What is the fate of Defying Gravity? The ratings, which aren’t good, haven’t really been very interesting to follow. It has a 1.0 adults 18-49 rating even with Live+7 factored in wherever the data was available. So I didn’t figure we’d see a season two. But, I’ve been wondering what the fate of season one will be.
To quote my favorite panelist on ESPN’s Around the Horn, “you’ve got to look at the schedule!”
So I did. You can look at it too (warning it’s a big PDF file that will take a few moments to completely download even on a broadband connection). After Sunday September 13, 2009, you’ll notice Defying Gravity isn’t on the schedule anywhere.
The episode on 9/13 will be the show’s eighth episode, so I wondered what was up with the remaining five episodes, and what ABC’s plans were (assuming they have any) to air them. As of this writing, request for comment from ABC has gone unanswered.
According to the Premiere Dates here….
http://tvdonewright.com/2009-2010-season-schedule/fall-season-premiere-dates/
ABC is having their Sunday Season Premieres on Sept. 27th. So I think they’ll use the 20th to re-air the last season finales to get people pumped.
But I agree with it, I wouldn’t be surprised if they air the rest online.
For what its worth, CTV, who now airs it on Friday nights, will still have an empty timeslot in their schedule. So technically they COULD air the last episodes.
Will be interesting to see what happens. Wondering how this will affect production, as ABC only picked it up after filming was completed, and the BBC, CTV & ProSieben in Germany had already committed to it?
I doubt it will be too expensive to produce, especially in a second season, as anyone who watches the show will know that it’s basically just the cast walking around a small set.
With the ratings that Dollhouse achieved in it’s first season, and looking back to shows like Journeyman, I wonder if sci-fi has a place on broadcast, and whether this would have been more of a success on a niche cable network such as SyFy.
Even of D.G is in Space, I have a hard time to call it a Sci-Fi show. It’s more like a Soapy-Drama.
Adam, though I have no particular problem with you using our blog as a way to promote yours, we have those on our site as well. Moreover, in the post above, I linked to ABC’s current published schedule through September 27, which includes all the premiere dates on the grid.
Unless they change the schedule (always a possibility) they’re airing the network TV premiere of KING KONG on 9/20.
I’m guessing you’re right about DG winding up online in the US, though ABC doesn’t seem to have any particular problem with waiting weeks or months to burn off unaired episodes.
Im suprised it lasted this long. Its a real snooze fest. Last week featured an entire episode about a severed thumb. It was at that point I fell asleep. The show is nothing if not a great sedative.
Problem with this show is that its 80% flashbacks. The other 20% is almost as dull. So much for their 6 year mission. This was lucky to last 6 episodes. Hopefully they fast forward to the end where they explain what the mysterious intelligence manipulating the mission really is. Its the only semi interesting thing that went on the entire time.
This was a really bad show. Not shock to see it canned.
if they did it quietly, it won;t matter cuz no one cares
It really is a very good show. The marketing department deserves to be strung up by their toes and shot, but that doesn’t affect the fact that the show is excellent. Very good acting for the most part, and good writing, and even the voiceovers aren’t that annoying. There is a slow build with the scifi plotline, but the rest (even the soapy elements) hold your attention better than I ever thought would be possible.
I am so mad that it is doing so horribly. I wish people could have seen past the marketing and seen the actual show for what it is.
Exactly my thoughts 0megapart!cle. If people had known about it and were willing to give it a chance, I think the ratings would be a lot different.
Grey’s Anatomy in space…yuk! Give me The Office in space or Lost in Space. LOL
From the day Defying Gravity’s pilot was scheduled for August 2, the final five episodes of the season were never scheduled to be aired. What you’re seeing is simply “NO CHANGE” not any indication of any more of an intent to cancel the show (quietly or otherwise) than there was when the show premiered.
Stop trying to defend the show- it should have been called “Lust in Space”.
And pregnancy tests banned?Why?
I wanted to like this show, and even sat through about four episodes. But I just couldn’t keep watching. It wasn’t very good.
“Give me Lost in Space”
lol. classic.
As for Office in Space… ‘Boldly Going Nowhere’ is a forthcoming series from the makers of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, about the day to day life of the captain of an intergalactic spaceship.
Another bump in the road for Ron Livingston, Laura Harris and Ty Olsson
…”Lust in Space” – bump in the road for Laura Harris?
…perhaps it would have been interesting if Susan Harris had produced the show, and Betty White had reprised her St. Olafian character from the Golden Girls…
…speaking of Irwin Allenian references – was James Darren, from “The Time Tunnel”, available?
Another scary thought – a computer with Steve Urkel and the Verizon guy’s voices – halllllpppp!
ya all are crazy this is the only show on broadcast TV worth watching …maybe its just to smart for your pea brains.
thank God for Hulu.
@Theoacme
There was a pilot remake of Time Tunnel in about 2004 with a woman playing the James Darren role, never aired to my knowledge.
…no comment, fuzzy…please, Robert, I really, really want to be good for Santa’s sake!
…and Bill, welcome back, where dreams are your ticket out…
I tried to give this show a chance but I can’t get into it. I agree with Bad Robot! 80% flashbacks which is very very annoying. I would not be surprised to see it go.
I wanted to support broadcast scifi, I even watched a couple episodes, but that was some of the most uninspiring television I’ve seen in a while.
maybe its just to smart for your pea brains.
Can we make this inanity the TVBN version of Goodwin’s Law?
For sure. It does seem to be a law that those sort of comments will crop up for any low-rated scripted show airing on broadcast. I’m not usually surprised to see those kind of comments, but confess I’m pretty surprised to see it evoked in reference to DG.
Like others said, this show was a real snoozefest, the script was awful, and the acting was so-so. Too bad because it had potential only if the script was better, but what can you expect from ABC? The only worthwhile show on their entire network is Lost, and Grey’s Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, Ugly Betty and most of their other shows are way overrated anyway.
I’ve been watching the show and I like some elements of it, but honestly, it is not that good. I’d still like to see all of the episodes, though.
Michael says:
September 2nd, 2009 “Stop trying to defend the show- it should have been called “Lust in Space”. And pregnancy tests banned?Why?”
Because abortion is illegal in 2052. Obviously you’re the type who needs every plot element telegraphed to you because you’re not smart enough.
I have been watching the show on Hulu and so far I agree about the slow start the writer’s are working the Alien Influnced Sub-Plot to slowly. However, I thought this show has a lot of potential, {when/if) the crew discovers the “REAL MISSION they re on. O well . I never even seen any promo’s for this show on ABC as i said earlier I discovered it on HULU. But, I would still like to see more.
I don’t find the slowness a problem. But I watch online, without commercial interruptions. I wonder if that has an effect on shows that are slow builders.
There are plenty of countries that ban abortion and allow pregnancy tests.
Michael – We may learn more later about it. They’ve been dropping hints that the world is a different place in terms of some of these restrictions, so they probably intended to show more of that in future episodes.
I’ve been hoping they’d move away from the flashbacks. But the last episode was better regardless.
The main couple, Zoe and Maddux, are extremely boring to me. I rather see Paula and Steve get more airtime.
I’m definitely getting my fill on sci-fi dramas of late. SGU and Caprica are about here.
Its slow, but I kind of like it. To spruce it up they should have Nathan Fillion on board. Oh yeah thats Firefly.
Oh yeah Castles back soon!
Bummer. I liked the show.
DG is a snoozefest. The thumb episode did me in, too. I wanted a space show and instead got boring doctor antics.
I agree w/megaparticle…great show — marketing campaign sucked. Only reason I caught it was I read a good TV review & set the dvr. Didn’t check it out until about 5 weeks in & now I’m hooked. Why bother to begin s a show and cancel before people catch on? Why spend $$ creating a show, but no $$ marketing it? Somebody should be fired. Re: all the negative comments…people who watch the show, don’t blog!
It would be really sad to see this series end early. This is one of those series (like Firefly or Space Above and Beyond) where mainstream viewers are not sure what to make of it (largely because it, unfortunately, was positioned as Grey’s Anatomy in space) but a dedicated, loyal fanbase develops.
The script is a bit clumsy, the beta sub-story is already ‘jumping the shark’, but there is room to recover into a streamlined narrative and pace.
I am a huge sci fi geek girl. I love Ron Livingston and Christina Cox. I tend to like the odd ball shows that attract a cult following but lack the big number ratings. I should love this show, but I just don’t. I don’t hate it. It has potential, but my word does it crawl. I was on board with Invasion, I had no problem with the slow pace there. I can handle a slow build but my second grader will have grey hair before anything really gets revealed. Slow is fine, stand still is not. I also find Laura Harris’ character really annoying. I won’t be surprised at all if this show quietly disappears. I just hope somebody can find something decent for Ron Livingston and Christina Cox to show up on.
Darn it – I’m enjoying this show – but in all ways I am the target market: hardcore, careerly oriented space enthusiast. I think that the show is pushing the right buttons – if I was to analyze it very critically, I will say that it’s awful…ly difficult to run a subdued conclusion for every dramatic hour; Shakespeare never tried to run a philosophical flag up instead of a last act. A serial Defying Gravity is, but people do want a dramatic cliffhanger in lieu of a robust fiery dramatic ending (or romantic resolve).
Mind you, I have hope – the philosophical endings have had a wow every week except for 1.06 – which left me confused (which I will grant the writers grace for).
We’re in the 7th week of the show in Canada – I thing U.S. might have just started.
Time to start tying a lot of fury to the shows epilogues. I strongly suspect the talented writers of the show have realized this – Star Trek the next generation pulled it off 90% of the time and was a huge success.
I had the same situation that you had Sil. I read about it somewhere, DVR’d it, started watching when I had 4-5 recorded, and got hooked. Anyway, I found this post over on the IMDb message board and wanted to share their findings…
“They’ve already filmed 13 episodes – it isn’t owned by ABC which is the reason they don’t promote it. You’ll notice, Shark Tank, Flash Forward, Modern Family & Cougartown are owned by ABC, which is why they promote them soooooo much that most people are sick of them before they even start.
I recorded 3 weeks worth of ABC prime time programming just for a little experiment:
Shark Tank -Avg 4-6 promos an evening
Modern Family – Avg 8 to 10 promos an evening
Flash Forward – Avg 8 to 10 promos an evening
Cougartown – Avg 4 promos an evening
Defying Gravity – 0 promos for the entire 3 weeks”
I just found that post interesting and thought I’d share it for those on this board.
Dang! I can’t believe the large amount of posters here dislike the show so much. I’m with khal, who mentioned the philosophical endings…I was actually blown away by the episode that aired last Sunday. So many lessons dealing in consequences for your actions and learning to live with them.
I never, ever would have heard of this show if Rick Sternbach and not mentioned it on Doug Drexler’s blog a few days before the show aired (google these guys, if you need to). I did as others have and set the DVR. Since I’d never heard of it (marketing, what marketing?), I wasn’t in a hurry to watch, but got caught up in it when I finally did. There are so many things going on at once that I have yet to be bored with any of it…I sure hope I get to find out more about the alien and mysterious mission, though.
This show gives a rare look at what our space program could offer in the fairly near future, and I believe the flashback nature of getting us up to speed on who the astronauts are and why they do what they do actually works.
My first question was why is a network debuting a show in August on Sunday nights? What the frak is that!? What chance did it ever have?
The episode airing tomorrow in the states is truly excellent, by far the best so far and goes a long way to furthering the ‘mystery’ story arc.
I’ve enjoyed the show. I am hopeful that we will get to see the whole series, especially since ABC apparently never scheduled the final episodes to begin with, so their lack of appearance on the upcoming schedule may have been planned from the beginning.
I will say that as a hardcore fan of Star Trek:TNG, DS9, VOY, and even, dare I say, Enterprise (and the new feature), I do have greater desire to see more about the mission and less about the flashbacks. Especially the last couple episodes, it seems like more than half the episodes have been about the past, but the suspense and build-up is in the present mission since the past has already been resolved and we know where the characters are now. I don’t watch a lot of TV and the only thing I have to compare it to is Lost, but I don’t recall so much time being spent in flashback for Lost.
Kudos on the set, I love the look of Antares, very clean and convincing. Did they do it all via green screen?
It’s funny. I was turned off by the comparisons to Grey’s and Desperate Housewives. I was expecting something raunchy, and instead was pleasantly surprised not to be confronted with more of the same. I find myself still watching it, curious about Beta. but i wouldn’t be willing to call it a good show. just average enough to watch in the off season
I was sort of off-put at first by DG with the inane monlogues and the unexplained social constructs (the abortion thing), but warmed up to it mostly because of the interplay between Paula and Steven, Jen and Zoe, and Nadia and everything that has a penis. Beta started off as a cool plot device, but the overt mysteriousness is getting on my nerves. I hope that, if the next five episodes are better, that the show will continue on, mostly to see a resolve to some of the drawn-out arcs. Like a previous poster said, I don’t hate nor love it. It simply serves as filler before Caprica starts.
I think a show like Defying Gravity, has to have an opportunity to build an audience, I do believe however of all the dry tired reality shows, and game shows I see on TV now days, that you would think tat ABC would air a show like this during the weekday, it stead of boring us to death with show on other networks like big brother, Dancing with the Stars, and Survivor just to name a few. I myself grew up during the great age of TV back in the 60’s, and broad casting stations back then knew to mix it up a little, and have something for everyone. The funny thing about Television is that it’s a business that only caters to its share holders and not the audience. So the quicker you begin to see that, the less attached you try to get when ever you find a show like Defying Gravity come on.
I like the show and think it will build an audience if they air it during the weekday, at those prime time hours between 8 – 9 pm. Airing it on a Sunday when most viewing audiences are getting ready for that Monday morning grind and the office are in kind of that take it on leave it mode. ABC have had some great shows like the new Knight Rider, which I think would have worked fine is they stuff with the same formula that they made the TV Movie with. Once you tamper with that formula and try and tweak it, with a different morphing car, then the TV Movies car and a few other elements, then you take away with what it was that drew people to begin with.
I think the networks should hire people that have a more understanding of what the regular 9 to 5 Joe America likes to watch out there in TV land. Instead up spending money on projects that hit and miss or you have a great idea but don’t know how to sell it, during the right time slots. If there is a TV executive reading these posts, you should know I’m available for the right pay check. I could have hits after hits on TV. For all the viewing audience out there, and make the share holders happen as well.
I DVR it and kinda like it,i like the characters.IT looks like they have a long story to tell and probably will not have enough time to tell it.Oh well…
The slow buildup to Beta made me think even the writers didn’t know what it was. I also didn’t really like the name of the show. I was fine with the personal relationships between the astronauts but the flashbacks were a little boring after a while. I would have liked to see it continue but since I have a brain tumor, after a few weeks I won’t remember it was ever on. Just like Jericho, Firefly, Surface, Invasion and the one with Carla G. I can never remember the name of – crystals and strange sounds and Data! I need my Stargate and Caprica. If I live through the coming surgery, I can relive everything anew since I won’t remember much of the recent past.
Oh yes, I forgot Journeyman and Moonlight!
I’ve watched the show each week and it has been entertaining. I will say though this last weeks episode finally did me in. The show is made up of 20 minutes of current Antares/Space Center scenes and the rest of the show is flashbacks. With the number of episodes shown they should be cutting back on the flashbacks to educate the viewers and doing more with the live sequences to move whatever the story is suppose to be forward.
I also agree with the person who said I’m not sure the writers even know or decided what “Beta” is at this point. I am sorry to say we may never find out.
Lizard
Um, for the past two weeks, DG was NOT BROADCAST, or listed, in my area. Thinking it might be a They’re-Listing-the-Wrong-Program glitch, I tuned in to ABC every :15 all night on 9/6. I’m on DirecTV; East Coast, USA. WHAT is going on? I saw no prior-advertisements before this new series, and did not discover it until episode 4. I have been watching them on Hulu.
ABC: This is a fantastic show. Run all the season 1 epis; advertise it; rerun seas 1; and push ahead with season 2. Why networks would invest the kind of money you do in a show and fail to give it chance to be discovered/followed is beyond me.
This was a great show, had to think with it. TV is so disappointing most of the time.
Man… I really like this show. I didn’t realize there were so many that didn’t though. I think it would be a shame if they cancel it, but who am I?
WHY DO THE UNIQUE & QUALITY PROGRAMS DIE ON THE VINE while drek is allowed to continue… i wish USA, TNT or SCIFI would pick up some of them up… hint to the NETWORK OWNERS LIKE NBC
I hope this show still airs. I really like it. It’s an interesting twist on space travel. I don’t think many people think about space travel as a necessity, but some day it will have to be.
With all our current problems is easy to overlook the fact we may, in fact, have to leave this planet and explore other places, maybe even new stars. As someone interested in space and our nations history with it, it’s kinda cool. I can see how some don’t like the story lines, but I think every episode thus far has been awesome. I would hate for it to turn into something like SG-1. There are plenty of those.
Anyhow, just my 2 cents. I hope we see more.
ABC has done such a bad job marketing DEFYING GRAVITY that I believe it’s those people that should be axed, and not the show. There are/were no ads promoting this show for weeks…yet when it comes on, the announcer will say “this summers newest hit”. First off, no one even KNOWS about the the show…and then second…What network puts a show on in SUMMER, let alone, on Sunday nights– when the majority of people are on vacations, outside activities, etc, …and not inside watching TV? The ABC networks promote its DAYTIME shows more than its summer replacement shows…and then they wonder why no-one watches. If ABC cancels it, its going to be just one more reason I order cable to get away from the buffoons making these bad decisions at our American Network Corporations.
Blimey, this is all a surprise to me! I just started watching DG in the uk and I REALLY REALLY like it, just started reading up on it and see its not doing well in the US. If they do continue to show the episodes online, I really hope i can download them from somewhere as they’ll never show it over here! Boo! I was so excited to have found a new series that no-one else had heard of over here! Keep me posted if you guys hear anything.
Does anyone know if they have even filmed more than 8 episodes?
Sad… I just found the show and spent all day catching up only to find out that ABC might be canceling it. I’m really enjoying it… As a geek who just got back from DragonCon AND someone who watches “Grey’s Anatomy” with his wife, this show is right down my alley.
Thoughtful and intelligent… Yep. It probably doesn’t have a chance.
Personally, It’s kind of bad, but I stumble into the show a few weeks ago when Itunes was offering to download, for free, the 2 hours pilot and the 2nd episode. I’ve always liked Sci-Fi (and let’s be honest, it’s rather dry in that departement right now) so I downloaded it.
I watched the first 3 episodes and immidiatlely went on the ctv website in canada to catch up on the others. I’m hooked. The show isn’t perfect but I’m enjoying it a lot. I don’t watch TV that much but since 2 weeks, I’ve been tuning in each friday (new schedule slot here in canada) to watch it.
I was horrified to read about the poor rating and about the fact the show might not see the the light of a possible second season. Then again, that would just be logical since it seems all the shows I enjoy gets canceled (Firefly, Dark Angel) Chuck barely survived (thanks to Fan pushing hard to return) for a 3rd season.
I’m tired of all those cops/detective/medical show that we see. I’m tired of those zillions “reality show” that are everywhere now. Defying Gravity is different and I like it. It’s not perfect, but it as a lot of potential.
I’m tired of watching series, getting into them, and see them cancel after a season or 2.
The rumblings are true. DG in cancelled. There will be no second season and there’s no word if the remaining episodes will air.
Production is on indefinite hiatus.
The last show I really liked was Star Trek Enterprise. Canceled…
So, finally I found DG, a witty, entertaining, intelligent series. The flashbacks are woven into the story line on multiple levels, they complement and enrich it.
Marketing: 0
Starting in August on Sundays: 0
DG: 10
Remember, the original Star Trek was canceled in it’s first season…
No more needs to be said.
personally, i am an 18 year old girl. i find the show extremely entertaining, as it is very similar in character relationships, and writing to that of things like greys anatomy. i think its just not being aimed at the right audience. i believe if the audiences of such shows as greys anatomy and the like were to get over the thought that its a scifi show, it would be hugely successful.
The sci-fi part of the show is really good, what kills it are the flashbacks…. if they focused only in the present it would be a much better show and maybe could have stayed longer… as it is, it became a real sleeper…. and not in a good sense…
Well folks I can give you some hope. ABC didn’t produce this it is made in Canada near the same studios a Stargate was and is I think. It wasn’t my imagination playing tricks on me and they are lauching another one, anyway getting side tracked. So I truly don’t think that the show will survive in the States but there appears that it is as of the last show doing well in Canada and I have heard rumblings in Uk as well, don’t know the german numbers. If you are a US watcher it may be grim but there is a decent chance that it will survive elsewhere. You see it was sold to ABC after it was made for three other networks. So if you have access to Canadain or Brit tv there may be hope yet for you.
Cheers
Liam
@Liam
It’s a BBC and German co-production, although it’s not airing here (UK) yet.
DG is slow, but it’s entertaining in its own way. I’m so sick of anything that requires a little bit of buildup being canceled. If a channel is going to cancel a show, they should have a wrap up episode. I hate being left out to dry with no resolution. There are so may POS shows on the air that even the slow ones deserve a chance just because they are something different.
I love this show. I hope we get to see the last 5 shows at least. I want to know what is beta and what the flashbacks are about. Good show.
I’ve really liked show Defying Gravity. I read that there Five more episodes, that will not air. I think they are making a mistake not airing them, for one thing I only tune to ABC on the weekend to watch Defying Gravity. an with it gone it back to watching the USANetwork or the History Channel, or Discovery.
I am so shocked. I read a lot of science stuff and watch many shows but have our expectations gotten so high that the basic mysterious sci-fi show can’t air and evoke some drama other than a csi or hospital drama without being cancelled? I loved the show and if anyone watched all the episodes and tried to enjoy them, you would also be hooked. I liked the show a lot and am sad to see it go.
I am a great Sci-Fi follower. This was not a good show. Too many confusing elements with flashbacks and psuedo relationships. Not really believable that some people can be screwed up and make it to space. Oh, that right… then there’s NASA’s astronaut Lisa situation
There could have been potential in this show. I could have gone a long way to promote scienc, space, and the benfits of exploring and pushing ahead as a future investment and not a present expense. But unfortunately, this show tried to combine too many elements from other shows and it did not work. (Lost-Grey’s Anatomy-CSI-) Some of the science was wrong also. I sure did derfy the logic of gravity, given how thoe people moved around that ship.
The one thing that ticks me off is that tonight’s show revealed that something was in Pod 4… what was it? Now it starts to get interesting, and we don’t know what Pod 4 contained!
This is a seriously great series. Whoever did the promo analysis is dead on – ABC doesn’t own it so its a throwaway for them. Look at what they did to “Pushing Daisies”…
ABC promoted the hell out of Pushing Daisies…
I found this show on Hulu, and gave it a try. It’s not outstanding in quality, but I like it. The “left behind on Mars” storyline is interesting and sufficiently creepy to keep my attention. It almost made me turn my tv on to catch an episode as it aired. Would have, if I’d made it home in time. You gotta understand, I literally can’t remember the last time I turned my tv on. I can’t be bothered. Almost everything out there is crap, not worth my time.
I wonder how many other potential viewers ABC just lost.
I don’t think ABC lost that many viewers by canceling Defying Gravity. They weren’t that many to start with. That is why they stopped throwing money away promoting it as soon has they had the first numbers, and why it is being quietly canceled.
The only reason I pity that the show is gone, is the thought that the talentless cast is now unemployed. I liked the comfort of knowing them all stuck in one show I dropped. The idea that they might pop up in one that I actually watch is pretty scary.
I think ABC just wasn’t the right place for a show like this. She would’ve lasted longer on a Universal network, fitting especially comfortably on Syfy. I would’ve loved to have seen it paired with Warehouse 13, or the upcoming Stargate: Universe.
ABC had something that could’ve done very well, but its timeslot was poorly selected, and advertisements failed to reach the right crowd. They apparently forgot that the target audience for a heady scifi program would be nerds of all ages, not the generic 18-24 group.
Joe: “Not really believable that some people can be screwed up and make it to space.”
If you would be a “a great Sci-Fi follower” as you say, you would’ve followed the episodes and understood that the astronauts in Defying Gravity were NOT screwed up when they launched with the Antares. Perhaps it has something to do with Beta in Pod 4, wouldn’t it?
Send tomatoes to ABC
“nuts… tomatoes”
For all fans of “Defying Gravity”, it looks like CTV (Canadian Television) will still be airing 3 more episodes this season… and lucky for us, these can be viewed on their website the day after they air (September 18, 25, and TBA)!
As one of the few people in this country that actually saw DEFYING GRAVITY from episode 1 on ABC, I am extremely disappointed that this show was not really given a chance. It was doomed from the start by showing it on a network not known for any scifi shows. (While LOST is a great show it is not scifi.) It is obvious that ABC didn’t know what to do with DG after it bought the rights to televised it–as evident by the fact that it was placed at 10/9c on Sunday evening–in August when no one is looking for new series to begin. And the fact that any advertising for it was so limited to the point of almost nonexistence, it was a wonder that anyone was watching it. All of my die-hard scifi friends knew NOTHING about the show until I started promoting it to them. This is just like FOX and FIREFLY all over again. My only hope is that the entire series will eventually be on DVD (like FIREFLY) so I can see a few more episodes.
As for the show itself, I found the storyline to be great, along with the actors. I had no problems with the flashbacks since they gave a chance to fill-in the characters’ backgrounds and show us where they are coming from. As a mystery buff, I appreciated the slowly developing storyline with Beta and what is the real mission.
As for those that are trashing the show, I would be most interested in knowing what you consider to be good science fiction on TV. I have heard the comments that this show is not “good science”. Excuse me, but, it isn’t a documentary. That is like saying GREY’S ANATOMY is not good medicine. Of course it isn’t. It is not meant to be. But people turn in every week.
I am just so tired of reality TV. I mostly watch TNT, USA & SYFY [a mistake of a name if I ever heard one] during the summer for this reason. And it is getting harder to watch new series on network TV since I know most of the truly interesting shows will be cancelled after a few weeks so what is the point of even starting.
I hope they don’t cancel this show. I started watching it on hulu, enjoyed it. Then I find out it’s cancelled. Wow, ABC is doing terrible job. Here’s a petition I found off the abc.com website to keep the show.
http://www.petitiononline.com/anatres/petition.html
From The Futon Critic:
http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news.aspx?id=8293
ABC REP: “DEFYING GRAVITY” NOT CANCELED
By The Futon Critic Staff (TFC)
LOS ANGELES (thefutoncritic.com) — Let the speculation end: ABC’s “Defying Gravity” is still very much alive.
Nicole Marostica, the show’s publicist for the network, has confirmed the Alphabet hasn’t pulled the plug on the show and is still mulling scheduling options going forward.
Due to its late start this summer, ABC didn’t have the real estate to air all 13 installments from its first season. “Gravity’s” shortened run was made clear from the start: the network announced back on July 22 (read the story), “Brothers & Sisters” would return to its Sunday, 10:00/9:00c slot on September 27, leaving “Gravity” just eight weeks of potential air dates.
This coming Sunday, ABC will air the 2005 feature “King Kong” rather than put originals against CBS’s coverage of the Emmys.
“Gravity” nevertheless has been a lackluster performer at best – last night’s airing drew just 2.52 million viewers (including a 0.9 rating among adults 18-49), making it the least-watched program on the four major networks.
No indication was given as to when the show will return.
I am Canadian. Defying Gravity is a CTV/BBC/ProSieben co-production shot in Vancouver, Canada. On the CTV network the show has been strongly promoted and the ratings are higher than in the US. The show has yet to air in the UK and Germany. ABC is not directly involved in the show’s production. Given what I have heard from Americans regarding the network’s lackluster promotion of the show, my speculation is that ABC really doesn’t have a strong interest in the show. Just prior to the WGA-West writers’ strike CTV and ABC struck a deal regarding ABC picking up CTV shows to air in the US — I don’t know how many shows ABC was contracted to air, but it could be that they picked up Defying Gravity only to honour their contract obligations. Nevertheless, if the ratings are good enough in Canada, UK, and Germany I am certain that there will be a second season of Defying Gravity — it just might not air on ABC in the US.
there is so much misinformation out there about this show – I am constantly correcting web sites – poof – like are there 11 or 13 episodes
a bunch of people are trying to save the show – here is a site listing some of the efforts and possibilities so far – http://defyinggravity.wetpaint.com/page/Save+Our+Show+-+Beta+Siren+Call