Cancelled Too Soon: New Amsterdam (2008)

New-Amsterdam-FOX-CancelledThis blink-and-you-missed-it series  focused on Detective John Amsterdam (played by Game of Thrones‘ Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) who has been alive since the 17th century.  He was born in 1607 and came to New Amsterdam (now New York) in the New World when he was fourteen.  He was almost killed in 1642 when trying to save a Native American girl, but she cast a spell on him that would keep him alive until he found his true love.  In the present day, he works as (what else?) a detective for the New York police department while also seeking a “cure” for his immortality.   The show was basically Highlander meets cop drama and in many ways it also laid the groundwork for this past season’s (now cancelled) Forever (more on that one at this link).  But it definitely had a charm about it (probably in part due to the always welcome presence of Coster-Waldau) and transcended its limitations to suggest it could have turned into a decent series.  Unfortunately that never happened because its network had apparently given up on it before it even aired.   Originally intended for the Fall 2007 season, FOX stopped production on the show after only eight episodes had been produced and gave all indications that it was dead in the water and would never be broadcast. It only managed to make it to the airwaves when the 2007 writer’s strike left the networks with little in the way of original programming available for the second half of the season. It debuted on a Tuesday in March of 2008 and ranked as the sixth most watched show for the week. Its numbers dropped after that when it moved to its regular Thursday timeslot and had to contend with other shows coming back from their extended hiatus caused by the strike, but not by too much. Still, the FOX executives had apparently only considered it an emergency fill-in and let the show fade into Television Wasteland after it had aired its eight produced episodes. It may never have counted as a classic sci fi series, but it had some potential (as did the recently cancelled Forever), and could have developed into a decent genre entry.  Unfortunately, the series has yet to receive a DVD release and its not available for online viewing anywhere that I am aware of.  Interestingly enough, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau would also star in the failed sci fi pilot Virtuality which aired on FOX the following year (more on that one at this link).  Of course he then went on to greater fame playing Jamie Lannister GoT.

Aired: FOX, 2008, 1 Season Totaling 8 Episodes

Starring:  Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Alexie Gilmore, Stephen Henderson

Author: admin

5 thoughts on “Cancelled Too Soon: New Amsterdam (2008)

  1. \r. it was different, quirky had a little bit of everything. Humor, romance, Doctoring. What a shame that quality NEVER seems to last. Only murder, rape, and everything DARK and viscious. (sp) whatever happened to good family shows with some decent values? What has happened to the viewing audiences of America? Are they all MORONS?
    Bett

  2. Oh boy oh boy I watched it and I tell you man it’s fantastic ” I like it” man after GOT this was best

  3. I’m on episode 8 (streaming online via TVZion, if you’re curious to check it out). I agree with the review: “But it definitely had a charm about it…and transcended its limitations to suggest it could have turned into a decent series.” It could have gone into some interesting areas. The historic moments and the NYC skyline changes were interesting; the supporting cast had some nice moments; and it was a genteel twist to the usual ‘live forever’ trope.

  4. I love anything with time traveler or living forever and going back in time..another show canceled on me. Had great stories and loved the way they showed the Manhattan skyline from the 1840s to present day.

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