He goes into a discussion about how the show was so dark, it was hard to sell. But I like his last line best: “But what do I know? My show got canceled.”

Right, Josh.

I’d say he’s definitely on the outs with WB and Halcyon. Good riddance.

“1. Nobody at WB felt it was likely to work on any other network, not even SyFy, so didn’t bother. That seems implausible to me, though still possible.”

I believe Nick C indicated that SyFy execs had expressed an interest prior to and provided that the show ratings didn’t drop further – which they then did.

“2. WB did shop it around to other networks who all turned it down.”

I think WB didn’t do a “formal shop” but sent out feelers and got no responses. But I have no inside info on that.

“JF had to have known (rather than strongly suspected) on Saturday before the up-fronts when he made the “anywhere but Fox comments” that T:SCC was canceled, so why did everyone act as if it was news on Monday?”

I think Friedman and the executive producers at WB and Halcyon knew, but both wanted to keep the lid on until the T-4 premiere was over, which is why the news was released on a weekend when the wider audience for T-4 wouldn’t notice.

“3. WB didn’t want to continue with the series, but would have been contractually obliged to pick it up if Fox wanted it…”

I suppose it’s possible that Fox, when the show was broached to it initially, may have had some sort of “exclusivity” clause in the contract preventing WB from shopping it to another network down the road. I don’t know if that’s ever done, and I have no inside info on whether it was done here.

“The politics would have had to be within WB itself. They might have been anything from “We need Josh out of here!” to “The Terminator movie crew feel T:SCC is a liability and they want the show ended before the following Terminator movie”.”

I think it came down to WB and Halcyon deciding that the show was both a money loser and potentially damaging to and (excessively) divergent from the franchise. WB and Halcyon always kept a firewall between TSCC and T-4. Friedman and McG were kept at arm’s length. And the movies are worth way more than the TV series, so when push came to shove, WB and Halcyon pulled the plug on it to favor the movie side.

“I’m suspicious of the “it was politics that sunk it” rumors, it’s just as easily T:SCC fans trying to find explanations for something they find inexplicable.”

I agree. I haven’t read any of these rumors yet, so I don’t know how detailed they are.

“But, on the other hand, you have to wonder if anyone at WB was, actually, wondering about the wisdom of continuing to make an increasingly unpopular show, and even subsidizing it, in an attempt to get people to watch the movies.”

This has been my position all along. WB clearly wanted a Terminator TV show that would make money and generate new franchise fans in advance of the movie. TSCC did neither. They paid Fox to keep the show on the air past the first 13 episodes in the hope the back nine would pan out. Then Friedman screwed them with three of the lamest episodes yet, which killed the back nine until the last three or four episodes picked up the pace.

“I think it’s entirely possible (especially as Lanie Grace has said the opposite) that WB never shopped the series to other networks, contrary to received wisdom.”

Well, again, I tend to believe Nick C when he says SyFy expressed an interest, Whether that was due to a WB feeler or a more formal offer I don’t know.

The main thing is that I believe WB DID want A Terminator show on the air, and I suspect they STILL want one. They just don’t want TSCC because it didn’t measure up.

Now, it doesn’t make sense to me that that’s why Fox might have canceled the show (Fox canceled it for fairly obvious “Costs too much for such a low audience” reasons), but it might explain the cryptic “It’s never going to appear anywhere but Fox” from JF just before the cancellation. As I see it, there are three options:

1. Nobody at WB felt it was likely to work on any other network, not even SyFy, so didn’t bother. That seems implausible to me, though still possible.

2. WB did shop it around to other networks who all turned it down. This still seems the most likely explanation, though it doesn’t explain the “politics” rumors, and it leaves us with a bunch of new questions such as “JF had to have known (rather than strongly suspected) on Saturday before the up-fronts when he made the “anywhere but Fox comments” that T:SCC was canceled, so why did everyone act as if it was news on Monday?”

3. WB didn’t want to continue with the series, but would have been contractually obliged to pick it up if Fox wanted it, hence JF’s comments. This does explain the politics rumors, because now there’s a context for WB doing nothing to save the show. The politics would have had to be within WB itself. They might have been anything from “We need Josh out of here!” to “The Terminator movie crew feel T:SCC is a liability and they want the show ended before the following Terminator movie”.

I’m suspicious of the “it was politics that sunk it” rumors, it’s just as easily T:SCC fans trying to find explanations for something they find inexplicable. But, on the other hand, you have to wonder if anyone at WB was, actually, wondering about the wisdom of continuing to make an increasingly unpopular show, and even subsidizing it, in an attempt to get people to watch the movies. They’d have had to be insane not to have doubts, especially once the 2009 half-season started. And, as such, I think that (3) is far, far, far, more likely than (1), and I think it’s entirely possible (especially as Lanie Grace has said the opposite) that WB never shopped the series to other networks, contrary to received wisdom.

Anyway, fine. Cancel Terminator. Now let’s see how many millions they lose with Salvation. It’s already showing with pathetic ticket sales. I was dying to see it until now. I don’t want anyone to even tell me about it now. Screw it. I’m done with Terminator anything. Fox can kiss my butt and so can Warner Brothers. Let them explain to stockholders why they can’t turn a profit on something that should have brought in HUNDREDS of millions.

“Joss’s style takes the first season to introduce the characters, and it’s the second season that really grabs ahold of you.”

Just like the Spanish flu!

As for Chuck… who cares?

i learned that it’s time i get a different hobby

TSCC, is another story. it already had two seasons, and was falling into a rutt until just the last few episodes of season 2. Too little too late. I first liked the show, then was getting bored with it, especially it’s lack of continuity, and then I started to like it again. If Firely’s “Wash” could come over to Dollhouse, maybe Summer Glau from TSCC (and also from Firefly) could also. New dolls all the time right?

“Look, stupids, I’m not wasting any more time discussing AI on this blog. That’s not what Robert and Bill host this blog for.”

No, I don’t suppose that’s what it’s “for.” Neither do I suppose that the site is operated in order to solicit opinions on the window of opportunity that (trans-?) humankind has until local perversion laws become completely anachronistic.

Then again, I’m not trying to elevate myself to the clergy.

You want a clue, go get one somewhere else. Running your mouth doesn’t establish anything but that you’re a troll with a specific problem with me. And I couldn’t care less about some random clown on a blog.