Infamous Sci Fi TV Cancellations: This ongoing series looks back at some of the most notorious cancellations of sci fi and fantasy TV shows by the broadcast networks, cable channels, and streaming services.
What Is It?
This continuation from the Terminator movies follows Sarah Connor and her teenage son John as they attempt to prevent the rise of Skynet and the impending war between humanity and the machines. With the help of Cameron, a Terminator sent from the future to protect John, they battle deadly cyborg assassins, uncover conspiracies involving artificial intelligence, and work to change the future while staying one step ahead of both Skynet and the authorities.
Aired: CBS, 2009-09, 2 Seasons Totaling 31 Episodes
Starring: Lena Headey, Thomas Dekker, Summer Glau, Brian Austin Green, Garret Dillahunt
Created By: Josh Friedman
Why Was It Cancelled?
This series premiered as a mid-season replacement during the 2007–08 season, arriving on the Fox schedule in January. It had received a thirteen-episode order, but that was cut back to nine eps due to the writers’ strike. When it debuted, the show pulled strong ratings, likely drawing plenty of curious onlookers who were familiar with the Arnold Schwarzenegger movies that preceded it. The numbers dropped throughout the first season, but the show still did well enough to get a second-year renewal.
When it returned, TSCC was shifted an hour earlier on the Monday schedule, and it struggled to maintain an audience in that timeslot. Still, Fox gave the show a chance and picked up the back nine episodes for its second year, giving it a full-season order of 22 eps. The viewership numbers remained low through Fall, and after the Winter hiatus, they shifted it to Friday nights (pairing it with Joss Whedon’s Dollhouse), suggesting that network execs were giving up on the show. Sure enough, by the end of the season, the cancellation announcement came, leaving the show on a cliffhanger ending.
Fans had already been preparing for the possibility of cancellation, and they went to work trying to convince network execs to give TSCC another chance. Social media was not as much of a factor then, but an online petition was posted and garnered over 10K signatures. Fans went beyond that, though, raising money for a mobile billboard that traveled around Los Angeles with the plea “Bring Back The Sarah Connor Chronicles.” There were hopes that the series would at least get a movie to resolve its storylines, but that never happened. And Fox found itself once again facing the ire of fans after cancelling a sci fi TV show too soon (you can read about another infamous Fox cancellation at this link).
Should It Have Continued?
Yes. This series offered a good continuation of the Terminator universe, following Sarah Connor and her son John as they prepared for the impending Skynet attack. Plans were already in place for a third season, which would have been split between a future timeline and the present day. And Josh Friedman had worked out a four-season outline for the show from the beginning, with the potential to extend the story further.
Fans were not happy with Fox’s decision to cancel TSCC, but the fact is that the network did give the show plenty of chances. Its ratings declined in its first season, but the network still brought it back for a second year. When it returned, the numbers dropped notably, but the show still received a full-season order. The move to Fridays, though, proved to be the nail in the coffin. That had been a low-viewership night for the broadcast networks for quite a while, and the numbers dropped to the point that the network could not justify bringing it back. Fans attempted to save the show, but despite their valiant efforts, it remained cancelled with no resolution to its storylines.
Where Does the Property Stand Now?
The rights reverted back to Warner Bros., and they decided to take the franchise back to the big screen. Three additional movies were released, none of which acknowledge the events of The Sarah Connor Chronicles, making it a separate, non-canon timeline from the films. Only Terminator Genisys performed well at the Box Office, but because of its large budget, it fell short of turning a profit during its theatrical run. Currently, James Cameron has a plan to reboot the franchise with a new movie that will not include legacy characters from the previous films. This would be another move away from the timeline of The Sarah Connor Chronicles, making it very unlikely that the storyline from the series will ever be resolved.
Where Can You Watch It?
The series has been released on Blu-ray and DVD, which are still currently available, though it appears they have gone out of print. The show is also available to purchase VOD, though it is not currently streaming on any of the major services.
Why Were They Cancelled? 2nd Ed.
How many times has it happened? You start watching a sci fi/fantasy show, it’s getting really good, and then—out of nowhere—it disappears.
What happened to it? Where did it go? Why were no more episodes produced? Will the story ever be resolved?
The answer to what happened is simple: it got cancelled. And it was cancelled because viewership did not meet expectations, whether that was measured by the Nielsen ratings or whatever metric the network or streaming service uses to gauge its audience.
But why was the viewership low, you ask? It was such a great show and more people should have been tuning in. Why didn’t its network do more to promote it? And why do the companies that produce and air television shows seem to hate sci fi and fantasy so much?
These are questions genre fans have been asking for years, and Why Were They Cancelled? is here to provide some answers. This is the updated and expanded second edition of the book, and it looks at the era of the Nielsen ratings and how that is becoming a thing of the past while also focusing on the more recent impacts of the streaming services and Peak TV.
