The Renew or Cancel Index sadly saw this coming, but we're surprised to see ABC cop to it so early.
ABC is giving fans of "Life on Mars" some closure.
The network has told producers that it won't be ordering any additional episodes beyond the 17 currently in the works for this season. But rather than play the usual "Let's-wait-until-May-before-we-make-a-decision" game regarding the fate of "Mars," ABC brass have admitted to producers that they won't be ordering another season of the show.
That means that, rather than letting "Mars" drift away with no resolution, producers will be able to write and film a definitive ending to the saga. Production is expected to continue for at least a few more weeks, with the finale expected to air no later than early April.
"We felt it was the right thing to do for the producers and the fans and creatively," ABC Entertainment Group President Steve McPherson told TelevisionWeek.
ABC took heat from critics and loyal fans for the abrupt endings to its well-regarded dramas "Eli Stone" and "Dirty Sexy Money" last year. By giving "Mars" a chance to complete its mission, the network is hoping to avoid any similar "controversy."
Life On Mars was TRASH! McPherson has a BONER for Jason “very mediocre” O’Mara!
Smoke Monster Strikes Again!
Props to ABC for not leaving the fans hanging.
well it was inevitable, but I still feel for fans of the show. Glad they at least get a decent ending to whatever is going on in the show (I haven’t actually seen the show myself)
Yay. I’m sad it’s going, but at least it gets a proper ending. It’d be great if all networks would allow that especially with their longer running shows.
i love the show and the acting. i just got my son in law into watching it. really sad
It is a good show that really should have been a miniseries and probably on a cable channel. I never saw the original UK version but it did not seem like a premise that could continue.
well at least ABC lets some shows get a chance to get an ending.
The show had terrific actors, but the UK version was better. I know they said that the answer to why the US Sam was in 1973 was not the same as the UK’s Sam’s answer, and that is partially where they went wrong. Conspiracies and huge agenda just bogged the show down. I love Keitel, but he his Gene Hunt is a pipsqueak compared to the UK Gene Hunt (Philip Glenister). Casting Micheal Imperioli as Ray Carling was inspired – but why make him married? You can see what a sexist he is without having the repressed wife at home. He was a womanizer, and a clueless one at that in the UK and that was part of the fun. Sam also should have been less open about the time traveling thing. It doesn’t make sense that they kept ignoring the wackness when he would talk about the future. And in the UK show, a respect and friendship grew between Sam and Gene. I didn’t see that happening in the UK show. The growth of their relationship was very important in the UK version. The producers of the US version really missed the boat. On a positive note, with all that is wrong with it, it is light years better than the version David E. Kelley wrote. That was so off the mark it was shameful.
Ha — 17 episodes is one longer than the original ran. The major difference being the original ended because it was supposed to, however.
This one was OK but the original was GREAT.
I watched it but to be honest i am not really upset….
I’m gonna miss Life on Mars shame it did not get a second season unlike Pushing Daisies and Eli Stone.
wow it’s only March 2nd and ABC has already cancelled half of its scripted shows
and people say FOX is bad at cancelling stuff…
I heard this a few weeks back as a real possibility, but I’m surprised they jumped this quick. Good for them.
Well I was having a hard time imagining how Life on Mars could go on for years and years.
So it’s actually kind of nice that it’s going to end with a miniseries feel and the show won’t overstay its welcome with the fans.
Well the writing’s been on the wall for some time now. So it’s the right thing to do to let them know in advance so they can wrap up the storyline. It will play out better on DVD.
This might be the least surprised i’ve ever been.
I hope other networks do this with series they intend to cancel. As noted in the post, it gives the writers a chance to “finish” the series with a definitive ending.
ABCFanaticWows: Pushing Daisies and Eli Stone had two seasons, with Daisies having 3 episodes left to air, and Eli 4 (per The Futon Critic website). I wonder if Daisies would have done well on A&E or Lifetime, though?
DoghouseReilly: BBC tends to make shows with much shorter runs than US versions do – for instance, neither As Time Goes By or Are You Being Served? (both bellwethers for local PBS stations around the country) made more than 12 episodes per season. You’re absolutely correct about the miniseries angle – it would have been easier to promote Mars that way – and could have been a new form – the “maxi-miniseries”.
BCT: If the US producers had merely copied what the BBC version did, can you imagine what the critics would be saying – think Kopeckny in the 12th Precinct holding cell…and Yemana calling, “Barney! BARNEY!!!” The Mars producers and writers may have done badly, and been lazy at doing that – but at least they didn’t commit one of the cardinal sins of television production – plagarism.