To no great surprise, ABC has opted not to order a second season of their Wednesday night drama, Life on Mars. The show was one of the most anticipated of the season. So, what happened? Will viewers be left hanging or will the show’s mysteries be resolved?
A remake of a UK show of the same name, Life on Mars follows Sam Tyler (Jason O’Mara) , a modern-day NYPD detective who’s investigating the abduction of his girlfriend (Lisa Bonet) by a serial killer. After being hit by a speeding car, Tyler wakes up in 1973. While trying to figure out what’s happened to him, he ends up becoming part of his precinct in the past. Is he in a coma, insane, or a true time traveler? The stand-out cast includes Michael Imperioli, Gretchen Mol, Harvey Keitel, Jonathan Murphy, Dominick Mancino, John Cenatiempo, Chris Miskiewicz, Tom Stratford, Matthew Cowles, and Tanya Fischer.
The series debuted on October 9, 2008 to a solid 11.33 million viewers and a 3.8/10 rating/share in the 18-49 demographic. Unfortunately, the numbers fell significantly in the second week, to 8.22 million and a 2.5/7 — a loss of 25% of the total audience. The ratings for the next five episodes averaged just eight million, sinking to a low of 7.77 million and a 2.5/7 rating/share on November 20th.
Mars then went on a two month hiatus, which is essentially like a death sentence for any serial drama. As expected, when the series returned at the end of January, following Lost, the numbers got even worse. For the past four weeks, Mars has been averaging a terrible 5.5 million viewers, hitting a low of 4.63 million and a 1.6/4 rating/share.
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As expected, ABC has decided to cancel the series at the end of its 17 episode season. On the positive side, it’s being reported that the producers have time to make that last episode an actual series finale. Though there are many outstanding questions that need to be answered, it looks like most of them will be answered. ABC Entertainment Group President Steve McPherson told TVWeek, “We felt it was the right thing to do for the producers and the fans and creatively.”
Of course, whether ABC actually gets around to airing the episode remains to be seen. Considering that fans are still waiting to see the final episodes of Dirty Sexy Money, Eli Stone, and Pushing Daisies, the network’s track record isn’t so good.
For now, the plan is to continue airing the series though the March sweeps period, with Mars finishing on April 1st. Let’s hope that actually happens and it isn’t some twisted April Fool’s joke from the network execs.
Image courtesy ABC.
Pathetic. ABC pulled the show for two months then is surprised when the ratings go down. It did a good rating before the hiatus. ABC sucks! Please some cable station save this series!
SOME OTHER NETWORK HAS TO SAVE THIS SHOW!!!! I AM DONE WITH ABC!
Sci-Fi, HBO, Showtime, NBC, CW, CBS, Fox, whoever saves this show will have a loyal viewer for life.
I seriously hope the writers and producers give this show a proper send-off. Cliffhangers on canceled shows is a major bummer. This was a great show but the ratings were not there. Hopefully, the BBC will now release the original series on Region 1 DVD.
Why can’t they ever keep a show I like? October Road, Pushing Daisies, Eli Stone. ABC must be cluless. Maybe they should try putting the show on a night and time when there aren’t established popular shows. It’s almost as if they want them to fail. Except for Lost and All My Children I may stop watching ABC all together. It’s not worth the effort to invest my time in a new series when they will just cancell it anyway. They should put LOM on a cable network maybe.
Why why why? I loved this show…the music, the technology, the politics, the racial issues, the gender issues, the fashion, the cars, the memories of how things used to be back before…well…freakin everything we take for granted today. It was like a history lesson for my teenagers everytime we watched it. The writing is so good and the story is so great that I could smell the decade and feel the atmosphere of the time. Brilliant production…writers, actors, set creators, music selections…everything. I am pissed at the plug getting yanked on this one. It feels like you killed my teenage… Read more »
i am disappointed in abc, i enjoyed life on mars. i had seen the british original, and although it is better, i think the us version stood out on its own as a good show. i will miss this show in the long run.
It is out of control — every great show gets canceled. Networks get a clue — give shows a chance. How frustrating, you get into a show and poof it is gone. I give up. Eli Stone, and now Life on Mars. Obviously if a show is smart and well written — not to mention extremely entertaining– it will get cut.
I’m glad it got canceled. I’m American and not the biggest fan of UK television, but… Life On Mars (UK) was one of the most underrated shows I ever watched. I saw a British special on best endings ever for TV shows and that show was #1. I watched the special out of curiosity over shows I had never seen. Figured I could pick out a gem or something. Anyway, the UK version of Life On Mars was one of the best shows I ever watched. It blended 70s comedy with dark, modern drama. The cast of that show was… Read more »
I absloutely loved this show. So of course, it must get cancelled. This and Pushing Daisies in the same year…
I agree–the broadcast networks are killing themselves off by not giving quality programming a chance to catch on anymore!
Graet show. Well written. So,it’s doomed..well with Battlestar ending ,now I’ll only have to turn on my TV once a week for “24”
Every show I like gets canceled. I guess this is why no one wants me to know their favorite shows at work. 🙁
I feel the same as Kevin, all I can do now is go to Netflix and get what I want and the series thing will be a thing of the past.
Honestly, I never even saw a single ad for this show. I never watched the UK show, but I watch BBC America and saw SO MANY ADS for the British version. I really feel like a lot of these canceled shows never got any substantial advertising.
Bummer. I liked this show, and as usual, ABC is dumping yet another well written show. It is really getting to the point where its not worth watch and getting into shows on Network TV (ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox). I may just start watching shows on cable networks that stay around for a while. The Closer, Leverage, Rescue Me, all good shows, are given chances and worth watching.