The CW series finale of Reaper airs tonight, but ABC Studios is trying to keep the show alive in first run syndication, so it may not be the death of the show quite yet.
While Reaper will air on the CW no more after tonight, its production company ABC Studios is trying to sell the show into first run syndication. If ABC Studios is successful, new Reaper episodes will be produced, and for fans in the local markets where the syndicated episodes air, the show will continue on pretty much as before.
If you read back through my CW Renew/Cancel posts, you’ll see that Reaper had ratings competitive with the low end of the surviving CW shows. Sadly, it’s demographic mix didn’t fit the female 18-34 target that the CW is currently after, so it was doomed to leave the CW. If the syndication deal works it would resurrect the show on many of the very same CW stations because the network just handed back Sunday night to its local affiliates.
The potential irony (and egg on the face of CW chief Dawn Ostroff) of Reaper being more successful off the CW than on it isn’t lost on our friend and frequent commenter, Nick C.
Note: First run syndication (currently underway for shows like Legend of the Seeker) is different from repeat syndication (for shows like Seinfeld, Everybody Loves Raymond, and for this year’s casualty, The Unit) in that instead of simply replaying old episodes, new episodes are produced season by season as long as the syndication deal is in effect.
I look forward to Reaper living longer in syndication. Hopefully one of my local stations can pick it up with Legend of the Seeker (which I missed most of the first season because it was doomed to air at 4pm on saturdays locally) and give it a bit better treatment.
ok – I hope i have first comment.
Damn!
Reaper is cancelled. ABC studio didn’t succeed…
TheCW post above me is an idiot and is not connected to the CW at all. If he was he’d have at least gotten the website right. What a dumbass.
I still doubt this will happen although stranger things have proven me wrong (see 2nd season of Dollhouse). I am curious as to Tyler Labine’s contract situation. If indeed Reaper is given a syndication deal does that overide the contract Tyler has with Fox for Sons of Tuscon? Or because it is a syndicated show would Reaper have to go on without him? Perhaps filming would work out so he could do both? Guess i’m getting ahead of myself. I would say the odds are slim for this happening but as a fan of the show I would be happy to see Reaper live on.
I sincerely hope that ABC studios is able to reach a syndication deal for reaper. It’s a really funny show and didn’t deserve to be treated the way it was. They should never have switched its time slot in order to protect 90210. If it does make it to syndication I hope that it does well and the people at the CW learn a show geared toward teen and twenty something males should not be excluded. then maybe they will give some male oriented shows a little more attention.
I think Spring 2009 is going down as the year of suprise renewals and cancellations. I liked Reaper, it had its up and downs, wasn’t one of my favs but would watch it. I think it will be interesting to see how it does on a new network.
I never watched Reaper and am not really interested in getting into it. But I sooooooo hope this syndication deal happens. Egg on Dawn’s face, that would be totally cool!
i hope to see it live
i like this show
the guys who plays the devil-whos name escapes me
steals the show IMO
just like the crazy guy in fringe
whos name also escapes me
id like to see some egg flying
heres to dawn and her egged face
fandom aside
i think this show was underappreciated by the CW
seemed like a guy show on estrogen night
also wasnt really promoted IMO
numbers dont see this show surviving
i think this show can do better elsewhere
weve been surprised alot
heres to being surprised again
and hack im buying that lotto ticket
I think Spring 2009 is going down as the year of suprise renewals and cancellations.
A) Spring isn’t a year.
B) I’m sure people are going to remember the spring of this year for much more than “suprise” TV stuff.
C) There really aren’t THAT many surprises. If, say, CSI was canceled, that’d be a surprise. The only real sizable surprises were Dollhouse and maybe Scrubs.
j, while “surprise” may not be the right word, there were certainly a lot of moves this spring that went against recent trends/practices. And while I’ll remember them (so perhaps our predictions might improve next season), I agree that most people won’t.
J –
…and I’d add the whole Medium conundrum to your list of “surprises”.
This season will be held up as reasons for fans to hold out hope (and spam comment threads across the internets) when there is no hope to be had for years to come.
Julia, I believe that lesson is Crazy People Matter(tm)
well maybe surprise is too strong a word
intersting choices for sure
LENO being on primetime
medium
samtha who
dollhouse
scrubs
abc comedy wedsdays-with no anchor
smallville on fridays
fringe to thursdays
chuck?
southland being kept and moved to fridays
betty?
im sure im missing a few shows which should have been canceled kept and vice versa
and other interesting choices made by the networks
will be intersting to see it play out
Thanks Bill, for your update on Reaper! If anyone here would like to aid in getting Reaper to syndication, e-mail your local CW affiliates (addressed can be found here: http://www.cwtv.com/stations) and tell them you would like them to pick up the show.
You always got to love people that point out an insignificant grammatical error as a reason to invalidate a statement.
I sometimes still confuse syntax as I am constantly switching bewteen editing Chinese, Portuguese and English websites.
English is not my first or second language but I think you guys know what I meant.
Yes, surprise is too strong a word and Spring is not a year, but this will definitly be a year that will remembered for logically predicted trends not happening. Is that better?
~Lanie~
YES, wonderful news. I hope Reaper can live on with Tyler Labine in attendance. Sons of Tuscon does not sound very promising, he’ll do better sticking w Reaper. I do hope this show does end up bighting CW execs in the ass. Why even bother greenlighting the show in the first place if they were going to hang it out to dry as they did.
@ Chet – Leno gives us an interesting mark for NBC shows to live up to. I’m going to call it the “leno line”. If your show is on NBC and is out-performed by the 10pm version of Leno on the same night, your show is doomed to be cancelled.
I say this with the expectation that Leno is going to be a ratings black hole, of course – something on par with your top rated univision shows.
I wouldn’t under estimate Leno, I expect he will start with some good numbers initially due to a curious audience. If the show is good, he might keep them around.
wasntbagging on surprises lannie
apologies if u mean me
im surprised thats for sure
i dunno about leno
seems like they want to send me to bed early
if its like his late night show i think it will fail as people will watch csi maiami or-insert scripted show here-
i could see it work if it was a variety show
Thanks for helping to spread the word. Anyone who would like information on how to bring Reaper to your local CW affiliate need only visit us at reaperdmv.com where the campaign is in full swing.
I sincerely hope that ABC studios is able to reach a syndication deal for reaper. It’s a really funny show and didn’t deserve to be treated the way it was.[2]
Save Reaper!!!!!!!!!!!!
it’s a great show!!!!
Save Reaper!
Lanie Grace:
“You always got to love people that point out an insignificant grammatical error as a reason to invalidate a statement.”
Yeah, like the idiots who think Al Gore is wrong because they think he’s fat.
This is just another moron Lanie Grace, ignore him, sure we got what you ment.
We are getting reports that in addition to contacting the CW affiliates, if your affiliate is owned by either the Tribune or Sinclair groups, then we need to contact them too.
CW Affiliates: http://www.cwtv.com/stations
Tribune Contact:
Gary Weitman
Media Relations, Tribune Company
435 North Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 6061
gweitman@tribune.com
Sinclair Contact:
http://www.sbgi.net/business/all.shtml (under “contact us”)
The lastest info is best found in our “Ideas to ensure a Season Three” thread at ReaperDMV. Texas Reaper fans, especially. Word has it they want Reaper, and they are two of the largest Tribune owned affiliates.
actually reading back wasnt me
i too was corrected
So when would we know if its picked up for syndication?
We should know soon. As of this morning it’s still fighting the good fight. I believe there is definite interest from the Affiliates. So it’s up to ABC Studios to go ahead with it.
Tony writes, “I am curious as to Tyler Labine’s contract situation. If indeed Reaper is given a syndication deal does that overide the contract Tyler has with Fox for Sons of Tuscon? Or because it is a syndicated show would Reaper have to go on without him? Perhaps filming would work out so he could do both?”
Could Wendie Malick do “Jake in Progress” and “Modern Men” at the same time? Of course not. That’s why you saw Jane Seymour starring in “Modern Men” and not her. But of everybody I’ve asked for sure, with The Completely Worthless network pulling the plug, nobody really seems to know whether Tyler Labine’s first position on “Reaper” holds were it, hypothetically speaking, to be reborn in first-run syndie. The general consensus is that the network cancellation nullifies it. (I sure as hell haven’t seen the contract, so I wouldn’t know.) I’d laugh if the show miraculously does get a third season, and ABC Studios and 20th play tug of war with him because his contract didn’t specify. Especially since he’s not a very appealing actor.
Speaking of Labine’s new show, after having that thing talked up to me as “ZOMG THE NEXT MY NAME IS EARL! FUNNY FUNNY FUNNY!,” that hype sure didn’t last long after I saw the “highlights” from the pilot. What a dud. Yeah, it LOOKS like “My Name Is Earl.” Just without jokes, chemistry, or any reason for existing. Good luck with that one, Kevin.
Riff, his agent says if the show lives on that is where he’s going to be working. So I take it that the contract is explicit enough. I also think FOX would have no problem recasting him.
An actor can be on two different shows as long as they have different filming schedules and their contract permits it.
I don’t think anyone has to worry too much about Tyler Labine being on multiple shows. Almost every show he has been on has been canceled early. Reaper being the anomaly due to it being on the CW and the state it’s currently in. Sons of Tucson also “stars” Jake Busey so the show already has a lot going against it. Remember Shasta McNasty?
If reaper goes in syndication it will probably be more watch then on the CW. I will not be surprised if other shows like gossip girls star leaving that network.
I want to ask. Legend of the seeker how well did it go on the syndication. Is there any data about his ratings for the last episode or the entire season?
Igor, we see only the top 25 syndicated shows each week and publish the top 20. Legend of the Seeker has appeared in the top 20 one time if I recall correctly. You can find all the information we have on the show using the search box above.
Legend of the Seeker seems to get mistreated in some markets. In Boston it airs twice each weekend – midnight Saturday night, and 11:45pm Sunday night – not exactly optimal viewing times.
Chet: Yeah, I haven’t checked out the show because it sounds too much like a dramedy to me, BUT I haven’t seen Ray Wise in a long time and I always liked him as an actor.
He was one of the bad guys in the first RoboCop, and he did a movie about working with a female robot back in the day, too. He’s been a long time character actor and I was pleased to see him back on TV.
Tyler Labine is the ONLY thing I dislike about Reaper. Other than his unlikeable loser of a character…. the show is awesome.
Hi..i receive this email today =
Hello Mr. Hugo,
Thank you for your submission. The CW channel 6 here locally has indicated that they will continue airing the show “Reaper” for an indefinite period. Fox 5 will continue to air “Legend of the Seeker” until further notice. On May 19, 2009, Reaper was officially cancelled by the CW. However, ABC Studios is still in negotiations with CW affiliates to syndicate the show, or sell it to cable. It may take another week or so before a final decision is made and yes it is possible to have a package deal with the two shows. Have a wonderful day Mr. Hugo. Fox 5 is here t o serve the community of San Diego and we are constantly working on making our television station your station for news and entertainment. Thanks again and we hope you will continue to watch Fox 5 and Fox 5 News. We appreciate our viewers.
Does anyone else think that the guy in the middle looks like Frank Sinatra when he was around fifty maybe 55.
I always wanted to see him play Sinatra in a movie or television.
Incidentally, REAPER begins airing Season 2 encores on The CW, Sunday nights at 7, starting June 21.
I guess they finally ran out of Jericho episodes?
Could this be a trial run to see how well Reaper might potentially do on Sunday nights. I wonder if they are going to do any promotion for these encore presentation. I also wonder why they don’t start with season one. There aren’t that many episodes in both seasons and you could potentially bring in more viewers.
The CW is the worst run network. I never understood why a networked owned production company would air a show on another network?
@Some guy named John
Simple, more exposure, less over head and more potential for profit.
That covers the major three biggies.
“An actor can be on two different shows as long as they have different filming schedules and their contract permits it.”
If Labine’s got first position on “Reaper” and second position on “Sons of Tucson,” then the contract doesn’t permit it. That’s why it’s called, you know, first position and second position.
Much like “Jake in Progress” and “Modern Men,” not that it matters whichever way. “Reaper” is pretty close to over and… so is “Tucson.” Why “Reaper,” anyway, ABC? Why not “Cupid?” The “Legend of the Seeker” aud would love that. Or, better yet, “Dirty Sexy Money.” Yeah, “Dirty Sexy Money.” That’s compatible with “Seeker,” right? Sure, it costs 666 times more than “Reaper” and you’ve already struck the sets, but, come on, dirtysexyj really needs the work. Those floors ain’t gonna clean themselves!
How Noble (John) and Wise (Ray) of Chet to forget the two powerhouses names who steal Reaper and Fringe out from under their young counterparts.