TV WORLD’S SURVIVORS
In the reality universe of small screen fiction, many shows will be biting the dust, while others, due to high viewer ratings, will spin on for another season
IN the US, the television industry is brutal. Series can be pulled as soon as after airing only one episode, while others limp on for longer, sometimes even their full season. Unfortunately, we get some of these dregs here; bought in bundles, we have to take the bad with the good.
Around this time of the year, everything comes up for review as the networks assess their upcoming fall (autumn) season and decide what will be binned and what will continue.
A variety of factors are in play during this decision-making period – low viewership, financial losses, or unfavourable critical reviews. Other potential reasons for cancellation include controversies involving cast members or conflicts among the show’s staff, or to make room for new programming.
While some shows are cancelled outright, others are deliberately planned to come to a natural conclusion – a mutual creative decision by creators, producers, cast, and the network on which it airs. For example, we’ve known for ages that Game Of Thrones will end with its eighth season. Although never say never, because Supernatural, which creator Eric Kripke planned for three seasons, premieres its 13th season in October.
We take a look at some (not all, because there are dozens) of the shows that will survive to see another year (or more), and those which have been canned. These are all, or have been, aired on various DStv channelsABC has a great crop of series which will be making a comeback. These include Agents of S.H.IE.L.D., Black-ish, How To Get Away With Murder, Fresh Off The Boat , The Goldbergs, Grey’s Anatomy, The Middle, Modern Family and Speechless.
Cancelled or ended by ABC are American Crime, The Catch, Dr Ken, Last Man Standing, The Fixer and Secrets & Lies.
CBS has renewed The Big Bang Theory till season 12 (we’re up to date here with season 10), Blue Bloods, Bull, Code Black, Criminal Minds, Elementary (season five returns in September), The Good Fight, Hawaii Five-0, Kevin Can Wait, MacGyver, Madam Secretary, Man With A Plan, Mom, and the NCIS franchise. Life In Pieces – which is one of the best comedies in my world – will continue for a third season.No surprises with the cancellations on Fox: Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders, Doubt, The Great Indoors, The Odd Couple, Pure Genius, and 2 Broke Girls. Training Day is unfortunately cancelled as well, but this might have something to do with the star Bill Paxton having passed away earlier this year. I’m always sceptical about TV spin-offs of movies, but I am enjoying this one.
Over on NBC, renewed series include The Blacklist, Blindspot, all the Chicago ones – Fire, PD, Med, Shades Of Blue, and This Is Us. Law & Order SVU has been renewed for its 19th season.
NBC cancelled The Blacklist: Redemption, Emerald City (thank goodness), Grimm and Powerless.
There’s lots of good news for Fox shows, spread over Vuzu Amp, Fox, and M-Net 101; Brooklyn NineNine, Empire, Gotham, Lucifer, The Mick, Taken, and The X-Files are still with us, as are The Simpsons. The dysfunctional family will go into its 30th season and I will weep a tear or two if it ever gets cancelled. We see it here on Vuzu or Vuzu AMP, but broadcast is highly erratic. It never comes up in the monthly highlights from these channels, and episodes are often screened randomly, coming and going apparently on whim. Lethal Weapon has also been renewed for a second season. For me, this is one spin-off I can do without.
Fox cancellations or series finales include Bones and New Girl, Rosewood, Scream Queens, Son Of Zorn, and Sleepy Hollow. 2f4: Legacy is open for possible future return, and Prison Break is ending with its fifth season. The first four were originally broadcast between 2005 and 2009. A comeback is not always a good thing. CW has renewed The 100, Arrow, The Flash, iZombie, Jane The Virgin, LegendsOf Tomorrow, The Originals, Riverdale and Supergirl, and the aforementioned Supernatural, which all air on Vuzu AMP.
On the smaller networks, cable and streaming services, series with lifelines are:
The Affair (season four on Showtime, M-Net 101)
American Gods (season two on Starz, M-Net 101)
American Crime Story (through season three on FX, M-Net 101) American Horror Story (through season 9 on FX, M-Net 101) Animal Kingdom (season two on TNT, M-Net 101) Ballers (season three on HBO, Vuzu AMP) Billions (season three on Showtime, M-Net 101) Bosch (season three on Amazon, Universal) Crashing (season two on HBO, M-Net 101) The Detour (season three on TBS, M-Net 101) Divorce (season two on HBO, M-Net 101) Fear The Walking Dead (season four on AMC, SundanceTV) High Maintenance (season two on HBO, M-Net 101) Homeland (season eight on Showtime, M-Net 101) The Last Ship (season five on TNT, M-Net 101) Legion (season two on FX) The Librarians (season four on TNT, Universal) The Magicians (season three on SYFY, M-Net 101) Major Crimes (season six on TNT, M-Net 101) Nashville (season six on CMT) Orange is the New Black (season seven on Netflix, M-Net 101) Peaky Blinders (season five on BBC/Netflix, BBC First) Ray Donovan (season five on Showtime, M-Net 101) Transparent (season four on Amazon, M-Net 101) The Walking Dead (season eight on AMC, Fox) Westworld (season two on HBO, M-Net 101)
Younger (season five on TV Land, first three seasons on Showmax) You’re The Worst (season four on FXX, Fox)
Veep (season seven on HBO, M-Net 101)
BINGE
Game Of Thrones (M-Net Binge, tomorrow from 9.30pm and Sunday from 9.20pm): It’s less than a month until the premiere of the penultimate season seven – which will be coming to us directly (not even Express) from the US on July 17 at 3am – so it’s time to begin getting excited. This is such a sprawling series, a catch up with the last season, at the very least, is a must. It wasn’t my favourite season, created by showrunners David Benioff
And DB Weiss in the absence of new material from author George RR Martin, but there were some very notable events so if you missed it, set the PVR to record this weekend. Alternatively, all six seasons are available on Showmax. I watched a bit of season one episode one last week and was surprised to see Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner) telling her mother she desperately wanted to marry Joffrey (Jack Gleeson). That was 60 hours of television and six years ago, so I am forgiving myself for not remembering this. I have a bit of a life.
SUNDAY
Dengal (Zee TV, 4pm): Fresh from the cinema circuit, this movie tells the true story of former wrestler Mahavir Phogat (played by Aamir Khan who also produced the movie), and his daughters. Set in the rural village of Haryana, Mahavir is forced to quit wrestling to get a “proper job”, and swears one day his son will win India a gold medal. But his wife gives birth only to girls. Determined to somehow achieve his unfulfilled dream, he finally decides to train them as wrestlers.
IN THE WEEK
Chance (M-Net, 101, Tuesday at 11.55pm): Already ordered for two seasons, this psychological drama stars Golden Globe winner Hugh Laurie (House MD). It focuses on a forensic neuropsychiatrist, Dr Eldon Chance (Laurie, who is semi-willingly pulled into his patient Jaclyn Blackstone’s (Gretchen Mol) dangerous life of police corruption, manipulation, and abuse. While dealing with a divorce of his own, and secrets he has been trying to hold back for years, he has to save Jaclyn from her abusive partner, as well as himself. The trailer looks excellent, and Laurie can do no wrong in my eyes.