US monthly charts - Jun 2024:
1. Elden Ring
2. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
3. Kingdom Hearts: Integrum ...

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The PlayStation 5 (PS5) console has recently surpassed the milestone of 4 million units sold in the UK.

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Our team is finally happy to inform you that we have released an update that fixes most of the bugs and adds support for some VR devices in Galactic Rangers VR. Added support for Valve Index controllers Fixed loading of levels Many small changes and performance improvements...

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Hey, space defenders! We are glad to inform you that the sale dedicated to Halloween has reached our game! Galactic Rangers VR from October 28 to November 4 will be on sale with a 55% discount in Steam. Enjoy your space hunting!

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Rumors have circulated suggesting that GAME, the UK’s leading video game retailer, might be shifting towards a digital-only sales model.

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U.S. monthly chart, Apr. 2024
1. Stellar Blade
2. Helldivers 2
3. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

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Swedish video game and media holding company Embracer Group has just declared its financial report for the past fiscal year.

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Last week, as a result of a few messages on X, the trading shares of GameStop once again rose significantly as couple of years ago.

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European monthly charts, Apr. 2024:
1. Fallout 4
2. EA Sports FC 24
3. Helldivers 2

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UK monthly charts, April 2024:
1. Fallout 4
2. EA Sports FC 24
3. Helldivers 2

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A recent investor call at Nintendo revealed that the forecasted earnings of the company by April 2025 do not include Switch 2.

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It’s been a long time coming but finally, it appears that some credible details about the Nintendo Switch 2 have just been leaked. The information comes in the form of an unexpected – yet legitimate – source, a Facebook post by a company named Mobapad. The China-based manufacturer produces alternative Joy-Con controllers for the Nintendo […]

The post Nintendo Switch 2 rumored to feature larger 1080p screen, magnetic Joy-Cons, & new Game Paks appeared first on WholesGame.

US monthly charts, March 2024:
1. Dragon's Dogma 2
2. Helldivers 2
3. MLB: The Show 24

The post US Monthly Charts: spending on games in March maintains growth appeared first on WholesGame.

European weekly charts, Apr. 2024:
1. Fallout 4
2. Helldivers 2
3. EA Sports FC 24

The post Fallout dominates the weekly European charts appeared first on WholesGame.

1995’s American Gothic delivered a quirky and unique horror series, but it was out of place on the CBS schedule and cancelled after one season.

[Updated]

What Is It?

This series takes place in the small town of Trinity South Carolina where the sinister Sheriff Lucas Buck has a mysterious but strong influence over the people he polices and wants to bring the young, mysteriously wise Caleb Temple (recently orphaned due to his father’s suicide), under his control. The newly arrived Dr. Crower takes guardianship of the boy and starts to uncover information about Buck’s connections to the deaths of Caleb’s sister and father, and that sets up a power struggle that could tear the town apart.

Aired: CBS, 1995-96, 1 Season Totaling 22 Episodes

Starring: Gary Cole, Lucas Black, Jake Weber, Paige Turco, Brenda Bakke, Sarah Paulson

Created By: Shaun Cassidy

Why Was It Cancelled?

This quirky and unique horror series showed up on CBS’ schedule in the Fall of 1995 but unfortunately did not survive past a single season. The versatile Gary Cole (whose roles have ranged from Brady dad in the Brady Bunch revival movies, starship captain in Babylon 5 spin-off series Crusade, and trolling middle-management boss in Office Space) delivered a standout performance as the show’s antagonist. While Lucas Black avoided the cute kid trope and provided an excellent co-lead as the young Caleb Temple. And Paige Turco stood her ground with both of these actors in one of her earlier television roles. The show delivered creepy, engaging tales held together by a loose story arc, and there was almost nothing on television at the time that matched its creepiness except maybe The X-Files which was just hitting its stride. (You can read more about the show at Cult-SciFi.com.)

American Gothic came from the Hercules/Xena crew of Sam Raimi and Robert G. Tapert as well as creator Shaun Cassidy, but it struggled to find an audience during its initial run as it diverged considerably from the standard Prime Time fare (further frustrated by the network airing its episodes out of order).  It was scheduled in the viewership-challenged Friday 11 PM EST hour, and while it paired up well with its lead-in Picket Fences, that show was in its final season, and its ratings were at a low point.  In addition, American Gothic had to contend with Top 20 series 20/20 over on ABC.  CBS cancelled the supernatural drama after one, low-rated season, though apparently the network gave the producers enough notice that they were able to wrap up at least some of the show’s storylines.

Should It Be Rebooted?

American Gothic would go on to develop a strong cult following and there were plans to reboot the property on the big screen around 2004. Gary Cole would have returned as Sheriff Lucas Buck, and several other series regulars were set to reprise their roles with Sam Raimi returning as producer. A new actor would have stepped in as Caleb, though, as Lucas Black had grown too old to play the character. However, the movie plans stalled over various concerns and were eventually shelved altogether in 2005.  It might actually be interesting to take another shot at the property, bringing back Gary Cole along with a grown-up Caleb played by the original actor and picking up the story thirty years later.  But this one has been mostly forgotten, so it seems unlikely that it would return unless Raimi and/or Shaun Cassidy were to push for a revival/reboot.

Where Can You Watch It?

The full series is available on DVD and you can also purchase it VOD.  It is not currently streaming on any of the major services, but you can catch episodes on YouTube from time to time.

Read about more Sci Fi TV shows cancelled too soon at this link.

Be sure to follow the Cancelled Sci Fi Twitter Site  for breaking news and updates. And for the latest news and discussions on sci fi and fantasy television, follow r/SciFiTV

Follow our Sci Fi TV Schedule for all the currently airing and upcoming sci fi and fantasy television shows, and you can see the premieres for all the upcoming genre entries at this link.

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The 1978 Dr. Strange pilot may not measure up to the MCU movies, but it did deliver some good, cheesy ’70s fun and could have turned into an interesting series.

[Updated]

What Is It?

This 1978 movie-of-the-week introduced Prime Time audiences to Marvel’s Doctor Strange (though the honorific is abbreviated to Dr.) as CBS mulled adding that character to its growing superhero line-up which included The Incredible Hulk, Spider-Man, The Amazing Spider-Man, and Wonder Woman at that point.  In the movie, the demon Balzaroth seeks to cross over to Earth and tasks Morgan Le Fay with either defeating Earth’s aging Sorcerer Supreme (something she failed to do five hundred years previous) or killing his successor.  Thomas Lindmer is Le Fay’s target, but she fails in her first attempt to eliminate him.  Lindmer then seeks out Dr. Stephen Strange and reveals to him that it is his destiny to take up the mantle as the next Sorcerer Supreme.

Aired: CBS, September 6, 1978

Starring: Peter Hooten, Clyde Kusatsu, Jessica Walter, Ted Cassidy

Developed By: Philip DeGuere

Why Didn’t it Fly?

This movie came at a time when superheroes were riding high on television with the three shows mentioned above pulling decent ratings from CBS and the Bionic shows (Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman) having had some success on their networks a few years earlier. However, Dr. Strange went way over budget which likely caused the network executives to hesitate on committing to the property as an ongoing series.  Plus, the ratings for its initial airing were not great, though that was in a large part because it ran against a repeat of Roots which pulled much higher viewership than expected.  CBS had also decided that they did not want to become labeled the “superhero network”, and all but The Incredible Hulk were gone from the network’s schedule by the end of the 1978-79 season.  Ultimately, the show was probably far too cosmic for Prime Time in the ’70s, and the network had soured on superhero shows anyway.  Hollywood Reporter did an interesting look back the pilot that you can read at this link.

Would It Have Worked as a Series?

The CBS version of the Doctor Strange character took plenty of liberties with the source material (just like the other comic book adaptations at that time) and the telefilm was ploddingly slow and marred by subpar acting and cheesy special effects.  But it could actually be somewhat inventive and stylistic at times–especially with the portrayal of the demon realm–and it showed some definite potential. It likely would have delivered less in the way of cosmic stories due to budget constraints, but it still could have given us some interesting tales of the Sorcerer Supreme.  Peter Hooten did a pretty good job with the character, and Clyde Kusatsu was decent as Wong though he did not get much to do in the pilot.  And if it had gone to series, CBS could have possibly done a team-up with Dr. Strange, The Incredible Hulk, Spider-Man, and Captain America (more on that Cult-SciFi.com).

Should It Be Rebooted?

A Doctor Strange TV series would certainly be enjoyable, but with the revival of the character on the big screen, it seems unlikely we would get any more than a mini-series on Disney+.  Benedict Cumberbatch certainly has a busy schedule and it is doubtful that he would have time to work on an ongoing show based on the character.  In addition, Disney+ has been easing back on its MCU entries because they are quite costly and also because of the recent superhero burnout.  But a mini-series featuring the character is possible and would be welcome.  And perhaps that could spin off into an ongoing series featuring Benedict Wong as the Sorcerer Supreme, which would be a ton of fun.  Or maybe a Doctor Strange animated series could happen, and Cumberbatch could perhaps find time to voice the character.

Where Can You Watch It?

The TV movie did get a DVD release which has since gone out of print, it is still available from third-party sellers at a reasonable price. Shout! Factory has just released it on Blu-ray which is exclusive to their website as of this writing.  It is not currently available for streaming, but it does show up on YouTube from time to time. I recommend giving it a look as yet another cheesy 70’s take on a popular comic book character that may not match up to the current MCU movies, but that can be fun in its own way.

Read about more Sci Fi TV pilots that did not fly at this link.

Be sure to follow the Cancelled Sci Fi Twitter Site  for breaking news and updates. And for the latest news and discussions on sci fi and fantasy television, follow r/SciFiTV

Follow our Sci Fi TV Schedule for all the currently airing and upcoming sci fi and fantasy television shows, and you can see the premieres for all the upcoming genre entries at this link.

The post Cancelled Before it Began: Dr. Strange (1978) appeared first on Cancelled Sci Fi.

Space Rangers ventured into Prime Time briefly in 1993 but it was cut short by a network that was not interested in supporting sci fi shows.

[Updated]

What Is It?

This short-lived 1993 television series followed the adventures of a misfit band of the Space Rangers Corps stationed on the edge of the explored galaxy at Fort Hope.   They must defend the colonists in their sector from menaces like inter-stellar bandits, an alien race known as the Banshees, and the most dangerous threat of all: budget cuts.

Aired: CBS, 1993, 1 Season Totaling 6 Episodes (2 Unaired)

Starring:  Jeff Kaake, Jack McGee, Marjorie Monaghan, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Clint Howard, Linda Hunt

Created By: Pen Densham

Why Was It Cancelled?

For a very brief time in early 1993, this enjoyable little series about misfit-yet-tough-as-nails space rangers defending the galactic frontier appeared on CBS’s Prime Time schedule.  It definitely served a healthy portion of cheese with its sci fi and borrowed liberally from other genre sources such as Aliens, but it also didn’t take itself too seriously and it was just good fun.  And even though original sci fi shows were thriving in the syndication market at that time (and would shortly take a big step forward with the arrivals of Babylon 5, Star Trek: Deep Space 9, and The X-Files that same year), the Big 3 broadcast networks (FOX hadn’t quite become a force yet) had little tolerance for the genre.

Space Rangers was definitely out of place on the Prime Time schedule and it didn’t help that CBS cast it to the Wednesday 8 PM EST hour where the network had struggled for years.  In addition, that network had little tolerance for genre shows (a fact that is still true today) and didn’t give this one much of a chance.  The series was cancelled after only one episode and only four of the six produced were aired. (You can read more about the show over at Cult-SciFi.com.)

Should It Be Rebooted?

Yes! This show was a ton of fun, and even though it was somewhat derivative, a revival or reboot would certainly work. They could bring back some of the original actors and have them in administrative roles now, shepherding a new group of Rangers. Or they could go the complete reboot route and start over from the ground up. Just so long as they keep the show’s sense of fun and its space-based adventure, this one could definitely find an audience because it had so much potential when it first arrived that was never explored because it was cut short. And it does not need a very high budget as some degree of cheesiness could work in its favor just like with the original. It seems unlikely that this one would added to the reboot queue because it is mostly forgotten at this point, but if the right creative team were to get behind it, this could turn into a sleeper of a sci fi series.

Where Can You Watch It?

Space Rangers was well-received internationally and that eventually resulted in all six of its episodes getting released on VHS, making it one of the first short-lived TV shows to get a full release on home video.  It later got a DVD release in the States, but that has since gone out of print and is fetching a fairly high price from third party sellers.  Five of the six episodes are available for streaming for free (with ads) on Amazon’s FreeVee, and this blink-and-you-missed-it series is certainly worth checking out.

Read about more Sci Fi TV shows cancelled too soon at this link.

Be sure to follow the Cancelled Sci Fi Twitter Site  for breaking news and updates. And for the latest news and discussions on sci fi and fantasy television, follow r/SciFiTV

Follow our Sci Fi TV Schedule for all the currently airing and upcoming sci fi and fantasy television shows, and you can see the premieres for all the upcoming genre entries at this link.

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This early live-action Spider-Man TV series has plenty of ’70s cheesiness, but it also delivered a decent adaptation of the character and deserved a longer run than CBS allowed for it.

What Is It?

Peter Parker is a university student who gains superpowers after getting bit by a spider that was turned radioactive by an experiment. He takes on the alter ego Spider-Man so that he can use his newfound abilities to fight crime.

Aired: CBS, 1977-79, 2 Seasons Totaling 13 Episodes

Developed By: Alvin Boretz

Starring:  Nicholas Hammond, Michael Pataki, Robert F. Simon, Ellen Bry

Why Was It Cancelled?

In the late 70’s, CBS found success with the comic book-based shows Wonder Woman (which it picked up after the cancellation by ABC) and The Incredible Hulk and decided to dip into that well again with a live-action adaptation of Marvel’s Spider-Man.  Like the Hulk’s show, Spider-Man began on TV as a well-rated television movie and then continued as a mid-season replacement series.  Also like The Hulk, the Spider-Man series borrowed the basic origin story from the comics, but had very little connection to the source material beyond that.  The first-year episodes delivered decent enough ratings that CBS decided to greenlight the shows for a second season.  But the network execs apparently had a change of heart about the show at some point because they ordered only seven eps and aired those sporadically across the season.  The episodes still pulled decent numbers, but the show had high production costs and also skewed to a younger audience, not scoring as well in the all-important 18-49 demographic.  In addition, CBS wanted to avoid being tagged as the “comic book network” and ended up cancelling Spider-Man after its shortened second-year run.

While the show may never count as classic television, it was good fun for its day and did a decent enough job with the Spider-Man character.  It does deliver a large dose of 70’s cheese and the special effects (which seemed impressive at the time) do not hold up as well.  But the show still counts as a fun superhero adaptation and I always liked Nicholas Hammond as Peter Parker.  It would have been nice if they had brought in some of the hero’s rogues gallery from the comics, and maybe done a cross-over with The Incredible Hulk.  But neither the latter show nor Wonder Woman had done much in the way of mining their source material, so it is no surprise Spider-Man did not either (likely due to rights issues).  CBS would also air pilots for Dr. Strange (more on that one at this link) and Captain America, but neither would continue as a series.  And even though the network could have had its own Marvel Universe of shows (more on that at Cult-SciFi.com), its superhero purge left only The Incredible Hulk still on the schedule by the end of 1979.  (And that show would get pushed out just a few years later.)

Should It Be Rebooted?

In the early ’80s, Bill Bixby suggested a TV movie in which the Hulk and Spider-Man would meet.  That didn’t happen, though the Hulk did have three movies following its cancellation, two of which acted as back-door pilots for other Marvel characters (more on that at this link).  The Spider-Man character would go on to have multiple animated shows over the subsequent decades, and he would also produce Box Office gold starting with 2002’s Spider-Man.  A new live-action series with the character would certainly be nice, but that seems unlikely since he has become a big-screen star.

Where Can You Watch It?

Surprisingly, the Spider-Man series has yet to make it to DVD, but that is probably due to rights issues.  It is also not streaming on any of the major services, but you can catch episodes on YouTube from time to time.  And it’s worth giving them a look to enjoy a fun 1970’s superhero series that could be cheesy at times, but had plenty of potential.

Read about more Sci Fi TV shows cancelled too soon at this link.

Be sure to follow the Cancelled Sci Fi Twitter Site  for breaking news and updates. And for the latest news and discussions on sci fi and fantasy television, follow r/SciFiTV

Follow our Sci Fi TV Schedule for all the currently airing and upcoming sci fi and fantasy television shows, and you can see the premieres for all the upcoming genre entries at this link.

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2008’s New Amsterdam (starring Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) had the potential to turn into a decent genre series, but FOX gave up on it before it aired.

[Updated]

What Is It?

This blink-and-you-missed-it series  focused on Detective John Amsterdam (played by future Game of Thrones star 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 a detective for the New York police department while also seeking a “cure” for his immortality.

Aired: FOX, 2008, 1 Season Totaling 8 Episodes

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

Created By: Allan Loeb, Christian Taylor

Why Was It Cancelled?

This blink-and-you-missed-it series (not to be confused with the 2018 medical drama of the same name) was basically Highlander meets cop drama and in many ways it also laid the groundwork for 2014’s Forever (which was also cancelled after one season, 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 writers’ strike left the networks with little in the way of original programming available for the second half of the 2007-08 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 genre entry, but it had some potential (as did Forever), and could have developed into a sleeper series.  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.

Should It Be Rebooted?

The concept of an immortal detective was explored again with Forever in 2014, but that show only lasted one season, so the networks and streaming services are probably not that interested in retreading that territory again. A revival with Coster-Waldau could be challenging because the character John Amsterdam was supposed to be immortal, and it would be difficult to explain how he aged. But perhaps it could happen and maybe a revival would draw some interest if the former Game of Thrones star expressed an interest in returning to the property. But beyond that, it seems unlikely that we will ever get more than the eight episodes originally produced for this series.

Where Can You Watch It?

This show has never received a DVD or Blu-ray release, and it is also not available for streaming on any of the the major services. You may be able to find episodes on YouTube from time-to-time, or seek out a bootleg DVD release of the series.

Read about more Sci Fi TV shows cancelled too soon at this link.

Be sure to follow the Cancelled Sci Fi Twitter Site  for breaking news and updates. And for the latest news and discussions on sci fi and fantasy television, follow r/SciFiTV

Follow our Sci Fi TV Schedule for all the currently airing and upcoming sci fi and fantasy television shows, and you can see the premieres for all the upcoming genre entries at this link.

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1979’s mostly forgotten Cliffhangers delivered a fun homage to the movie serials of old and it pioneered the season-long anthology format.

[Updated]

What Is It?

This contemporary updating of the old movie serials aired three ongoing segments during its hour: the action/adventure Stop Susan Williams that was a new take of sorts on The Perils of Pauline, the sci fi / western The Secret Empire that paid homage to 1935’s The Phantom Empire, and The Curse of Dracula which found the Count alive and well (err . . . undead and well?) in the 1970s.

Aired: NBC, 1979, 1 Season Totaling 11 Episodes

Starring:  Susan Anton, Geoffrey Scott, Michael Nouri

Created By: Kenneth Johnson

Why Was It Cancelled?

The original idea for the show was to have a rotating set of serials that would change each season.  Of course, if one or more of the segments proved popular, they could always keep those running while changing out the other titles.  Kenneth Johnson (The Incredible Hulk TV series) created the show and it was part of NBC’s desperate attempt to climb out of the ratings cellar it found itself in during the late ’70s.  And several TV critics at the time praised it for its fresh, new concept, though they weren’t necessarily as impressed with its execution. (You can read more about the show at this link.)  NBC went for broke, though as they poured a significant amount of money into Cliffhangers (allegedly around $1 million per episode) and programmed it against ABC’s sitcom juggernauts Happy Days and Laverne and Shirley on Thursdays at 8 PM EST. The idea was to shoot directly for the younger audience that watched those shows thinking that they would have grown bored with the aging sitcoms by that point.

And while that probably sounded good in the network boardroom, it worked about as well as you would have expected when put into practice.  The series debuted to poor ratings and dropped even further over subsequent weeks.  It was axed at the end of the season (as were most of NBC’s new entries including the much lambasted Supertrain) and has since been mostly forgotten.  But despite its high cheese factor and tendency at times toward bad camp, the show had a definite charm.  If given more support from the network (and better scheduling), it could have possibly stuck around for another season or so.

Should It Be Rebooted?

Cliffhangers was ahead of its time by pioneering the season-long anthology format, and I believe it would work quite well today. Shows like American Horror Story and True Detective have since proved the concept, and I for one would love to see a revival of this show. With all the reboot fever in the air, maybe it could happen at some point. And it doesn’t even need to follow directly from the NBC show. Give it another title with basically the same concept and this could be a winner. It could even be used to try out stories that could carry on into their own shows. It certainly seems like a versatile format with a lot of potential and one of the networks or streaming services should take a flyer on this one.

Where Can You Watch It?

Unfortunately, the show has never been released on DVD, though some bootlegs are available with poor-quality transfers from VHS. The entire series is available on YouTube, but the video quality of that is not great either.

Read about more Sci Fi TV shows cancelled too soon at this link.

Be sure to follow the Cancelled Sci Fi Twitter Site  for breaking news and updates. And for the latest news and discussions on sci fi and fantasy television, follow r/SciFiTV

Follow our Sci Fi TV Schedule for all the currently airing and upcoming sci fi and fantasy television shows, and you can see the premieres for all the upcoming genre entries at this link.

The post Cancelled Too Soon: Cliffhangers (1979) appeared first on Cancelled Sci Fi.

1978’s Battlestar: Galactica tried to deliver a Star Wars-style epic on television, but its network proved unwilling to support the show.

[Updated]

What Is It?

After the robotic Cylons launch a surprise attack against the Twelve Colonies of Mankind, most of humanity is wiped out with the few survivors forced to go on the run from their attackers. They assemble a ragtag fleet, and the Battlestar: Galactica–the last remaining warship–leads the last remaining humans away from its devastated homeworlds. Their one hope is to find the mythical lost thirteenth colony, a shining star known as Earth.

Aired: BSG – ABC, 1978-79, 1 Season Totaling 24 Episodes, Galactica: 1980 – ABC, 1980, 1 Season Totaling 10 Episodes

Created By: Glen A. Larson

Starring: Richard Hatch, Dirk Benedict, Lorne Greene, Maren Jensen, Laurette Spang, John Colicos

Why Was It Cancelled?

Battlestar: Galactica rode the wave of Star Wars popularity to television (allegedly based on a script creator Glen A Larson penned years back, though definitely heavily influenced by the George Lucas movie), but only lasted one season in its original form. Part of the problem was that ABC changed their minds on the direction of the show early on. It was originally intended as a seven-hour mini-series that would have aired in three parts and that could have continued into an ongoing series if the ratings were good. The network decided to immediately push forward with the series, though, whereas Larson had hoped to have a season to plan it out after the mini-series had aired. That led to scrambling on the production side and thus the reason for some of the ersatz episodes the show delivered through its first year.

And while Battlestar: Galactica debuted to strong viewership, CBS counter-programmed and moved ratings juggernaut All in the Family against it which caused viewership to drop. BSG still finished the season with decent ratings, but considering it was the most expensive show on television up to that time, ABC decided that decent was not good enough. There was also an ongoing lawsuit between FOX and Universal claiming BSG stole from Star Wars, so that likely didn’t help the show’s cause. Allegedly, before the cancellation came, there had been talks of a second season that would have delivered some changes to the show. In an attempt to appeal more heavily to the female audience, several of the women characters would have become more prominent on the show. Also, several other regular characters would have been dropped (the good exclusion being the annoying robot dog Muffit) and others were going to move in different directions, particularly leads Apollo and Starbuck.

But instead of going that route, ABC decided to just cancel the show outright. Of course, the network had a change of heart and talked with Larson about writing a two-hour movie in which the Galactica makes it to Earth. It’s not quite clear if that was to be a series finale or an attempt to keep the show going, but it eventually morphed into the much-maligned Galactica: 1980 spin-off series. That show had the colonists arriving at Earth several decades after the end of BSG‘s first season but deciding not to make immediate contact because the Terran technology was not sufficient to ward off an attack from the Cylons. Many of the characters from the original show had been dropped and the new series was designed to be more kid friendly.  The revamped version was not well received and it disappeared from the air after ten episodes (though one of those did bring back Dirk Benedict to reveal the fate of Starbuck).

Was It Cancelled Too Soon?

Ultimately, whether you considered the original Battlestar: Galactica to have been cancelled too soon depends on how you feel about the 2003 reboot. If the 1978’s BSG had gone for multiple seasons, it is possible that The Sci Fi Channel never would have revived the property. If the original had produced three-to-four seasons (or more) and then had a successful syndication run, it may have worked its way into counting as a classic sci fi TV series (some argue it has already achieved that). For a revival, it might have gone The Next Generation route, but the darker reboot might never have happened if the original show had a longer run. And since the 2003 series is now considered a classic (many count it in the Top 10 greatest sci fi TV shows), that certainly seems like a major loss. So perhaps the short-sighted decision-making by ABC in the late ’70s was ultimately for the best.

Should It Be Rebooted? (Again)

The first attempt to bring back Battlestar: Galactica was championed by Richard Hatch in the late nineties, and he even funded a proof-of-concept trailer that he showed at several conventions.  That never went forward, but it is interesting to consider the potential it represented (you can read more about it at this link). The 2003 reboot that aired on The Sci Fi Channel delivered a darker take on the concept, and has since been hailed as a classic. The prequel series Caprica and the Blood and Chrome pilot followed from that, but both were cut short.

Another reboot is currently in the works at Peacock, and it is unclear what direction that will take. Mr. Robot‘s Sam Esmail is guiding that and it will allegedly take place in the same universe as the 2003 series. If so, perhaps that could work, but another complete reboot of the property would not be welcome. There were also talks of a big screen version of the property that would follow a completely new direction, but it appears to be stalled and that may be for the best.

Where Can You Watch It?

The entire series has been released on DVD, Blu-ray, and 4K UHD, and you can also buy it VOD.  It is not currently streaming on any of the major services, but you can track down episodes on YouTube from time to time.  I also highly recommend that fans of the original series check out By Your Command Vol 1: The Unofficial and Unauthorised Guide to Battlestar Galactica Original Series (the source of much of the information above on the original series). It contains detailed synopses and analyses of all the episodes from BSG and Galactica: 1980 plus a look at unproduced scripts and behind-the-scenes information.

Read about more Sci Fi TV shows cancelled too soon at this link.

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2011’s Alphas turned out to be a sleeper of a sci fi series that was sadly overlooked, and its network gave up on it too soon.

What Is It?

This series follows a group of people with superhuman abilities known as Alphas who are brought together by the Department of Defense to form a team to seek out others of their kind and also to defend against threats from malicious Alphas. Neurologist and psychiatrist Lee Rosen works closely with the group believing that they can co-exist with normal humans.

Aired: Syfy, 2011-12, 2 Seasons Totaling 24 Episodes

Created By: Zak Penn, Michael Karow

Starring: David Strathairn, Ryan Cartwright, Warren Christie, Azita Ghanizada, Laura Mennell, Malik Yoba, Erin Way

Why Was It Cancelled?

Back in 2010-11, when word first broke about this show joining the Syfy’s lineup, a collective groan went out through the sci fi community as it seemed rather derivative and yet another retread of themes already explored by the X-Men movies and the Heroes TV series. And that latter entry had just been cancelled after a three-season downward spiral that followed a promising first-season start. But while Alphas did borrow from those other properties (as well as offering a bit of a superhero spin on Syfy’s own Sanctuary), it managed to maneuver past many of the expected pitfalls and prove itself a unique twist on an established concept. That came largely on the part of good writing, that avoided too much in the way of copy-and-paste, and an excellent cast that was headed up by the likes of David Strathairn, Ryan Cartwright, Azita Ghanizada, Malik Yoba, and more. The characters quickly established themselves in the series and the stories didn’t just rehash plots previously covered in other shows (or comics or movies). Basically, this show delivered “Heroes done right”, and early on it was developing into an excellent genre entry with some well-done sci fi stories.

However, the ratings for its freshman year were not great even though it was sandwiched between two of Syfy’s better-performing shows (Eureka and Warehouse 13) in a three-hour Monday night block. The network did renew it for a second season, but they tinkered with it to an extent and its sophomore year did not deliver as satisfying of a run (though still much better than the much-maligned Season 2 of Heroes). The ratings continued to slip and Alphas was cancelled at the end of its second season, leaving it on a pretty major cliffhanger. Ultimately, it had the misfortune of being the wrong show at the wrong time. Syfy had just rebranded from the Sci Fi Channel in 2009 and had started to focus on “sci fi lite” entries like Warehouse 13, Being Human, and Haven. The network also amped up its reality programming and renewed its commitment to wrestling, all designed to appeal to a broader audience than just sci fi fans. That worked for a while with some of the network’s new offerings bringing in decent ratings, but the backlash from the former audience was already evident by 2011.

Alphas was seen by many as another of Syfy’s not-really-sci-fi shows and its concept seemed all too familiar, so it never succeeded in building much of an audience. Then the tone shift in its second year apparently led to a shrinking of its fanbase and ultimately it got kicked to the curb in favor of other Syfy projects (mostly more reality programming). Those of us who were onboard from the beginning still lament the loss of this show and the wonderful set of characters it introduced in its short run.

Can It Be Revived?

It has now been nearly twelve years since the show aired its final episode, and a revival certainly seems unlikely. There was an effort by fans to save the show after the cancellation, but the show did not develop much of a following in its initial run and nothing came of that. There were also some rumblings about a Kickstarter revival of the series (that was right about the time that Rob Thomas’ Veronica Mars revival blew away its funding goal), but co-creator Zak Penn said that it was not feasible.  Since then, more people have discovered this sleeper sci fi entry and have realized that it was not given a fair shake in its initial run. Perhaps a movie could be produced picking up sometime after the events of the finale and providing some sort of resolution. And if that were to prove successful, maybe it could lead into an ongoing series. The show’s creators Zack Penn and Michael Karnow do not appear to be too busy these days, so if they were to spearhead efforts for a revival, maybe it could get some momentum. And if no network or streaming service is interested, perhaps they could at least do a continuation in comics. The premise lends itself well to that format, and they could pick up right where Season 2 left off if they went that route. If fans of the show were to start making some noise, perhaps something could happen with this one, and at least give has a better resolution.

Where Can You Watch It?

The entire series has been released on DVD, though it has not received the Blu-ray treatment yet. You can purchase it VOD and it is available for streaming free (with ads) on The Roku Channel.

Did you watch Alphas when it first aired and would you support fan efforts to revive the show?

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