The Sci Fi Web: The Guild

Status: Five Seasons Completed Totaling 58 Episodes  
Credits: Felicia Day (Creator/Writer/Star – Codex), Sandeep Parikh (Zaboo), Jeff Lewis (Vork), Vincent Caso (Bladezz), Robin Thorsen (Clara), Amy Okuda (Tinkerballa), Wil Wheaton (Fawkes)
Winner IAWTV Awards: Best Comedy Web Series, Best Writing (Comedy), Best Directing (Comedy), Best Female Performance (Comedy), Best Web Site Design. Also Nominated for Best Male Performance (Comedy), Best Costume Design, Best Makeup/Special Effects

Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

Synopsis: Felicia Day plays Cyd Sherman who is a concert violinist (and former child prodigy) and also a rather introverted, socially stunted young woman who has few close friends and who rarely ventures from her apartment. She is also an addicted gamer who spends the majority of her time playing an MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing game) as a member of the online guild called the “Knights of Good”. The series follows their gaming antics online as well as their awkward (and hilarious) interactions both in person and through online chats.

Review/Commentary: This series is not sci fi/fantasy per se, but like the CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory, it has immense appeal to genre fans because we can easily identify with the characters and situations. The Guild will have the highest appeal to online gamers, especially those wrapped up in the many MMORPG s out there, but old D&D veterans (like myself) and anybody who has spent a fair amount of their spare time gaming will definitely appreciate it. And apart from the show’s genre ties, it’s just a funny romp with its dysfunctional characters trying to overcome their own (many-faceted) character flaws and learn how to work together for the common cause: killing other people and creatures in the game and gaining loot.

Felicia Day, herself a confessed online gaming addict, originally conceived of the series as a sitcom, but it was later suggested that the concept would work better as a web-series. She decided to go that route with it, and The Guild first appeared online in 2007. It has since turned into an online phenomena running for five seasons (with more potentially on the way) and is now available on Hulu, Xbox Live, Zune, Netflix and more. The entire series through Season 5 has been released on DVD and has also had a comic book spin-off from Dark Horse and the cast even put together a promotional music video for the series.

I have watched it through Season 3 thus far (and plan on watching the next two seasons soon), and have found it to be great fun, especially once Wil Wheaton comes onboard in its third season as the leader of a rival gaming guild, the “Axis of Anarchy”. The series, deservedly, walked away with five wins at the recent IAWTV awards and had four more nominations beyond that (two in the Best Male Performance Comedy category for Sandeep Parikh and Jeff Lewis). And it would not surprise me if this one were to take the leap from web-series to sitcom at some point, though I think its web format suits it better and it might run out of steam rather quickly on television. In any case, this is a great place to get started with web series as it has a professional feel to it and great acting (highlighted by the incomparable Felicia Day), and it’s just plain fun.

Links/More Information: The show’s main website has more information on the series as well as links to its blog and a forum where you can join in on discussions with other fans. Also, you can watch all five seasons of the show from the website. If you have the Netflix streaming service, you can also watch all five seasons there with each season combined together without the opening and closing segments between  episodes. This is a more streamlined way of watching the seasons and they run from 45 minutes to about an hour and a half. There is also a YouTube Channel for the show, though it only has up to the first episode of Season 4 available for viewing. And over on Hulu, you can currently watch up through the end of Season 4.

The Guild’s Main Web Page: www.watchtheguild.com

The Guild’s YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/user/watchtheguild

The Guild at Hulu.com: www.hulu.com/the-guild
 
Buy The Guild on DVD from Amazon.com:

Cancellation Watch: Falling Skies Keeps Falling in the Ratings, Plus Who Knew About This Saving Hope Series Starring Michael Shanks?

TNT's Falling Skies kicked off its second season last week with a bit of a ratings slump from its first season and now this past Sunday the series dropped again in the Nielsens.  The latest airing pulled a 1.3 rating in the 18-49 demographic and 3.8 million total viewers.  Now those are still not bad numbers for a Summer cable series, especially compared to the 0.7 rating that MTV's Teen Wolf is currently averaging and that Syfy's scripted shows (which will return in July) usually pull.  But it does represent a series low and a bit of a concern for the show.  The series did show a similar slide with the second episode of its first season and then trended up as that season progressed, so it has to hope that it will track a similar course this year.  If it does not drop much lower, then it should still be safe, but if the downward trend continues, then the skies just may fall on this show by season end.

Winning this past Sunday night, once again, was HBO's True Blood which pulled a 2.6 rating in the 18-49 demo and close to 4.7 million total viewers.  And on Monday night, MTV's Teen Wolf remained steady with its usual 0.7 rating.

A Summer series that slipped under the radar and that just came to my attention this past week is the Canadian-made supernatural drama Saving Hope which stars Stargate's Michael Shanks.  The series debuted on June 7th and airs in the States on NBC in the 9 PM EST Thursday night timeslot.  Its premiere episode pulled a 0.7 rating in the 18-49 demo and just over 3 million total viewers and its most recent episode slipped to a 0.5 rating and 2.7 million viewers.  Those might be good enough numbers to keep a series afloat on Syfy, but not on one of the broadcast networks.  Of course NBC doesn't seem to have publicized the series too much, which couldn't have helped.  I was actively searching for Summer genre series and didn't hear about it until two weeks after its premiere.  It's a Canadian import, though, and it seems to have done well in its native country, so even if it does not continue to air further seasons on NBC, it could still carry on like 2009's The Listener has.  I will keep an eye on this one going forward.

Another series I was having trouble find ratings info on was Disney XD's Tron: Uprising, and apparently that's because the show has barely registered in the ratings since its debut.  According to Blastr.com, the series has a 0.0 rating in the 18-49 demo and 0.36 million viewers as of its episode two weeks ago.  Definitely not numbers that can keep a series afloat on any of the cable or broadcast networks, so don't get too attached to this one.

You can see the Cancellation Alert status of all the shows currently airing plus the final results from prior seasons at my Cancellation Watch page.

Ratings Source: TV by the Numbers

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New in Comics: J. Michael Straczynski Writes Before Watchmen Nite Owl

A few choice selections from the comics due out June 27th: 

Before Watchmen Nite Owl #1 (of 4) 
DC

Description: 'The hero known to the public only as Nite Owl announced his retirement today.' Plus: Don't miss the CRIMSON CORSAIR backup story by writer LEN WEIN and artist JOHN HIGGINS! This issue is also offered as a combo pack edition with a redemption code for a digital download of this issue.

By: J. Michael Straczynski, Andy Kubert

Flash Gordon King Of The Impossible GN
Ardden Entertainment

Description: It's all been leading up to this! Ardden Entertainment's four-year Flash Gordon storyline reaches its dramatic conclusion! After the (literal) Earth-shattering events of Flash Gordon: The Vengeance of Ming, Flash finds himself back on Mongo, but with no memory of who he is. 'Adopted' by a barbarian clan in Tropica, Flash is soon drafted into Ming's Legion of the Doomed, only to realize that if he wants his freedom - and that of all of Mongo - he must fight back!

By: Brendan Deneen, Eduardo Garcia

Hypernaturals #1
Boom! Studios

Description: This July...A UNIVERSE TREMBLES. It is the far future; the human race has finally colonized the galaxy, preserving an era of prosperity that's only possible because of The Hypernaturals. They're a celebrated, galaxy-wide superhero task force that keeps the peace. That is, until they all mysteriously vanish. Now, as the galaxy teeters on the brink of chaos, it's up to a group of retired and long forgotten Hypernaturals -- and their novice recruits -- to save the galaxy from complete destruction. Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, the superstar writing duo behind ANNIHILATION and THE LEGION, launch an all-new original series that takes cosmic super-heroes to a new frontier. Experience the special preview issue of THE HYPERNATURALS this May and pick up the #1 issue this July!

By: Dan Abnett, Brad Walker, Francesco Mattina

It Came From Beneath The Sea Again #1 (of 4)
Bluewater Productions

Description: In the 1950s, the U.S. Navy encountered and destroyed a gigantic octopus that attacked shipping and wreaked havoc on the west coast of the United States. American forces killed the creature and ended the threat once and for all. Or so they thought! Now, another monster is rising in the warm blue waters surrounding Taru Taru, a speck of land far out in the Pacific. And this time, it's worse than anyone ever imagined!

By: Clay Griffith, Chris Noeth

More of This Week's Comics at This Link

New on DVD: Wrath of the Titans, Mirror Mirror, Zombiefied, and More

DVDs and Blu-rays Due Out June 26th:



More New and Recent Releases at This Link

Cancellation Watch: Falling Skies Drops with Season 2 Premiere

TNT's alien invasion series Falling Skies had its two-hour Season 2 premiere this past Sunday and its numbers were down from where it was with its series premiere last Summer.  It pulled a 1.5 rating in the 18-49 demographic and 4.5 million total viewers versus the 2.0 rating and close to six million total viewers it had with last year's bow.  But then this past Sunday's numbers were about where the show was when it ended its first season and it was the third most watched cable show on Sunday.  And the show's ratings are more than double what the typical Syfy scripted series pulls, so Falling Skies should be safe for now.

The most watched cable show on Sunday was again HBO's True Blood which had a 2.6 rating and 4.4 million total viewers.  That's down from the 2.9 rating the show had for its Season 2 premiere, but still very good numbers for a premium cable series.  And on Monday night, MTV's Teen Wolf remained steady, pulling a 0.7 ratings and 1.7 million total viewers, right in line with what it has been averaging so far.

You can see the Cancellation Alert status of all the shows currently airing plus the final results from prior seasons at my Cancellation Watch page. 

Ratings Source: TV by the Numbers

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Web Series Review: Ark

Status: One Season Completed Totaling 9 Episodes
Credits: Robbie Thompson (Creator/Writer), Trey Stokes (Director), Renée O’Connor (Connie), Adam Cardon (Daryl)
Rating: 4 ½ out of 5 Stars

Synopsis: Single mother and third grade teacher Connie (Renée O’Connor ) wakes up to find herself on a large spaceship traveling far away from Earth. There, she meets up with one other person who claims to be an astronaut from the 1950’s (Connie is from the present day). They begin to explore the ship when they meet another woman who appears to be an injured crewmember, but they do not know for certain because she speaks a foreign language that neither understands. She needs them to help her with an urgent task, but they do not understand what she wants because of the language barrier. And things only get stranger from there as Connie and her new companions face more mysteries about their unexplained situation and the seemingly abandoned ship they have found themselves imprisoned upon.

Review/Commentary: Ark is a web series created and written by Robbie Thompson (who has writing credits on genre shows such as Supernatural, The Cape, Human Target, and Jericho) and directed by Trey Stokes (who has professional visual effects experience and who is also known for his Star Wars parody Pink Five). And it also stars former Xena: Warrior Princess co-lead Renee O’ Connor. The series was produced by Gabe Sachs and Jeff Judah in conjunction with 60Frames Studio (a company that his since gone under) on a budget of around $50k (actually quite a hefty amount for a web series) with the hopes that it would continue as an online serial or that it might make the jump to television like Amanda Tapping’s Sanctuary.

All of this amounts to a rather enjoyable and at times impressive sci fi web series that might best be described as Lost meets The Starlost (a short-lived 70’s Canadian TV series created by Harlan Ellison).  Its special effects and sets give it an authentic feel (some of the scenes on the Ark are filmed on a set previously used on the Firefly series). It uses some green screen effects like those found in the Sanctuary web series and television show, and while these look a bit cheesy at times, they do not detract too much from overall the production. The acting is quite good, though I had some difficulty believing that the astronaut character was really from the 50’s. His mannerisms and colloquialisms seemed a bit too modern day, but then that may also be part of the mystery they are developing. In addition, Connie is way too bad-ass for a third grade teacher, but then as the series progresses we get the suggestion that there may be more to her than what we see. All of the nit-picking aside, though, the series has a professional look and feel to it and it gets off to a very promising start.

The first season runs nine episodes of varying lengths from three minutes to nine. It sets up the premise, but provides little resolution as it ends on a major cliffhanger. Unfortunately, nothing more has followed since completing the initial episodes in 2009. As mentioned above, 60Frames has bowed out, but Sachs/Judah Productions still owns the property and as of an interview given back in 2010 they were hoping to continue the series either on the web or on television. I’m sure they would like to see this one follow the same path as Sanctuary which jumped from web series to a TV show that ran for four years on Syfy. And it appears that Ark has an interesting enough story that could carry it through multiple seasons. It would theoretically be a good fit for Syfy except for the fact that they now seem to prefer their “sci fi lite” shows such as Warehouse 13, Haven, and Being Human. It would also be a good one for Netflix to pick up, seeing as they want to expand on their original programming. And while $50k may be a lot for a web series that runs around 45 minutes total, that’s nothing for a television episode of the same length. Whether they could stay in that budget is questionable, but this one could still probably be produced on an economical basis. And it’s definitely a production that sci fi fans should check out and lend their support to in hopes that it could at least get a second season as a web series.

Links: The entire first season of Ark is available for viewing on Hulu.com at this link.  It appears that the series is exclusive to Hulu at this point and it also apparently does not have any sort of official website that I can find.  The producers should probably think about putting together something along those lines and perhaps try to engage sci fi fandom through the various online forums and social sites or a Kickstarter campaign.  That has proved quite fruitful for webs series like Pioneer One and L5 and can help develop some support for Ark and possibly lead to a continuation of the series. Because I for one would like to see this story continue.

Watch Ark Season 1 on Hulu.com

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New in Comics: Mars Attacks, Irresistible and More Before Watchmen

A few choice selections from the comics due out June 20th:

Mars Attacks #1
IDW

Description: The invasion begins!

The first stories of an all-new MARS ATTACKS universe are here, bringing outrageous action and dark humor to the comics page. Eisner-winning writer John Layman (Chew) is joined by Eisner-winning artist John McCrea (Hitman) to sound the alarm. Beware! The Martians are coming!

The first issue will feature 55 different regular front covers, each depicting one card from the original 1962 set, and the back cover of each will feature the original card art that told the story! Also Due Out: Mars Attacks Classics TPB Vol. 01

By: John Layman, John McCrea, Wally Wood

Irresistible #1
Zenescope Entertainment

Description: The brand new series from the mind behind the Wonderland trilogy, FLY and the Waking BEGINS HERE!!!

Allen Keeg was your average middle age heart broken sap who just went through the worst break up in his life. That was a year ago. Since then Allen's been having trouble getting back into the swing of things. But all that's about to change.

When Allen saves an old woman from being mugged he will be given an amazing supernatural ability that will change his whole life. But is the gift of being irresistible to every woman he meets a gift or a dreadful curse.

By: Raven Gregory, Ale Garza

Before Watchmen Comedian #1 (of 6)
DC

Description: 'I'm a funny guy...' Plus: Don't miss the CRIMSON CORSAIR backup story by writer LEN WEIN and artist JOHN HIGGINS! This issue is also offered as a combo pack edition with a redemption code for a digital download of this issue.

By:  Brian Azzarello, J. G. Jones

More of This Week's Comics at This Link   

New on DVD: Sealab 2020, Comic Book Independents, and More

DVDs and Blu-rays Due Out June 19th:



More New and Recent Releases at This Link

Cancellation Watch: True Blood Keeps HBO on Top and Teen Wolf Remains Steady

After HBO has ruled Sunday nights among cable shows for the majority of the past few months with Game of Thrones, True Blood has quickly picked up the torch and run even further with it as it returns for its fifth season.  The Season 5 premiere this past Sunday pulled a 2.9 rating in the 18-49 demographic and 5.2 million total viewers.  That was down just slightly from the 3.0 rating that the Season 4 premiere had last year, but still healthy numbers and higher than the 2.0 average that Game of Thrones had for its second season in this same time slot. This puts True Blood in a good position to continue on for more seasons, as long as the cast want to stick with it.

In its second outing in its usual Monday night timeslot (after the special Sunday premiere the prior week), Teen Wolf pulled a 0.7 rating in the 18-49 demo and about 1.8 million total viewers this week.  That puts the show right in line with the numbers it was averaging toward the end of its first season and in little danger of cancellation.

You can see the Cancellation Alert status of all the shows currently airing plus the final results from prior seasons at my Cancellation Watch page. 

Ratings Source: TV by the Numbers

Buy/Stream True Blood and Teen Wolf from Amazon.com:

New in Comics: Before Watchmen Continues With Silk Spectre and the Triumphant Return of KISS to Comics!

A few choice selections from the comics due out June 13th:

Before Watchmen Silk Spectre #1 (of 4) 
DC

Description: 'Oh sweetie, you're too young to hate. Wait until you're older and the world gives you a good reason. Trust me, it won't let you down.' Plus: Don't miss the CRIMSON CORSAIR backup story by writer LEN WEIN and artist JOHN HIGGINS! This issue is also offered as a combo pack edition with a redemption code for a digital download of this issue.

By: Darwyn Cooke, Amanda Conner

More Before Watchmen Titles Due Out This Month:

Minutemen #1 (June 6th), Comedian #1 (June 20th), Nite Owl #1 (June 27th)

Kiss #1
IDW

Description: You Wanted the Best, You Got the Best! KISS is back in an all-new comic series that will appeal to longtime fans and new readers alike! Four ordinary humans in 1920s Chicago find themselves caught up in a battle of epic proportions that will reverberate across time and space in 'Dressed to Kill,' part 1!

By: Chris Ryall, Jamal Igle, Nick Runge 

Planetoid #1
Image

Description: An ex-soldier turned space pirate, finds himself stranded on a mysterious planet in alien territory. As he explores the long-abandoned industrial ruins of the planet's surface he will have to fend off rogue mechanical creatures, roving cyborg militias, and a hostile alien military with a bounty on his head. Silas will have to rely on resourcefulness and bare-bones survival tactics in order to stay alive and ultimately unlock the secrets of a planet where survival is a luxury and escape an impossibility.

By:  Ken Garing

The Massive #1
Dark Horse

Description: In a post-war, post-crash, post-disaster, post-everything world, the environmental-action trawler Kapital scours the earth's oceans for its mysteriously missing sistership, The Massive. Captain Callum Israel, a man who has dedicated his life to the ocean, now must ask himself-as our planet dies-what it means to be an environmentalist after the world's ended. Callum and his crew will come up against pirates, rebels, murderers, and thieves as they struggle to remain noble toward their cause. Can you save a planet that's already doomed?

By: Brian Wood, Kristian Donaldson, Dave Stewart, Brian Wood, Kristian Donaldson 

More of This Week's Comics at This Link  

Web Series Review: L5

Status: One Episode Completed
Credits: Stanley Von Medvey (Creator/Director), Tom Ptasinski (Creator/Writer/Producer), Will Finson (Cmdr. Richard Adams), Chad Burns (Rodney Lewis)

Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars (Highest Rating)

Synopsis: This hard science fiction mini-series follows a deep space expedition that returns to a dying Earth two hundred later than its scheduled return date after exploring Barnard’s Star in hopes of finding a new home for the human race. Once the ship is back in Earth’s orbit, though, the crew can see no signs of life on the planet and they receive no radio communication. They encounter a large O’neill cylinder-colony in orbit known as L5 that appears equally lifeless, and two members of the expedition head there to try and find some answers.

Review/Commentary:  L5 is an ambitious, space-based, sfx-heavy web series that has turned to the sci fi fan community for donations to fund its production costs. Their campaign to raise money for the first episode was a success and now we see the results of those efforts. And what magnificent results they are!

I have seen many rumblings across fandom over the past year or so that there is a dearth of space-based, hard sci fi available, and this independent production nicely fills that void. The first episode runs about thirty minutes and introduces us to the crew of the Argo (particularly Commander Richard Adams and the ship’s doctor Rodney Lewis) as they return to Earth from their extended mission and find that much more time has passed than they expected and something seems to have happened to the people of Earth. This episode sets up the bigger tale that will follow, but it does so without dragging out or bogging itself down with expository details. It is a grand tale that L5 seeks to deliver, but in the first episode it unfolds with a cramped, almost claustrophobic feel to it (by necessity due to the budget limitations). But this actually lends to the atmosphere of the show and sets up a good direction for the series to follow.

L5 was definitely made on a budget and that shows at times, but then it never feels cheap. In fact, compared to other web series, this one blows them away with its production values and it can nearly stand toe-to-toe with some of the professionally produced series on the broadcast and cable channels. The directing is tight and well-paced, and the acting is quite good. And the series manages to deliver a little of the spectacle that sci fi fans crave, yet on an economical budget. This is definitely one to keep an eye on as new episodes roll out and one that could be a trailblazer among independent web productions. We often complain that there is too little in the way of quality sci fi out there, but L5 and other web series like Pioneer One and Cell are delivering just that, so it is up to us to support them.

Links/More Information: The first episode can be downloaded for free via bitorrent at this link: vodo.net/L5. You can also stream the episode, if you prefer, for a small contribution (I paid the $5 and it was definitely worth it). That same link will direct you to the streaming option. You can also follow the progress of the show at its production blog and its Facebook page.

Download or stream the first episode of L5 at this link

Follow the series at its production blog at this link

Like the series at its Facebook page at this link

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New on DVD: Sherlock Holmes A Game of Shadows, Superman vs. the Elite, and More

DVDs/Blu-rays Due Out June 12th:

   

More New and Recent Releases at This Link

Cancellation Watch: Game of Thrones Goes Out Strong, Teen Wolf Returns Steady

Game of Thrones ended its second season strong this past Sunday as it pulled a series high rating and viewer count.  The season finale grabbed a 2.2 rating in the 18-49 demographic and 4.2 million viewers as it continues to build its audience.  It will now be likely a ten month wait until the third season (assuming an April 2013 return), but the hiatus did not hurt Game of Thrones between its first and second seasons as it pulled nearly four million total viewers and a 2.0 rating when it returned this past April vs. a 1.2 rating and 2.6 million total viewers for its Season 1 finale.

MTV's Teen Wolf received a special Season 2 kick-off in the post MTV Movie Awards timeslot and it returned about where it ended its first season, pulling a 0.8 rating in the 18-49 demo and 2.1 million total viewers.  It also did well in its target 12-34 demographic, pulling a 2.0 rating there.  At this point, the series looks set for another decent Summer run with its second season.

Ratings Source: TV by the Numbers

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New in Comics: Before Watchmen Begins with Minutemen #1

A few choice selections from the comics due out June 6th:

Before Watchmen Minutemen #1 (of 6) 
DC

Description: 'Little did we know that poor boy would lead to the end of us all.' Plus: Don't miss the CRIMSON CORSAIR backup story by writer LEN WEIN and artist JOHN HIGGINS! This issue is also offered as a combo pack edition with a redemption code for a digital download of this issue.

By: Darwyn Cooke

More Before Watchmen Titles Due Out This Month:

Silk Spectre #1 (June 13th), Comedian #1 (June 20th), Nite Owl #1 (June 27th)

Extermination #1
Image

Description: We Lost. They Won. In the wake of an apocalyptic alien invasion, the world's greatest super-heroes and deadliest super-villains must form an alliance to prevent their own extermination. Two arch-enemies, Nox, a driven hero, and Red Reaper, a ruthless villain, form a volatile partnership for the greater good. The enemy of your enemy is your friend - but will they be able to ultimately put aside their bitter past to prevent global genocide? What happens when all the battle lines are redrawn and foes become unlikely allies in a desperate war for the fate of the very planet - and the outcome of a species? Written by Simon Spurrier (X-Club, Fear Itself: The Home Front, Wolverine: Dangerous Games), Extermination is a superhero survival story by an author that boldly explores the dark crevices of an entire genre.

By: Simon Spurrier, John Cassaday

Prophecy #1 (of 7) 
D.E.

Description: In 2012, the Mayan doomsday prophecy is coming to pass, and the end of the world makes for strange allies. Vampirella, Red Sonja, Kulan Gath, Dracula, Eva, Herbert West The Re-Animator, Alan Quatermain, Athena, Dorian Gray, Purgatory, Pantha and many more choose sides and clash in battles that will decide the fate of the Earth and all of mankind. Will the forces of good be able to stop the end of days? Or will an army of darkness rise? A seven-issue, SELF-CONTAINED event! That's right, fans, no spinoffs, no add-ons, just seven issues of all out, apocalyptic warfare! Be there for the first crossover spanning the Dynamite line...before it's too late! Dynamite's most powerful and ambitious cross-over ever begins here!

By: Ron Marz, Walter Geovanni, Paul Renaud

Steamcraft #1 
Antarctic Press

Description: With strange eons, even death may die, unleashing ancient horrors upon our world. They rise from the abyss or descend from the stars, caring no more for our existence than we care for the random atoms about us. Yet there are those who dare to strap on their brass and leather, shoulder their plasmotic rifles and stoke up the boilers to their super-cannons, land crawlers, submersibles and airships. Steam WILL save the world!

By: David Hutchinson

More of This Week's Comics at This Link 

Cancellation Watch: Final Rankings for the Broadcast Network Genre Shows

The final rankings from this past season for the broadcast network shows are in, and you would expect that a first glance at these would give you a good idea of which shows were renewed and which ones were cancelled.  Obviously, the ones at the top were all renewed and those at the bottom were all cancelled, right?  Sorry, this is network television we are talking about and nothing's ever quite what it seems.

The rankings below are based on the the show's rating in the 18-49 demographic and it includes delayed viewing and it has repeat broadcasts factored in.  So you have to look beyond the actual numbers and also understand a little about each of the networks as well.

The highest ranked genre show across the five broadcast networks was ABC's Once Upon A Time which came in at Number 16 and obviously got the greenlight for a second season.  But the second highest ranked genre show, Terra Nova at Number 24, was not so lucky.  But then that series had very high production costs and saw a serious downward trend in its numbers throughout its run, and so FOX decided that the finances just didn't work out and decided to cut it.  CBS's Person of Interest came it as the fourth highest ranked genre show (32nd overall), though if you take the repeat airings (it had nine through the season) it would rank higher and possibly above Terra Nova.  That series, which also cost much less than the latter, got a renewal.

The third and fifth highest ranked series among genre shows, both from FOX present an interesting case study.  Alcatraz ended the season ranked 30th overall and got cancelled whereas Touch ended at the 51st rung overall and got renewed.  Both series started out strong yet suffered steep declines as the season progressed, though apparently Alcatraz pulled in higher numbers on delayed viewing.  So why did Touch get the nod over Alcatraz?  Can't quite say for sure.  Maybe because Alcatraz had sunk further than Touch by the time decisions were being made for next season's schedule.  Maybe Keifer Sutherland's star power trumped J.J. Abrams' name recognition.  Maybe FOX execs liked Touch more.  In truth, they both probably should have been cancelled based on the ratings they were pulling at the end of their runs, but apparently FOX felt Touch had more potential for a turnaround (though it is getting cast to Fridays next season).

The seventh highest ranked genre show, NBC's Grimm, was only ranked 81st overall yet it still got a renewal.  But it airs on low viewership Fridays and actually performed decent there for the fourth place network. They decided to cut ties with Awake, though, which ended the season ranked 104th overall.

Then there's FOX's Fringe which only scraped its way to 105th overall and got a renewal.  I'm glad it's getting its final season, but it still has me scratching my head.  You can read more of my thoughts on that one at this link.

Finally, there's the shows from perennial fifth place network The CW, the highest of which ranked 123rd overall.  That was Vampire Diaries and it is the CW's highest rated show, so obviously it got the renewal.  Supernatural (141st) and Nikita (150th) both got renewed as well.  But the CW apparently felt that new series The Secret Circle did show enough life and cancelled it, even though it outperformed the latter two series.  But those two air on Fridays (where ratings expectations are lower) and have been around longer, and Nikita has a strong international following.  And when we're getting down to the ratings cellar where The CW reigns, we're really just splitting hairs with these numbers.  Apparently the network felt stronger about its up and coming pilots than it did about keeping The Secret Circle around.

You can read more of my thoughts on each of these shows at this link, and following are the final rankings numbers from this last season:

Overall Rank	Genre Rank	Network	Program	Status
16	1	ABC	ONCE UPON A TIME	Renewed
24	2	FOX	TERRA NOVA	Cancelled
30	3	FOX	ALCATRAZ	Cancelled
32	4	CBS	PERSON OF INTEREST	Renewed
51	5	FOX	TOUCH	Renewed
68	6	ABC	RIVER, THE	Cancelled
81	7	NBC	GRIMM	Renewed
104	8	NBC	AWAKE	Cancelled
105	9	FOX	FRINGE	Renewed
120	10	CBS	GIFTED MAN, A	Cancelled
122	11	NBC	CHUCK	Final Season
123	12	CW	VAMPIRE DIARIES	Renewed
140	13	CW	SECRET CIRCLE	Cancelled
141	14	CW	SUPERNATURAL	Renewed
150	15	CW	NIKITA	Renewed

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A Look at This Summer's Sci Fi / Fantasy Shows

The Fall/Spring season is over now, but it doesn't mean that scripted genre shows have gone into hibernation for the next few months.  As with every year, Summer brings us several genre entries to choose from, even if this year has fewer options than recent Summers.  The broadcast networks decided to bow out once again as we have not seen anything from them since 2010 when shows like Persons Unknown and The Gates failed to catch on.  But the cable channels have a few returning shows and one new series to tide us over until the Fall season begins.  Here's my thoughts (for what they are worth) on those and you can see the full schedule of Summer shows at this link.

Teen Wolf (Mondays, MTV, Returns June 3rd) - This series delivered a pleasant surprise last season as it veered closer to Buffy the Vampire Slayer than Vampire Diaries/Twilight and managed to keep the teen angst threads from dominating its story as it built up an interesting mythology.  If it continues on this track in its second season it could establish itself as a serious genre contender.  It gets a special premiere kick-off on Sunday, June 3rd then settles into its normal Monday timeslot the next night

Tron: Uprising (Tuesdays, Disney XD, Premieres June 7th) - This series, which bridges the gap between the first and second Tron films, has actually already kicked off with a ten-part web series that introduces the characters and premise (you can watch it at the Disney XD site). Based on that, it looks like they have basically repackaged all of the expected tropes from young-adult oriented action animated shows but this time with the Tron label.  The animation is cool at least and I will keep an eye on it to see if it manages to rise above cliche and find its own voice.

True Blood (Sundays, HBO, Returns June 10th) - With the last couple of seasons, this series has gone the way of bad camp and I don't foresee that changing going into Season 5.  It has become Dark Shadows at its worse but with sex, nudity, violence and none of the Gothic ambience that gave the 60's soap its appeal.  But then True Blood continues to deliver the ratings for HBO, so expect it to stick around for a while.

Falling Skies (Sundays, TNT, Returns June 17th) - In its first season, this show managed to tread that fine line between family drama and genre series without going overboard on the former like Terra Nova did or giving way to bad camp like Once Upon A Time did.  I considered it a pleasant surprise last Summer, though it still has room to improve.  If they continue to develop the sci fi and post-apocalyptic elements, this one could turn into a decent show.

Futurama (Wednesdays, Comedy Central, Returns June 20th) - Expect more of the same animated, sci fi hijinks from this series which now enters its seventh season.

Warehouse 13 (Mondays, Syfy, Returns July 23rd) - Expect Syfy not to tinker with the formula too much on this show in its fourth season as the Warehouse 13 team continues to recover objects that have leaked out across the globe.

Alphas (Mondays, Syfy, Returns July 23d) - This was the biggest surprise from last Summer as it at first looked like a Heroes meets the X-Men retread going in but actually managed to deliver an interesting and much more original series than expected.  The Season 1 cliffhanger seemed to deliver a bit of a game-changer, though, so we will see where it goes in its second year.

Other notes about the Summer season:  Eureka, which kicked off its fifth season in April, will end its run in July prior to the season debuts of Alphas and Warehouse 13, which will give them one less hour for their Monday-night block unless they have an unannounced new series waiting to fill in the gap.  The Canadian import Lost Girl will continue its run on Syfy throughout the Summer, but will move to Fridays as it takes the slot Haven held last year.  The latter series will shift to a Fall run this year.  Torchwood, which aired its fourth season on STARZ last year, has not been officially cancelled, but there is no word of a new season starting up in the near future.  And NBC plans on taking advantage of the Summer Olympics and kicking its season off early in August.  Grimm is expected to debut its second season that month, though no word on if the J.J. Abrams series Revolution will launch then as well.