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.
Ok…. First Lost Takes Forever to reveal some of the answers and then LIFE ON MARS just swoops in with the whole finale.. LOM was a good show, DAMN DAMN
The show was great until the last 15minutes…It sucked… the ending was horrible. Why did the writers mess up with a good thing.
ABC…are also big time JERKS for cancelling such a good show.
Foiled again! Every time I get excited about a new show they pull the rug out from under it! Its starting to make me not want to bother watching anything new at all.
ABC sucks for this! I really enjoyed this show!!!
I was blindsided to I DVR all my episodes and when I read the info I was surpised to see Series Finale!
The first half of this season was incredible!!!!
Second half was keeping me in there but missing the tie to the future. The first half had you guessing more…maybe it this or maybe its that!
Why in the world would you cancel such a good show??????????????? This was a great show, only one of the few shows I really looked forward to watching!!!!!!!!!!! The cast was a really good pick and they all did a fantastic job. I am so bummed out because there isn’t much else to watch these days. I hope you wake up and bring it back soon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Fantastic show with lots of great possibilities. Great Cast and good fun poked at the 70’s. Oh well, I dont’ watch anything else here anymore other than Lost. I am sure they will drop that soon too cause it doesn’t have the same appeal as these stupid reality shows to whoever watches them.
ABC You all are morons !!! You screw up LIFE ON MARS by stopping it for 2 months and not giving it another try and then, to add insult to injury, you bring back that STUPID “CUPID” show. I’m now down to 1 show on ABC and I only watch it on SOAP so I don’t have to turn on your channel. And… it’s an insult to people when they take the time to email ABC and in 5 minutes they receive an automated response. NO response would be better than that. ABC…. you use to be the best and… Read more »
ABC are you crazy???? This show had so much PROMIS !!! What a great show! Seinfeld faultered early on also so why didnt ABC make some changes ???? There’s something else going on here and I dont like it! Great concept, great characters, great visuals and music, great story line , what the heck!!!!!
What is the matter with these TV bosses, they cancel a very good show like Life on Mars, but let these reality shows continue and even produce new ones. Maybe instead of being BIG WIGS on TV stations they should out there cleaning toliets at McDonalds
Some finale, eh. What an ending to a great and short-lived series. Life goes on, but not on TV. 🙁
Great show, great cast. Will be missed, the wrap-up was too quick. Left the door open for more but it’s probably gone. Too bad.
OF course ABC has cancelled Life on Mars. It actually was a show that had stories with a plot and you had to think about to watch! I will not be watching any new ABC shows from now on. First Dirty Sexy Money goes off the air with NO closure and now Live on Mars is gone also. ABC continues to air mindless drival like The Bachelor and Life In The Motherhood yet can’t be bothered to air shows with some intelligence. Growing up many of my favorite shows were on ABC but this time they have lost me for… Read more »
I didn’t realize this was the last show until the mysteries started getting answered. I’ll accept it, spaceman. Good thing, it had a show finale.
What a huge disappointment that ABC has canceled Life on Mars. I agree, they’ll keep dancing with the stars and the bachelor for the DUH Generation… the rest of us will tune in to ANOTHER CHANNEL.
I loved this show and am pissed off that another great has been canceled. Maybe the network should actually run shows the whole season rather than just part of one. Also they need to stop switching show times around. Life on Mars was originally on after Grey’s (the perfect time slot). There are only 3 shows I care to watch, Grey’s, Life on Mars, and Reaper. The majority of shows on TV are crap.