Third Watch--why is it being cancelled?

[BamaTodd]

One of my favorite shows on TV is Third Watch. The wife and I have been watching it for about the last 4-5 years. We try our best to never miss an episode. I think it has great story lines and great action. I think it is one of the best shows on TV and has been for a while. And this Friday is the LAST one. Ever. Why are they cancelling it? Are the ratings that bad? It hasn't been on the air that long, so you can't really say, "well, it's been around for 10 years, so let's call it quits." Does NBC have another show planned, like perhaps, Law and Order: Parking Ticket Division? Are the ratings that poor? Inquiring minds want to know.

 

[Bamadev]

Todd

I have no clue why it's been cancelled. I was shocked this week when I saw that the series finale was this week! I was very upset; I even went upstairs and woke my husband up to tell him it was being cancelled. I LOVE that show too! :frown:

If you get any scoop on why, please share and I'll do the same

 

[Queasy1]

Ratings. Friday is a black hole for shows now. Even though Third Watch was winning it's time slot it still wasn't good enough.

Actor turnover has also hurt the show.

I think NBC has a slate of new dramas they want to try out.

 

[BamaTodd]

Ratings. Friday is a black hole for shows now. Even though Third Watch was winning it's time slot it still wasn't good enough.

Actor turnover has also hurt the show.

I think NBC has a slate of new dramas they want to try out.

But it's a GREAT show. Move it to another night. Heck, move it to TNT or Bravo if you have to. Why don't they move it to Wednesday and get rid of that snooze-fest West Wing. That show is always up for some awards, so I have tried several times to watch it, but it is TERRIBLE. How in the world is it still on, and why is it nominated for awards?

Let's see where they could move it...NBC on Monday is full. They could put it on at 8:00 on Tuesday. They have nothing for that slot. Used to be Frazier. I think they are trying that show, The Office, at that time, but that show will be gone soon. Law and Order SVU is at 9:00. So there. I have solved the problem. Show Third Watch on Tuesday, and try whatever new show you want on Friday night. In days gone by, I really wouldn't care what was on TV on a Friday night, but now I sit home with the two kiddies and watch TV. So I really wish that there was good stuff to watch.

I just went to the NBC website to look for answers. None. I sent them an e-mail asking why Third Watch was to end. Maybe I'll get a reply.

 

[bayoutider]

Monday is a dead day for me. I hardly turn on the set. Good night to watch a movie.

 

[CrimsonNan]

Although I haven't watched that show but a few times, I know the feeling. JAG, my favorite, was cancelled this past week, and one that I REALLY liked, "The Agency" (about the CIA) was cancelled after a couple of years.

Sometimes I can't see their reasoning. Correct, of course, why don't they move some of these shows to another night, and seeeeeeeeeee.....

 

[Queasy1]

Sometimes I can't see their reasoning. Correct, of course, why don't they move some of these shows to another night, and seeeeeeeeeee.....

Well, look at it this way. Third Watch had a good run of, what, six seasons? Most shows are lucky to get to the second season nowadays.

I think the most glaring example of a show not being given a chance is FireFly on Fox a couple of years back. It was a quirky show that mixed sci-fi with westerns but it was good. Fox skipped the two-hour pilot that introduced the background universe and characters and went straight to the second episode. They then proceeded to show the rest of the season out of order on friday nights with little to no advertising. It was cancelled a little more than halfway through the season. The two-hour pilot ended up being the final showing on TV. The complete series (including a couple of never aired episodes) came out later on DVD and sold extemely well. So well in fact that the creators were able to get backing for a movie(Serenity) that is coming out this summer and is looking very good by all accounts.

 

[DiamondDust]

DVD sales of cancelled TV shows, such as Freaks and Geeks, are changing the business model of television. Actually, DVD sales of television shows in general are changing the business model of television. Right now, people would much rather buy and watch TV series on DVD than what's currently on as first run shows. The production companies know this, and that is why nearly every TV show ever made has or will have a DVD box set. Then you have series on cable channels and HBO(Sex and the City, The Sopranos, The Shield, etc.) that are rapidly taking away viewers from the traditional prime time network line-ups. The networks, though, aren't helping their scripted shows much by saturating the market with reality television and leaving scripted shows hanging on a limb.

You might be complaining about Third Watch, but wait when Arrested Development gets the axe. I'm going to be livid. You have the best written comedy on television in years. The show has an incredible cast and performances, and simply outrageous stories, yet people don't watch it because it's not a "traditional laugh track" comedy. The only consolation I have about it is that I will have my DVD sets, and another network(probably cable) will pick it up. Fox decides its fate on May 19th.

Anyways, look at Family Guy for an example on the changing world of television. Fox jerked it around several time slots in its initial run, and it got bad ratings. As a result, it got cancelled, but Cartoon Network picked up the reruns for Adult Swim, which happened to be a magnet for THE target audience for Family Guy. While that was happening, the DVD packages came out. Put all that together and...

The rest is history.

-Family Guy on Cartoon Network did monster ratings and still does
-The DVD sales went through the roof and made loads of money
-Fox learned from its mistake and "un-cancelled" the show, which was the first time DVD sales had actually caused that to happen
-Family Guy returned to the air last night, May 1st. The first gag they did was Peter telling his family they had gotten cancelled. He then said Fox had to make room for a lot of other shows. He proceeded to list every show Fox had cancelled after Family Guy. He then said that they might have a shot of getting on the air if all of those shows fail. Man, I'm glad Family Guy is back.

 

[Queasy1]

Futurama is another example as well. It was constantly getting preempted and pushed back because of NFL Football. After it appeared on Cartoon Network the ratings went through the roof. Same with the DVD sales. It's not coming back like Family Guy though.

I think Fox is probably the worst of the broadcast networks when it comes to how it treats shows.