I just heard this on 1010 WINS radio - NBC has cancelled 'The West Wing' after seven years on the air. They cite the declining ratings since the show moved from its long-time berth on Wednesday nights to Sunday nights this season, which of course THE NETWORK WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR!
Always remember the mantra: Network suits should be nibbled to death by ducks.
The finale will air on Sunday, May 14th, preceded by an hour-long retrospective (clip-fest!).
BCnU!
Tele-Toby
That's a real bummer for fans of quality TV. It's been a great season so far. And, for my money, THE WEST WING is so fantastically better than COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF. It's a net loss for presidential politics on TV.
ReplyDeleteWhile I agree that network suits in general should be nibbled to death by ducks (or some other small, annoying creatures), I think you're missing just how blessed we really were. The move to Sunday nights was a terrible move, to be true, but the whole reason for that was because The West Wing's ratings were already sagging on Wednesdays. They could just have easily canceled it a year ago, but instead we actually got a seventh season to give a better send-off to the series. I don't know if the producers knew a year ago that the end might be near, but they had to be seeing that coming this season. Thus, they could better build up to a true series finale instead of just a season finale.
ReplyDeleteThe good news in all of this is that NBC also cancelled Will & Grace.
Those who thought that they could at least get some of their political wonkiness from 'Commander In Chief' (West Wing Lite) once the better show was gone may yet be disappointed.
ReplyDeleteI'm hearing reports that ABC is distressed over the sinking ratings for C In C.
And the cancellation of 'Will & Grace' is good news. I believe there should be only one unlikable character in a cast and when there's only four main characters, that's too many.
'W&G' had two in Jack and Karen. Why Karen was never murdered is beyond me. And Jack was insufferable with his self-centered attitude.
But with the episode which guest starred Stephen Tobolowski, they ALL became unlikable. (I only watch those episodes which have interesting guest stars or plot points - like the live episodes.)
I think 20 years down the line, 'W&G' will be seen as having done more to hold back the image of gays on TV than promote it, in much the same way I think 'Good Times' was worse for portrayal of blacks on TV than 'Amos & Andy' ever was.
But that's my opinion. I could be wrong.
I'm shocked and appalled by the dcecision to cancel The West Wing!
ReplyDeleteWell actually, no, I'm not - saddened and resigned is more like it. Sadly I think the death knell began when they moved the show to Sunday night, a night where NBC stakes shows out to die - witness American Dreams - when they could have moved it to Friday night (where NBC has been having real trouble). Once John Spencer died I don't think there was any hope that at all that the show would be back. At the very least NBC had the good grace to give the producers sufficient notice to allow them to make a quality finale, unlike what happens to so many shows (like Angel).