comments and emails from readers who can’t believe that FlashForward was cancelled when another ABC show, V, was renewed?
On Tuesday, ABC Entertainment President Steve McPherson explained the difficult decision this way, “It was a ‘Sophie’s Choice.’ In the end, FlashForward didn’t engage audiences like we hoped. For V, I get more anecdotal calls and emails than any other show on the schedule. A huge part of rebuilding the network is about taking chances. Some shows just don’t work out.”
While that sounds very nice, ultimately the decision to renew or cancel any TV show comes down to ratings.
FlashForward premiered with a strong 4.0 rating in the 18-49 demographic and 12.47 million viewers. Viewership quickly declined though and has been steadily falling. The two most recent episodes have fallen to a 1.3 rating and about 4.8 million viewers. That’s terrible for a network show.
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Meanwhile, V debuted with a 5.2 rating in the demo and 14.3 million viewers. V’s numbers have fallen quite a bit as well but not nearly as low as FlashForward’s. After dropping to a low of a 1.9 rating in the demo and 4.87 million viewers, the last two episodes’ ratings have risen a bit — reaching a 2.3 rating and 5.69 million.
So, while both shows have indeed been struggling, V is still doing quite a bit better than FlashForward (though certainly not great). ABC tends to save one or two struggling shows each season and V was their choice this time around. FlashForward’s ratings were just too low.
V is set to return in early 2011, or possibly as early as November 2010. The four month hiatus really hurt V’s ratings this season. You have to wonder if a six or eight month hiatus will kill it altogether this time?
What do you think? Which show did you prefer? Why do you think that FlashForward’s viewership has dropped so low? Will the long break between seasons kill V?
Images courtesy ABC.
Flash Forward was a really intelligent well-crafted series that deserves a life somewhere else. I don’t understand how a network can put such a quality show on the air then not support it. ABC did the same thing last summer with Defying Gravity. And the summer before they had an awesome anthology SF series made from classic SF stories. Why do they do this to us? I refuse to watch network TV anymore because there are idiots running the networks. They want us – the viewers – to be loyal but they show no loyalty to us. To them we’re… Read more »
Flashforward it’s a great TV series, as well as the “V”, you have to bring back Flashforward. I am not into TV and since Flashforward started I have not missed one show. The time lapse for “V” will definitely kill it.
My wife and I watch the “V” every single night. I cant believe that ABC is going to do this again to us>> “November or early 2011!” There is definitely something wrong with how ABC is conducting there business. Keep a show and stick to it. Gosh I know ratings are important but when you began pulling shows off the air like they never existed…. It kinda makes your viewers go somewhere else for entertainment. So good luck ABC because if the “V” fails to return I’m just gonna block ABC from my guide on DISH Network.
I love both shows. It’s not fair to have to choose between the two. They’re both excellent suspense dramas. They just keep you wanting more. I’ll be so dissappointed if either of them is cancelled.
I watched and recorded both V and Flashforward. I was just telling my kids last night what happened to the show and I wanted them to buy both series for me. You need to put these shows back on.
I believe that the “effect Lost,” where questions are never answered contributed to the fall of audience flahs forward.
The fear of not knowing whether the questions would have rejected the viewer responses.
But, in Brazil we love flash forward…
FlashForward is definitely the better show and showed marked improvement during the last few months. V, on the other hand, just keeps plodding along, promising great revelations, etc. but delivery ZILCH. I hung on with V through the season ender and was I sorry! Got to be the lamest finale ever. Maybe the whole thing is a bad dream like on Dallas. With FlashForward now canceled and leaving a number of unanswered questions (thanks ABC!) I will be watching ZERO programs on that network. At least Fox had the good sense to stick with Fringe.
ABC shouldn’t cancel either show (FF or V). They both were great! Ratings are under rated since people have lives and thankfully with the ability to be able to view the shows at a later date and stay up to date on shows – people like me are able to still enjoy these type of shows.
PLEASE ABC don’t take either show away! They both are terrific.
V lost me quickly and never got me back. Retread plot lines, bad dialogue and a waste of acting talent across the board. Dumb, dumbed-down. Flash Forward held my interest for three episodes, then my life got too busy so I recorded two months of it and started to watch again between the sweeps period. The show got stronger and stronger and I was hooked. But then I was hooked by Amsterdam and Life on Mars, similar high concept shows and they were canceled!! How about FF as a summer show? Its ratings have to be better than reruns of… Read more »
I am extremely disappointed and upset by this. I was counting on this show to fill the hole left by Lost, and now what…? Perhaps another network will pick it up…sigh.
Obviously the producers of the show didn’t see the axe falling in their Flash Forward or at the very least they would of had a 2 hour wrap up to properly put the show to bed. I’ll have to say that I’m very disappointed that the show has been cancelled because the writing & acting was superb. I appreciated that the plots were never predictable & it always left you wanting more & waiting for the next episode. The Network did not do enough to save it or help it to find it’s audience, like change it’s time slot &… Read more »
that’s a shame, that’s a shame.. why the hell…? FlashForward is the best show ever! by the way, do you really think this kind of “END” could be left opened like this? it was really future SHOCK! Let’s forget this ******** about cancelling this show and keep going!!!
I cannot believe they won’t continue to produce a new series of Flashforward. Me and my family have watched it from the very beginning and cannot say that we have any episode has let us down. Unlike any other series it had a story line which was easy to follow, it was not full of insignificant characters as we got to know all the main characters throughout the series. It is not often here in the UK we get series which are aired on terrestrial TV as most shows like Prison Break and Lost end up being poached by Sky… Read more »
I’d be really curious to know what ratings were on the table?
US only ???
I loved flashforward!!!