ABC Kills 'Life On Mars'

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[Kosh GTO]

David Bowie will have to find another show to haunt.

"Life On Mars," which had a pretty solid start for ABC, is finishing on a low note as the network has made it clear it won't order any additional episodes past the initial 17.

The early decision will allow producers to give the fans who have stuck around to see Sam Tyler -- a 2008 cop traversing in 1973 -- find closure.

"We felt it was the right thing to do for the producers and the fans and creatively," said Steve McPherson, ABC Entertainment group president, to Television Week.

"Life On Mars" -- a remake of the short-form British serial starring John Simm in the main role -- premiered Oct. 9 to strong ratings with Jason O'Mara in the Sam Tyler role, earning a 7.7/13. It was up against another series premiere that night, "Eleventh Hour" on CBS, and actually beat it by 5 percent, and clobbered "ER" on NBC in the timeslot.

However, it was a different story by the second week. "Eleventh Hour's" audience climbed nearly 8 percent while "Life On Mars" plummeted 27 percent, and never was able to recover.

Things got worse for the show when it moved to Wednesdays after "Lost," a move which many thought was a strong one putting two shows with similar styles of audience together. But in the end, the move was toxic to "Life On Mars," dropping another 40 percent, and losing more than 38 percent of its "Lost" audience lead-in.

The nice part about the cancellation, if there is such a thing, is that "Life On Mars" will end up with one episode more than its British counterpart, TV Week says. That show lasted 16 episodes. However, the difference was that its run was planned to be that short, where producers had hoped for the American version to last several years.

Although "Life On Mars" was a victim of low ratings, McPherson had nothing but praise for the critics darling.

"I look at it creatively, and I couldn't be prouder," he said.

"Life On Mars" airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET on ABC. Its final episodes are expected to air in April.





I have seen a little bit of this show,however not enough to say anything of. GTO

[Panglos]

I've been watching it and the british one is def better. Plus the british one had a sequel they don't mention here thought it wasnt' as good.

The british one is much more realist and historically accurate unlike this one; It's also darker and the not so hollywood jolly which the series should be

[compman777]

I think the american version was closer to lost then the orginial one was.  so where one show dies a new one will take its place.

[A-HK]

The nice part about the cancellation, if there is such a thing, is that "Life On Mars" will end up with one episode more than its British counterpart, TV Week says. That show lasted 16 episodes.
However, the difference was that its run was planned to be that short, where producers had hoped for the American version to last several years.

If you ignore "Ashes to Ashes", another 8 episodes already and probably a second series of 8.

Anyway, I've seen the first 7 eps of LoMUS, it's not bad. Certainly a LOT better than the awful original pilot, set in LA.

And while Harvey is still a great actor, at 69 he's 30 years too old to be Gene Hunt.
Mandatory retirement in NYPD is 62 or 63 now, probably earlier in 1973.

 

[Neoandrew1]

the yank version sucked compared to the UK version. I dont understand why they have to take good british shows and yank destroy them?

[Panglos]

they are american lol

I love british series just because they are different from the american ones that all feel like they are written by the same people and they are O so politically correct always ... If you're doing a series about the 70 ties also do it's incorrectness

[compman777]

well the US version had some good music in it and the ending didn't really make much sense.