While today’s NBC infront presentation brought good news for fans of struggling shows like Heroes and Parks and Recreation. Those who enjoy Life weren’t so lucky.
Life revolves around detective Charlie Crews (Damian Lewis), a man who served a dozen years for murders that he didn’t commit. He lost all that was dear to him but survives thanks to his studies of Zen philosophy. He eventually rejoins the LAPD but is a very different man. Others in the cast include Sarah Shahi, Adam Arkin, Brent Sexton, Donal Logue, Brooke Langton, Robin Weigert, Jennifer Siebel, Victor Rivers, and Jessy Schram.
The NBC drama debuted in September 2007 to 10.15 million viewers and a 4.1/11 rating/share of the 18-49 demographic. Later episodes sank to a low of 5.72 million and a 2/6. If not for the writers strike, NBC would have cancelled Life after one year. The execs instead decided to give it another try and renewed the series for a second season.
Unfortunately, the next round of episodes didn’t perform any better than the first. NBC needs fewer shows next season because of their Jay Leno experiment but, even if they didn’t, Life wouldn’t be coming back with such poor ratings.
NBC’s co-chair, Ben Silverman, made it official today and confirmed that Life won’t be coming back next season. Thankfully, the last episode of the series gave viewers some closure and answers to ongoing questions. These days, that’s a luxury that few other shows are given.
Image courtesy NBC.
How unfortunate that NBC made a decision to cut in my view one of the best casted and written series to come along in decades. If it had poor ratings, I’d suggest that it was on too early, a time slot when parents didn’t want their children to see mayhem or deal with the more mature subject matter portrayed. I like Jay Leno but 5 nights a week is too much pressure on Leno/O’Brien writers to be unique. too many eggs in your basket and not much thought in programming.
Life is one of the best shows that’s been on TV for quite some time. I am heartbroken that it has been cancelled. I miss Charlie Crews and Dani Reese something awful – they were great and the writing was awesome.
Breath life back into LIFE the TV for those of us who enjoy thinking!!!!
Well…..here we go again, The highly over paid TV Execs try to think and their lack of knowledge has again caused another teriffic show (LIFE) to go up in flames! So please stop thinking and let us the under paid average citizens who actually watch the TV shows & advertisements that pay your rediculous salaries advise you that you are wrong! You continue to cancel the shows we enjoy and are leaving the stupid reality shows on. Most of those reality TV shows do nothing but reveal how stupid & desperate some humans can be and require little to NO… Read more »
Life is one of the first T.V. shows I’ve enjoyed in years. I’m sick of the reality/competition shows, and refuse to waste my time.
NBC used to have the best shows, they cancelled so many good shows but now with LIFE being cancelled I refuse to watch anything on NBC. I hope another network picks up the show, the plot and the actors are great.
I WANT “LIFE” BACK !!!!!!!!!
I really liked Life. I liked it so much that I had it DVR because I worked nights all the time. I also bought the first and only two seasons on DVD. Now I find out that it is canceled. That makes me so pissed. Here is bow pissed it makes me I quit watching all the TV shows on NBC. I have also canceled all the DVR showes and everything.
Screw NBC
i live in italy and i love life serie. i can’t understand the producer decision. this is a good product, no usual, no similar to others…please tv show cannot live only with numbers but also with quality. thanks
Screw ABC, Screw NBC, cancel Eli Stone and Life and we are left with crap like Castle and whatever. Gee I wonder why most of the shows that I watch are on HBO and FX, ie., Rescue Me, Hung, Entourage. As someone else said Screw “non reality TV.” Oh well more time to read books.
Idiocy. Maybe if the network supported and pushed the show it would’ve had a better chance. I’ve never seen a smarter “Cop Show” and rarely has a show had such interesting characters and plot.
I think that the networks need to look at more than the Neilsens as I know many who watched/supported the show through means other than “tv”.
Anyway, Bravo Lewis, Shahi, Arkin, and the rest of the cast and crew. Thanks for 2 great seasons.
Screw NBC. Screw “reality” TV.
I also dont understand it…
it was one of the best series ive ever seen…
Only because its more intellectuell then the other criminal series?
It seems that the normal people hate series where they must use their brain to understand…
bring it back!!!!
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!! What is wrong with NBC? Are they insane…this show was the best! PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE another network, pick up this show it was so good and we just can’t get enough of it.
I am done w/NBC…..
I have have looked forward to a season premier as much as I was looking forward to season three of LIFE. This show in my opinion was BRILLIANT! I am so upset I can’t believe it. This sucks….this was one of the best shows EVER…Shame on you NBC!
The cancelations of all these intelligent, quality shows in favor of mindless reality tv vomit and one dimensional sitcoms is very easily explained. The Mike Judge movie “Idiocracy” was not the low-brow, “fart joke” comedy it was portraid to be… Oh no my friends, this was a brutal, in your face, “crystal ball” look at the future of the human race. It was a documentary… a warning… wrapped in a cloak of sillyness so the mindless majority would have pretty pictures to look at. It’s coming… the ancient Mayan 2012 doomsday prediction may actually have merit, and I shall know… Read more »