Tonight marks the season two finale of NBC's Life, and barring a miracle or DirecTV bailout, it will be the series finale. At this point it seems that Chuck is the only holdover scripted series on NBC that premiered during the strike-shortened 2007-2008 season.
Life fans shouldn't feel too bummed about it because it doesn't really appear anything can catch on at NBC. Life will join the growing list of recent NBC shows that didn't make it.
I really liked Life, but I see its numbers ever week. People will (and I believe, correctly) say that if it were on another network, say CBS, it would have had many, many more viewers. And that might be true, but it's hard to say whether it would've ever had enough viewers to catch on at CBS. I'd rate my enjoyment of Life similar to season one of USA's In Plain Sight (season two premieres Sunday April 19 at 10pm on USA). For my viewing pleasure, they are both behind USA's Burn Notice. I enjoy all three shows though.
How NBC's Southland fares could have a big influence on NBC's plans for next year. I worry that if Southland gets added to the failures list, that might encourage NBC to move to even less scripted programming than the already diminished route it is on. In other words, if they get into the space of "You know, after our experiences with Kings, Crusoe, Lipstick Jungle, and now Southland, we're going to move in a different direction." Such a decision might not be so good for fans of Chuck. It certainly won't be good for fans of scripted television series.
I do not think Southland will perform as poorly as Kings out of the gate, but how Southland does in its first couple of airings isn't nearly as interesting to me as how it does in the subsequent airings. Unless it does horribly out of the gate, and that would surprise me.
I'm rooting for NBC to have at least a modest success with a scripted drama, because I'm rooting for NBC to not give up on scripted dramas.
yeah… besides, it would be sad if NBC didn’t have atleast one new show survive this year…
Chuck fanatics come out of the woodwork in 5…4…3…
I watch Life and like it but feel the first season was much stronger. The zen element was stronger, the although I have always been a fan of Donal Logue, Robin Weigert’s character made for a far more interesting boss.
I love Life. And I think it’s a pity that Sarah hasn’t been around for it’s final episodes.
I love this show. I will be sorry to see it leave NBC. Hopefully someone else with pick it up.
Ricardo, yeah, I agree, but I’m not going to get mad at her for getting pregnant (in real life)
I have to agree with Doghouse. Season 1 of Life was MUCH stronger because of the Zen element. That’s why NBC liked the pitch in the first place. TV is all about creating characters that viewers get attached to and want to tune in and see what they’re up to every week. Season 1 of Life had that basic element. Season 2 looks like the network told creator Rand Ravich to make it more like CSI…
2…1!
Chuck fanatic, here.
And there’s a reason we come out of the woodworks. We obsess over this site nowadays. You’ll miss us when we’ve gone, like we’ll miss the show.
Keep chuck alive!!! There hasnt been a show I have obsessed over like i do for chuck.
Leah, Chuck’s not dead yet! And while we would, of course, miss you, we’d hope you’d stick around, even if Chuck doesn’t!
How many scripted shows does NBC have that aren’t already canceled next year?
Cthaskins, by my count, still too many.
Too bad about life. I agree that Robin Weigert was a more interesting boss and I also agree that the second season wasn’t as strong as the first although I think the last five or so episodes improved. It should have been given stronger support and remained true to its initial premise. But, with so much junk on TV, it should have been given another chance.
I hope Chuck makes it back. If it doesn’t, I won’t be watching NBC anymore. What a way to screw up a network.
Life is by far the most under appreciated show on TV. I considered it the best TV show when it came out. Now its going to end with no final conclusion.
well this sucks… great finale though
Goodbye.
First of all, Donal Logue trumped Robin Weigert’s role of the LAPD captain by a long shot. No one could’ve been more bland and boring than Robin Weigert and every scene with her couldn’t come close to the atmosphere that Donal Logue brought to the show.
Chuck, a truly terrible show, surpasses Life… the epitome of garbage at its finest.
The finale was intense and full of strong, cinematic moments. Even Donal got to show some teary emotion. Lewis just blew the camera away (oh wait, that was Roman, but the two of them were hovering around each other a lot tonight). Let’s face it, Life’s plots were complex, Crews was a quirky, even dark character of substantial depth and the visuals were often stunning. Way too much quality for network TV in its death throes. Mad Men is the only drama on TV of comparable quality — maybe AMC could use Life’s 4m+ audience…
douglaz – are you a halfhearted troll, or what?
And Bill – I do still have hopes for Chuck: if not for a long run, at least for another half-season or so. I was taking the mickey out of the preemptive mockery of Chuckaholics.
And yes, I may stick around.
But – here’s what I’ve lost this year:
Pushing Daisies
Dollhouse (looks like it’s going)
Reaper (maybe)
Terminator (most definitely)
I don’t think my poor heart could bear the loss of Chuck’s wonderful humor.
Not when all these shows that are more creative are being replaces with Law and Order knockoffs or CSI parodies.
It kinda hurts, you know?
At least I’ve still got Dexter, I suppose.
*d