This is it, Moonlight fans. Vampires might be immortal, but this cult favorite is not. Today, sources at CBS have confirmed (though this is "not truly official" yet): The bubble has been popped, and the network has decided not to renew the series for a second season. You can't say the fans haven't tried to save this show, hosting nationwide blood drives and showering the network with garlic cloves. But according to The Hollywood Reporter, the show couldn't sustain viewers after Ghost Whisperer on Friday nights. Rabid, repeat viewings by diehard fans don't really count as multiple viewers, I guess.This will cast a pall at this month's Moonlight Convention, I'll bet.
I have been reviewing Moonlight for TV Squad since the second episode. The show made some really great strides with storyline, vampire lore, and character development since the pilot episode, which wasn't very good. The show cultivated an intense cult following despite the fact that nearly the entire cast was replaced at the last minute. Granted, the show has hit a few speed bumps in recent episodes with some clunky, stilted acting and a horrific wig on the heroine, Sophia Myles. But I honestly believed it was strong enough to survive to a second season.
I hope the show's actors, especially Alex O'Loughlin, Jason Dohring, and Sophia Myles get a chance to be on new shows so we can see them again soon. Maybe Eric Winter will try to go back to Brothers and Sisters and create problems for Kevin and Scotty, who are newly married. Who knows?
This is the third show I've really liked this year to get canceled, following Journeyman and New Amsterdam. Do I just have really crappy taste in shows, or are executives too quick to lower the boom? The season (and now series) finale will air Friday May 16 at 9pm ET. RIP, Moonlight. You'll be missed.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
5-13-2008 @ 4:27PM
Beth said...
Oh "F" You CBS!
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5-13-2008 @ 4:31PM
CK said...
No, you do not have bad taste in shows, as I also love this show, Journeyman, New Amsterdam, & October Road - all cancelled! I think you're right - the networks don't give shows a chance. They are too quick to find the next best reality show or to come up with the next unnecessary Law & Order spin-off. Moonlight was really taking off and had so many ways to go with the addition of Winter and the expanded face time from Dohring.
BOOO to you CBS!
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5-13-2008 @ 5:51PM
Bash said...
Now this comment makes me wonder whether Journeyman is in fact crap because you put the gem that is Journeyman together with shows that are sub-par. I watched all of them and to be honest all of these shows had enough reasons for cancellation _except_ Journeyman.
Sure, it got canceled but that's the ONLY thing it has in common with the other shows.
Next thing a commenter adds is that Journeyman is as good as Jericho. *yuck*
To be honest I understand why all of these shows got canceled. They all weren't that great and Journeyman had a niche that didn't attract enough viewers although I liked it a lot.
So in the end all this means is that next to Hollywood the TV networks nowadays only keep mainstream BS on and target their shows to the least possible common denominator. Voyeur TV aka Reality Shows.
5-13-2008 @ 4:35PM
wraith16 said...
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!
come on. this show is awesome. CBS sucks. bad decision!
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5-13-2008 @ 4:36PM
Bodarim said...
I'm glad this got canceled. No offense to those who did enjoy the series. I know how it feels to have your favorite shows get canceled. Buffy/Angel/Firefly.
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5-13-2008 @ 4:41PM
kasviel said...
This is terrible! I came in late, then caught up (via Itunes), and it was my new favorite show! I like it better than Ghost Whisperer; it had great leads, and a unique mix of fantasy, romance, and crime drama angles. I hope the actors find work, especially Alex O'Loughlin and Jason Dohring, but it still won't be quite the same. Back to my Ipod to rewatch it and cry (half-kidding) :-(
CBS mishandled the entire thing, from the bad commercials (kind of cheesy, they never showcased the show's best moments) to not giving it enough chance to build an audience and gain steam. Lame! I'll probably drop Ghost Whisperer, I'm so angry.
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5-13-2008 @ 4:50PM
C C said...
I think Moonlight's cancellation had more to do with money and politics than ratings. Moonlight had the audience to warrant another season from CBS. The problem was...Moonlight was a Warner Bros. production, and CBS had to pay a licensing fee to air it. The networks, to save money, are sharply steering away from shows than don't come from their in-house studios. It's a disturbing trend that gives more power to the network heads and stifles diversity and creativity in their programming.
Yesterday, I read an interesting post on another site speculating that Warner Bros. was using Moonlight as a bargaining chip to force CBS to renew another Warners show, New Adventures of Old Christine. Then the news comes today that Christine received a 22-episode pickup and Moonlight is canned. Coincidence? I think not.
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5-13-2008 @ 4:53PM
Hayworth Honey said...
When I just Googled moonlight + cbs and sorted by date, the first link that came up was this one (tvsquad) and the third one is from Futon Critic (5-13-08).
http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news.aspx?id=20080513cbs02
The important line at Futon Critic is:
"? MOONLIGHT won its time period in households (4.9/09), viewers (7.61m), adults 25-54 (2.6/08) and tied for first in adults 18-49 (1.9/06, with ABC)."
So the [Un]Wise Ones at CBS have something that'll do better on Friday nights?
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5-13-2008 @ 4:57PM
Ryan said...
I saw the first episode and gave it up right after, but the past few months I've been hearing good stuff so I was going to wait until the summer to catch up. Guess I don't have to anymore.
In any case Eric Winters just needs to stop leaving Brothers & Sisters for some CBS show. I mean it's getting hilarious now that whenever he does, the shows get cancelled.
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5-13-2008 @ 5:05PM
Jeff N. said...
Jen, you have great taste in shows. The Network suits want all their shows in the top 20. Which is impossible. They would have no problems selling advertising for Moonlight. Journeyman wasn't even given much a chance. That show was getting better and better. When you see shows some of the bad shows get renewed you just wonder what is up. I was sure Moonlight would be renewed.
Certainly CBS has made a mistake.
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5-13-2008 @ 5:07PM
Stephen Waits said...
Yes, crappy taste.
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5-13-2008 @ 5:08PM
lucyfan62 said...
After the high of hearing ELI STONE and REAPER were to survive for another season, this news just crushes that good feeling I've had today. MOONLIGHT was winning its timeslot on a night when no one watches TV very much and even held off the initlal threat of WOMEN'S MURDER CLUB. Why the female viewers of GHOST WHISPERER didn't stick around to see major hottie Alex O'Loughlin (often shirtless!), I'll never know. But I blame the writers strike for killing any momentum the show could have built with story, acting and viewers. This is as big a disappointement as JERICHO's cancellation after the first season. Two for two, CBS!
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5-13-2008 @ 5:11PM
JeansLady said...
I, too, am soooooo sad about this decision. It really ticks me off if it was cancelled due to politics behind the scenes, rather than a lack of audience and it WAS catching on with more people all the time. What a rotten deal. About four new programs that I really liked are getting the ax, but Moonlight was right at the top of my "new favorites" shows. I am just so frustrated by this.
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5-13-2008 @ 5:12PM
KMF said...
Ugggghhh.. . . It figures, I'd just start watching a show, warming up to it, and it gets cancelled, just like Journeyman and new Amsterdam.
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5-13-2008 @ 5:18PM
ms.hitch said...
I agree wholeheartedly! F you CBS. I can't believe I'm shocked, but I am. Last week it was all but cinched in every article in the trades that MOONLIGHT would return. They cite bad ratings, but Friday nights are not big ratings nights, and MOONLIGHT generally won the time period. What gives? We can hope that a cable net will see this gem and pick it up. Good fit for SCI FI or FX. Cross your fingers.
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5-13-2008 @ 5:20PM
0megapart!cle said...
Please do not compare this show to Journeyman, people! There is no comparison. Journeyman had good acting, great writing, great chemistry, great story, great arc, etc. Moonlight had ok acting (horrible acting on the part of the female lead), ok writing, ok chemistry, ok story, crappy arc, etc. They are each in their own universe, and if you were to be honest, you would admit that Moonlight deserved to be cancelled.
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5-20-2008 @ 8:25PM
Lisa said...
Your an idiot!!!!
5-21-2008 @ 1:47AM
0megapart!cle said...
What a cogent argument, Lisa!
If that is the best you can come up with, than my point is pretty well proven.
5-13-2008 @ 5:31PM
GL said...
I tried to watch the first episode and just couldn't finish...really disliked it. However, I somehow found myself watching the last 2 episodes and it definitely looked better. I was kind of interested to see if I would end up liking it. Too bad.
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5-13-2008 @ 5:36PM
Europa said...
Like another person posted, I tried the first ep/pilot and it was so gawd awful I didn't look at it again. Then I to started hearing good things about it over the past couple of months. But knowing CBS the way I do (I'm still steaming over the whole "Jericho" situation) I said, "Oh no. I'm not going to try to catch up now because it'll just get cancelled." I was right. :( I was planning on watching this Friday night because of Claudia Black's appearance. (Ironically, she's another good actor who knows what it’s like to be on a really, really great show and have it cancelled before it's time - Farscape.) I guess now I’ll have to raise a glass and say, “Farewell” also. :(
Btw, I don't think it's a bad wig that's on Sophia Myles but some really skanky hair extensions. Either way, who ever the hairdresser is/was, they should be black listed from working in Hollywood. Geeesh.
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