In television, cancellation (also known colloquially as axing) refers to the termination of a program by a network, typically (but not always) because of low viewership and/or unfavourable critical reviews. Another reason why television programs can be cancelled is to make room for new television programs. Shows whose runs end due to a mutual creative decision by its producers and cast (such as Seinfeld or The Sopranos) are not considered to be "cancelled" but rather "concluded" or "ended".
The Friday night death slot is a perceived graveyard slot in American television, referring to the idea that a television program in the United States scheduled on Friday evenings is destined for imminent cancellation.
Contents |
Commercial television is supported by advertising. Viewing figures are collected by audience measurement ratings agencies (such as Nielsen in the United States), and the programs with the highest viewing figures command a higher advertising fee for the network. As such, shows with a low viewership are generally not as profitable. In the United States, the number of viewers within the 18–49 age range is more important than the total number of viewers.[1][2] According to Advertising Age, during the 2007–08 season, Grey's Anatomy was able to charge $419,000 per television commercial, compared to only $248,000 for a commercial during CSI, despite CSI having almost five million more viewers on average.[3] Due to its strength in young demographics, Friends was able to charge almost three times as much for a commercial as Murder, She Wrote, even though the two television series had similar total viewer numbers during the seasons they were on the air together.[1]
Other factors are considered as well, such as the cost to produce the show. For example, a game show costs less money to produce than a science fiction program, so even if the game show has lesser ratings it may survive cancellation because of the higher profit margin.
Very rarely are television programs cancelled for reasons other than ratings or profitability. Three notable cases are Turn-On and Australia's Naughtiest Home Videos, which were cancelled after viewer and station outrage, and Megan Wants a Millionaire, which was axed in August 2009 following the arrest warrant (and later, suicide) of one of the finalists.
Occasionally, a show may be brought back into production after being previously cancelled. Sometimes, one network may decide to air a series previously cancelled by another network. For example, Family Matters moved from ABC to CBS in its ninth season of production.
In other cases, overwhelming fan response may lead to a show's revival. The original series of Star Trek was given an additional season after a letter-writing campaign from fans. Another successful letter-writing campaign helped revive Cagney & Lacey.[4] In 2007, Jericho was given an additional seven-episode order after fans mailed thousands of tons of nuts to network executives (a reference to a pivotal line in the season finale).[5]
Strong DVD sales and viewership on cable have also helped revive a series. Firefly and Police Squad! were revived in the form of a theatrical films (an uncommon occurrence, since failed television series are usually not considered bankable movie material), Family Guy was returned to Fox,[6] and Futurama (the volume 5 DVD cover touts the tag line "back by popular harassment!") returned in the form of straight to video films and a subsequent series of new television episodes for Comedy Central.[7]
In some situations, a television series may be revived years after being cancelled. Often this is in the form of a spin-off show featuring new characters (such as Star Trek: The Next Generation which premiered eighteen years after the original series went off the air). Doctor Who, which was cancelled by the BBC in 1989, was brought back in 2005 as a continuation of the original run of shows. Both franchises also produced spin-off films in the periods they were cancelled.