For two seasons, Life aired on NBC. The always fantastic Damian Lewis starred as Charlie Crews; a man wrongly tried and convicted of a crime he did not commit, served twelve years in prison, was eventually exonerated, and returned to the LAPD as the detective he once was before his time in prison. Oh, yeah, and he became a multi-millionaire after successfully suing for wrongful incarceration. Crews was partnered with Detective Dani Reese after his release from prison, played by the wonderful Sarah Shahi.
This series was able to make it to a second season, but has failed to make it to a third, as NBC announced yesterday that Life would not be renewed. Life was canceled due mostly to low ratings, but the competition at NBC from other bubble shows such as Chuck, Law & Order, and Medium did it no favors, nor did the fact that NBC did nothing to advertise or otherwise support this little gem of a show.
Ben Silverman, co-chairman of NBC, along with the LA Times, and various other sources reported the cancellation of Life, announced at the NBC upfronts presentation on Monday.
The ratings in the second season only averaged 6.2 million viewers. However, the series was considered a critical success, and it captivated loyal fans every week.
In recent weeks, increasing attention has been placed on Chuck, Law & Order, and Medium. NBC is currently working on assembling a new lineup for next season, which will exclude dramas in the 10pm (EST) time slot, due to the new Jay Leno comedy show, which will run in this all-important timeslot five nights a week. This has caused a great deal of competition between shows that would normally have been renewed. It isn't clear if this is the reason for the cancellation of Life, but it certainly didn't help matters. Of the other three other shows mentioned, only Medium's fate has been has been decided, as NBC announced yesterday that it would be back next season. The future of Chuck and Law & Order is still up in the air, and NBC has announced that a decision will be made by May 19.
Source: Zap2it
A 'Bring back Life' campaign has been started.
Go to http://twitter.com and tweet #bringbacklife and also tweet to http://twitter.com/USA_Network that it will be a perfect fit for their network.
Also here are some more ideas:
http://boards.nbc.com/nbc/index.php?showtopic=822…
A 'Bring back Life' campaign has been started.
Go to http://twitter.com and tweet #bringbacklife and also tweet to http://twitter.com/USA_Network that it will be a perfect fit for their network.
Also here are some more ideas:
http://boards.nbc.com/nbc/index.php?showtopic=822…
Well, this is thoroughly depressing news as Life was a truly great show, and Damian Lewis and Sarah Shahi were spectacular together.
Well, this is thoroughly depressing news as Life was a truly great show, and Damian Lewis and Sarah Shahi were spectacular together.
GOOD:) that show was a waist of time, it was boring! there are too many shows like that out! Give it a rest already! Sarah Shahi can not act! there goes her career HAHAHAH yaya:)
GOOD:) that show was a waist of time, it was boring! there are too many shows like that out! Give it a rest already! Sarah Shahi can not act! there goes her career HAHAHAH yaya:)
Wow, I hope your favorite show gets canceled and people around you are just as sympathetic. No one said you had to watch the show, but it was a favorite of some, just not enough, clearly.
Wow, I hope your favorite show gets canceled and people around you are just as sympathetic. No one said you had to watch the show, but it was a favorite of some, just not enough, clearly.
I refuse to watch NBC because of this. They need to get a clue as to what their viewers want. Everybody loved the show who watched it so why not advertise it more? They got rid of Life to make room for Parks and Recreation… which is basically just The Office, only not funny.
I'll be tweeting USA to take Life aboard.
Great idea, Crews is just quirky enough to fit in with USA's original programs. Life is not another procedural, it has an almost Burn Notice feel about it.
I refuse to watch NBC because of this. They need to get a clue as to what their viewers want. Everybody loved the show who watched it so why not advertise it more? They got rid of Life to make room for Parks and Recreation… which is basically just The Office, only not funny.
I’ll be tweeting USA to take Life aboard.
Great idea, Crews is just quirky enough to fit in with USA’s original programs. Life is not another procedural, it has an almost Burn Notice feel about it.
Well, now I have no reason to watch NBC. With scrubs and Life gone, they can keep their network..
Well, now I have no reason to watch NBC. With scrubs and Life gone, they can keep their network..
BLERG! NBC breaks my heart by killing Life, and teases me with Chuck. How did one of my favorite networks get to be so mean? Another blow for quality television.
BLERG! NBC breaks my heart by killing Life, and teases me with Chuck. How did one of my favorite networks get to be so mean? Another blow for quality television.
I have only watched NBC this year because of Life and Chuck. They are my favorite shows on television and I can't stand Jay Leno or reality tv, so I most certainly will never watch NBC again. Thank goodness other networks aren't so bent on alienating the few who still watch NBC.
I completely agree. NBC did NOTHING to encourage the success of Life (which was perhaps their best show). Jay Leno is going to be on FIVE nights? You have to be kidding! Never watch him on one. I really miss Life already. Damian Lewis and the rest of the cast are really great; it is very well written, smart, funny at times and quite like nothing else.
I have only watched NBC this year because of Life and Chuck. They are my favorite shows on television and I can’t stand Jay Leno or reality tv, so I most certainly will never watch NBC again. Thank goodness other networks aren’t so bent on alienating the few who still watch NBC.
I completely agree. NBC did NOTHING to encourage the success of Life (which was perhaps their best show). Jay Leno is going to be on FIVE nights? You have to be kidding! Never watch him on one. I really miss Life already. Damian Lewis and the rest of the cast are really great; it is very well written, smart, funny at times and quite like nothing else.
I have to concur, I will be boycotting NBC for the next two years straight. I will also be boycotting their subsidiaries such as MSNBC. This shows poor judgment for a show that does have a cult following, was poorly pursued by advertising by the network. It was a lowcost show, no or little special effects and mostly an unknown cast.
I find it suspicious that the ONE show on a major network that activly pursued an alternate religious view was not assisted by the network. Advertising was nil, even though it had some of the consistently best reviews available. This could also have been a politically (internal network versus producers) motivated, but it just seems suspicious that it was activly Buddhist Zen and was so poorly treated. If they would have activly pursued an audience this could have been a prime network show with easily twice the viewership.
-Tizroc
I have to concur, I will be boycotting NBC for the next two years straight. I will also be boycotting their subsidiaries such as MSNBC. This shows poor judgment for a show that does have a cult following, was poorly pursued by advertising by the network. It was a lowcost show, no or little special effects and mostly an unknown cast.
I find it suspicious that the ONE show on a major network that activly pursued an alternate religious view was not assisted by the network. Advertising was nil, even though it had some of the consistently best reviews available. This could also have been a politically (internal network versus producers) motivated, but it just seems suspicious that it was activly Buddhist Zen and was so poorly treated. If they would have activly pursued an audience this could have been a prime network show with easily twice the viewership.
-Tizroc
Fucking assholes!NBC is shit!
Fucking assholes!NBC is shit!
I really hope USA picks up Life because it is a show still with so much potential! To have Michael Weston on the east coast and Charlie Crews on the west coast USA has to great quirky cop procedurals! It would be a shame to never see another episode of Life again!
I really hope USA picks up Life because it is a show still with so much potential! To have Michael Weston on the east coast and Charlie Crews on the west coast USA has to great quirky cop procedurals! It would be a shame to never see another episode of Life again!
[...] http://www.tvovermind.com/tv-news/the-end-of-life/4131 [...]
How sad to hear about "Life". Once again NBC has made a serious mistake. What did you seriously expect. It was like you went out of your way to "dump" this series! It is put on Wednesdays, then Fridays and then back to Wednesday and then you CANCELL!! A very small announcement about the changes and then as usual we have to put it up against three (3) other shows!!. What is so bad about having a good, entertaining series on Friday or even Saturday!! Oh, forgive me, that's right – date night! Can't forget that the CHOSEN AGE GROUP will be out and about!! Ever hear of TIVO or that new invention DVR!!!!!!! So many good programs have left because of this.
Well, maybe FOX or CBS will pick it up. CBS seems to be able to recognize a worthwhile program!!
Goodbye NBC!!
How sad to hear about “Life”. Once again NBC has made a serious mistake. What did you seriously expect. It was like you went out of your way to “dump” this series! It is put on Wednesdays, then Fridays and then back to Wednesday and then you CANCELL!! A very small announcement about the changes and then as usual we have to put it up against three (3) other shows!!. What is so bad about having a good, entertaining series on Friday or even Saturday!! Oh, forgive me, that’s right – date night! Can’t forget that the CHOSEN AGE GROUP will be out and about!! Ever hear of TIVO or that new invention DVR!!!!!!! So many good programs have left because of this.
Well, maybe FOX or CBS will pick it up. CBS seems to be able to recognize a worthwhile program!!
Goodbye NBC!!
I look foward to picking up season 2 on DVD, and as much as I would like to see Life return to USA, we need to remember that USA is a sibling Network of NBC under the control of Universal (that's why all there logo bugs turn green during Earth week)so as awesome as it would be to see it return the odds are against us, I'm happy that at least a few questions were answered and we at least got what could be considered an ending, rather than to be totally left hanging.
I believe it was that other Great (Zen) Philosopher, Dr. Suess, who once said, "Don't cry because it's over, rejoice that it happened.
I look foward to picking up season 2 on DVD, and as much as I would like to see Life return to USA, we need to remember that USA is a sibling Network of NBC under the control of Universal (that’s why all there logo bugs turn green during Earth week)so as awesome as it would be to see it return the odds are against us, I’m happy that at least a few questions were answered and we at least got what could be considered an ending, rather than to be totally left hanging.
I believe it was that other Great (Zen) Philosopher, Dr. Suess, who once said, “Don’t cry because it’s over, rejoice that it happened.
Wow, keeping Medium over Life, that is an amazing mistake – no wonder so many people are abandoning the big three neworks, same as they abandoned the big three auto makers . . . there is an issue there!
Wow, keeping Medium over Life, that is an amazing mistake – no wonder so many people are abandoning the big three neworks, same as they abandoned the big three auto makers . . . there is an issue there!
the title to this article should have been "NBC Ends Life." Heh.
the title to this article should have been “NBC Ends Life.” Heh.
The original title of the article, before editing, was "The End of Life."
The original title of the article, before editing, was “The End of Life.”