The Futon Critic has a post confirming ABC episode orders and reports that the total order for "V" was cut from 13 hours to 12, and the "FlashForward" order from 25 hours to 24 hours. More info on ABC episode orders via Futon Critic.
Shout out to reader "Don J." who hammered the point home that more than a few people might be interested in this. I saw this news earlier but elected instead to post, about..."Chuck".
Had to happen. With V starting on March 30th, and FF resuming on March 4th, I’m pretty sure they would have needed to double up BOTH on a finale and other non-finale episode night in order to fit in the previously ordered eps.
So is it a time thing or a cancellation thing…
I was always under the impression that FF had a 24 episode order. It was reported as getting a “back-12″ but everyone still said 24 episodes at the time, implying that it only had a 12 episode order to begin with.
Samuel, i don`t think so.
I was actually expecting FlashForward will be cut down to a 21 episode order like most shows do given the recent ratings. I’m still hoping it could bounce back when it returns but well a 2.5 for its return is the realistic number I could see
Actually it was widely reported as being a total of 25 episode pick up eg The Live Feed – not sure where you read back 12 pick up.
Raymond, since you provided one source (without a link to back you up I might add) to satisfy your claims of “widely reported” does my one source with a link beat you? http://www.thewrap.com/ind-column/news-flash-abc-delays-return-drama-until-march-11204
Last week The Wrap was talking about how it had been picked up for a 24 episode order. No mention of that being cut from 25. And back-12 would be 25 if the initial order was 13. So not sure you missed people talking about the back-12.
V should have been cut to 11 episodes to fit
Episode 5 March 30
Episode 6 April 6
Episode 7 April 13
Episode 8 April 20
Episode 9 April 27
Episode 10 May 4
Episode 11 May 11
Unless the Lost finale is only 1 hour, V cant air episode 12 until May 25. But otherwise the episode cutback was expected.
The show runner (also executive producer, head writer, pilot director) David S. Goyer himself said on Friday that FlashForward had been cut to 23 episodes at http://hollywoodinsider.ew.com/2009/12/04/flashforward-david-goyer-hiatus.
Dan – I guarantee you the Lost finale will be 2 hours with a one hour recap episode at 8.
thedemonhog, the futoncrtic.com story is confirmed with the network too for the final 14 episodes.
Don J, the problem is that TFC may have just had it confirmed that the series were having one hour cut, and used their erroneous numbers to come up with 24 episodes. TFC is the best place to easily find episode order figures, but they’ve proven themselves to be pretty inaccurate lately, unfortunately. I would be much more inclined to believe it straight from the horse’s mouth so to speak.
Tony – Evrything you said, is what I expected, so it looks like May 25 will be V’s season or series finale. As for Flashforward, it may double up one night in place of a Grey’s repeat so whether it be 13 episodes or 14, FF will fit from March 4-May 13.
Julia, what do you mean by “proven themselves to be pretty inaccurate lately?” I use them (and here) all the time and haven’t found any errors.
From October:
ABC picks up more ‘FlashForward’
“ABC has given a full-season order to “FlashForward” and extended the run from 22 to 25 episodes.”
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118009832.html?categoryid=14&cs=1&nid=2562
JamesBond, they had the episode orders wrong for HappyTown (13 instead of 8), The Deep End (6 instead of 7) and they just had a big ??? for Fringe when there was a press release saying 22 from last May. Don’t blindly trust them. I’ve made that mistake myself.
KVeltch,
http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/watch_with_kristin/b148507_this_just_in_flashforward_gets.html
Jennifer Godwin, who was the first person to report that it was a back-12, not back-9: ABC has ordered 12 more episodes for freshman sci-fi series FlashForward, meaning that the first season is 24 full hours of sci-fi-y goodness!
Again, I’m going to believe that the showrunner himself knows how many hours he has to tell the story in. But you can feel free to believe otherwise.
Julia, I’m sorry I don’t follow – doesn’t the linked story say exactly what you just mentioned (Deep End = 7, Happy Town = 8).
@victor hugo I don’t believe you can answer Samuel’s Either/Or question with a yes or no. (or even an I don’t think so)
He was asking “which”?
Which I would ask, too.
JamesBond, the linked story wasn’t meant for you, it was meant as (more) evidence that ABC had originally ordered 24 episodes, not 25 episodes of FlashForward. TFC has since corrected their mistakes regarding Deep End and Happy Town, and I didn’t screencap their mistakes, so I have no proof other than my own memory.