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 love to watch V and Flash Forward…they are my 2 favorite new shows and will be very disappointed if either are cancelled…If push came to shove I’d pick Flash Forward as my very favorite!
ABC has done it again; taken a show with a lot of promise (and a great plot line, i.e. “Life”) and kicked it to the curb. Flashforward is one of the very few shows that I watch without fail.
I thoroughly enjoyed flashforward and watched it faithfully.. I cannot believe it is canceled. I am getting very discouraged with watching TV anymore. Just when I really like a show it is canceled. Our whole family watched this show. Is there anyway that is may not be canceled? Or is it already done? This truely upsets me….
I want FLASHFORWARD!
Seriously, why did I just watch the series finale?
LOVED FlashForward…never had ANY interest in V. I hope that somehow, ABC changes its mind. This is a great show.
My family love flashforward. It stood up against the Olympics and World Series and still had a lot of viewers. Please reconsider and bring it back next season!
PLEASE do NOT cancel Flash Forward! I don’t watch network TV at all — except for Flash Forward. I have been an avid 24 viewer, but otherwise only watched ESPN and Fox News. But this year I thought I had found my new favorite show — even beating out 24 in my opinion. I was very distressed when I learned today that the show has been canceled. How could you do that? It is the best show available. And how could you cancel it, leaving us up in the air with the season finale? Please, please, please bring it back.… Read more »
Flashfoward is a great show and it is horrible that it is being canceled. It is the only show that I enjoy to watch on channel 7, know there is no reason for me to watch channel 7 at all. Too bad I know several people who feel the same way.
ABC is a joke, the Alien angle has never been done before, ITS ALL NEW (my @$$), atleats this plot here has something somewhat to do with the world right now (the mechanism that cause the blackouts is like the Large Hadron Collider in Europe)…this is the 3rd show Ive watched on TV, I usually just watch sports, that I got into and it gets cancelled..Journeyman, Jericho and now FlashForward…Never again am I getting into TV shows…
Also, FF >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Lost
why doe they have to be gay! **** them
Flashforward was the best show out there
now its gone, first ABC Family kills my Kyle XY and now my FlashForward!!!!
just as it gets good, screw them, we’ll see if i keep viewing ABC shows
I wonder if ABC has thought that once they came out and said they were canceling Flashforward people stopped watching. I know for a fact my family has stopped watching in because it was getting canceled and they didn’t see the point in continuing watching. My household still watches in hopes ABC will change their minds and bring it back. Flashforward is the only show that I watch on Thursday nights and I never missed an episode. Maybe ABC shouldn’t have had that 4 month break and maybe they would have kept their audience!
V is hands down my favorite show on TV. I loved the mini series from the 80’s but now it’s so much better. The cast, the acting, and the story are fantastic. Sure it’s got some holes (like the visitors not having guards in the egg chamber or video surveillance at least).
I never watched one episode of FlashForward so I can’t compare the two. What I do know is that there are way too many cop and hospital shows on tv.
John May Lives!
Flashforward isn’t a cop show. It’s not even comparable to shows like CSI where they use unrealistic methods to solve 4 cases in 1 episode that would normally take months in the real world. Flashforward is not that kind of show at all.
I watched Flashforward and V. I loved Flashforward. I stopped watching V after the 2nd or 3rd episode.
I’m a fan of both ‘V’ & ‘FlashForward’. I was a HUGE fan of the original ‘V’ miniseries and was hoping this new take on it would live up to the original. Sadly for me, it hasn’t. I gave it an entire season for benefit of the doubt. The original miniseries + The Final Battle was only 10 hours long & still managed to have way more characters with all background stories intertwined, far more battles, visitors plot exposed, resistance base moved several times, etc. while with an entire season of the new series we still haven’t learned exactly what… Read more »
What ABC clearly/sadly does not know (and/or care) is that there are millions of us – outside USA – who watch and love the show ( FLASHFORWARD )… But than again, we do not bring the advertiser-money…
I’ll admit V is a good show and I watch it but I LOVE!! Flash Forward. It’s makes you thibk and it’s filled with a lot of drama, maybe not as much as Lost(which I never watched) but it was a first of it’s kind and was a brilliant idea. Just like “My Own Worst Enemy” loved that show and now gone. Still pissed about that one after all this time. Thanks to you guys and the only thing I’m gonna watch is Castle. Do you EEEEVVVVEEERRR take into account dvr’ing, online watching or the fact it’s popularity could show… Read more »
You’ve done it again. Put a great show on opposite Survivor, put it on hiatus and then wonder why it’s lost viewers. Come on!!! Survivor is moving and we want Flashforward!! Taking into consideration all the millions that DVR shows like this one should tell you something. If it’s not back you can consider me no longer a fan of ABC among the other millions that feel the same way. WAKE UP!!!!!!!!!!