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.
I’ve never felt as bittersweet about a one-season show as this one. How I feel about ABC is tempered, of course, by the no-brainer decision to keep both The Middle and Modern Family, and long may they run, but still … I can sympatize with a lot of the people here. It was smart and engaging if you liked a mystery, which maybe was the problem. Not that there weren’t enough other people like that out there. But maybe too many people who would have made up a good core audience were already watching Lost and didn’t want to start… Read more »
Flashforward is a better show. I wonder if the night and time is what killed the show. I consistently had to watch it on line because Thursdays at eight were hard for me.
There are just 3 shows that I have to watch each week. FlashForward quickly became one of those shows when it began. It is smart, well-paced, well-acted and very well-written. As much of a fan of science fiction as I am, I tried to watch V, but just found it too fake and unbelievable. On the other hand, FlashForward came across as believable and intriguing. I listen to the execs talk about taking chances all the time, how they took a chance on this or that show, but it didn’t work out. V will be a disappointment. I don’t mean… Read more »
ok listen i hate this channel now!!! all they are doing is cancelling the best freaking shows. so guess what?! your channel is nothing without flash forward, nothing!!!!
i have to agree with almost everyone else. This is like my 3rd post about this. I think that once abc decided they weren’t going to air the show anymore its like they just don’t care anymore. They complain about the ratings going down as they get closer to the end but i mean really how many people do they think is going to keep watching a show that is just going to end with so many questions left unanswered. I keep seeing advertisments for the summer line up on abc, well as i have said before I WILL NEVER… Read more »
original fans of the Visitors watch V. I don’t like the show, it seems a bit crazy, not perfect acting and just downright bad. It’s schedule also collides with The Good Wife. FlashForward (and Desperate Housewives) was my only reason looking forward to ABC 7.
I also have been watching both V and FlashForward and am surprised that V was chosen over FF. I think FF is a more intriguing story line and the writing much stronger. Isn’t there another channel out there that will pick it up? In the past, there is a history of some shows not really succeeding until the 2nd or 3rd season. It took some brave TV execs to give those shows a chance. I wish ABC had done the same with FlashForward.
Flash Forward was a sophisticated show and much better than V. It seems quality shows just cannot survive in America’s desire for “reality” (not) TV and mindless entertainment. Maybe we should just all read a good book.
This is an awesome show. This show is the best new & creatively different series. I dislike all the same sitcoms year in & year out. They’re basically all the same: but someone came along and made a truly different drama with an amazing concept. Please reconsider keeping this show and canceling sitcoms and V. I watch V; but if asked to choose, hands down the choice is FlashForward.
Yeah, V gets the ratings because people don’t change channels quickly enough after Lost, and there’s nothing like Survivor or Bones (let alone both!) on other channels. FlashForward was killed when the scheduling was set; since no network ever admits that its scheduling is imperfect (only the shows are, silly), FF gets the axe. Since no TV network exec can be seen as thinking intelligently (or being “too cerebral,” in networkese), any show that actually ENCOURAGES people to think starts out with five strikes against it. This has been true in American television for half a century or more. Meanwhile,… Read more »
Flash Forward is way better than V
V has nothing up against it on Tues nights and a huge lead in with Lost yet Flash Forward has to go up again Survivor, Bones, and NBC comedies. Let them switch places and see who has better ratings
Love FlashForward. I didn’t like the pilot, but have really gotten into the show since. I do record it on the DVR and watch later, so that’s probably not helping, but I’m totally addicted to this show and very disappointed it won’t be returning.
Can we get two comments since ABC is hard of hearing?
I really like this show. It is at the top of my TV viewing. Thinking about this show keeps me awake at night in deep thought.
Have y’all lost y’all minds?
I’ll have to agree with most of the comments I read. I particularly agree with the comments from ‘farsighted’ . The Neilson ratings DO NOT indicate the shows people really want to watch. The Networks try to outdo each other and tend to put all the good shows on opposite one another……so people HAVE to pick only one to watch….but you can bet they are taping their favorites at the same time. It’s like Friday nights and the networks crying that no one watches……well it’s hard to watch a good show if the network’s don’t put them on. I started… Read more »
I would have chosen to save Flashforward. The script is more smart, the story line was tighter.
Ultimately, since this show was more scientifically sound, that may have turned off some viewers