Life on Mars is Getting Shot Off Into Space - Say Hi to Pushing Daisies For Me

Well I had been planning to write a post about how I think the American version of Life on Mars is doing and I was basically going to contrast the episodes directly based on the British version from those which the American version seemed to be adding to drag out the time. See the British show only lasted two seasons (although its spinoff series Ashes to Ashes in which a female cop is sent back to 1981 starts airing on BBC American on Saturday) and surely the American show would have to last longer than that.

Or maybe not. Apparently, according to Ausiello at EW, the American version is only going to make it one season with hopefully a pretty bow wrap-up ending http://ausiellofiles.ew.com/2009/03/breaking-abc-ca.html. Perhaps they will use the British ending although that might need too much time to develop. In any event, I enjoyed the American version of Life on Mars when it was not trying to be like its British counterpart - when Sam Tyler was allowed to smile, loosen up and have some fun and not just try to mimic the darker tone of the original. Having Ashes to Ashes available will certainly lessen the blow of the loss as I will get the real Gene Hunt, Philip Glenister, back (sorry Harvey but he was just better) but yet again, ABC is pulling the rug out under another smart show that didn't immediately meet expectations. Let's count them shall we: Life on Mars, Pushing Daisies, Eli Stone, Dirty Sexy Money (OK so that one's not so smart but it counts), The Nine, Six Degrees, Knights of Prosperity, Help Me Help You and I'm also going to add Samantha Who which was supposed to return in January and has yet to make an appearance. In most of those cases, the shows were yanked without any real warning or closure which I think is just plain mean to all the people who did bother to tune in and try to support your programming.

Which leads us to the next dilemma: In recent weeks, I have seen commercials for four new ABC shows which will be coming out over the next month and as usual, all four seem intriguing. Castle has been the most heavily promoted (and stars Nathan Fillion, yum) and will follow Dancing With the Stars so that may be the safest bet but Better Off Ted (with Portia de Rossi), In The Motherhood (with Cheryl Hines and Megan Mullaly) and The Unusuals (with Adam Goldbert and Harold Perrineau yay!) are all more intriguing. So Heather, are you really going to be a sucker and fall for ABC's flashy ways yet again only to be disappointed yet again? I'm still mulling it over - stay tuned and find out. If you're going to let yourself be suckered by one or more of these new shows please feel free to share your reasons.

Memo to ABC: Surely investing in shows which are critical successes/award magnets (Pushing Daisies was nominated for Emmys!) and helping to grow those audiences could pay off more in the end then constantly yanking and replacing shows every few months. Then you are guaranteeing that you will never have loyal viewers. Please take a meeting with executives over at NBC and see if they will reveal their 30 Rock strategy to you.