TVSquad

All unaired episodes of Smith are now up on CBS' broadband channel, Innertube. The heist drama was canceled in early October, after only three episodes made air. The remaining four episodes are available on Innertube, but there is also a synopsis of how the story arc would have played out and what would have become of the characters had the show remained on the air. After episode 13, it would've been a hell of a cliffhanger.

I've read the synopses and I'll spoil it for you... after the jump:

There are seven episodes of Smith up on CBS' broadband channel, Innertube. The series was canceled after only three episodes made air. Presumably, seven episodes are all that were ever made of Smith, an action-drama about a band of robbers, starring Ray Liotta and Virginia Madsen. TV Guide said the series was canceled because of meager ratings and an abhorrent price tag of $3 million per episode. I'm not sure whether Smith actually wraps up in the seventh episode- I have the feeling that it'll leave you fans hanging.

I haven't watched all the episodes and don't plan to since I wasn't a fan, but feel free to let us know in comments if it got any better!

[Thanks for the tip, Matt!]

If the comments section here is any indication, even though Smith was canceled rather quickly by CBS, it actually had a lot of fans. Of course, we didn't get 10 million comments, so "a lot" wasn't really enough.

TV Guide has a breakdown on why the show was canceled. It seemed like it could be a hit: West Wing/ER producer John Wells, big stars like Ray Liotta and Virginia Madsen, and lots of hype by CBS, but what happened? People have speculated that it was because the gang of crooks on the show weren't likable, but the magazine says that it was more the price of the show. Each episode cost about $3 million dollars!

I wonder how much that awful motorcycle chase with Simon Baker cost to film?

Are you enjoying Smith? Too bad! CBS has decided to shelve it. The Ray Liotta drama has been doing so-so in the ratings, and it looks like CBS doesn't want to take any more chances with it.

There's no official word on the move yet, but expect something official later today. In fact, check out the web site. There are still some links to get to the show's page, but it's gone from both drop down menus!

As I mentioned in my reviews, the show has started to go downhill from an intriguing pilot. Maybe CBS saw something in the upcoming episodes that said, "hey, let's dump this for now and put something else on"?

Update: Yup, it's gone.

(S01E03) Three episodes into Smith, and this show has started to come off the rails. It's sort of a mess now. And it's getting tedious and boring, with just too many elements (side plots, characters, etc) the writers have thrown into the mix that ruin the tone set by the stylish, clever, moody pilot.

Anyone else having this reaction to this show?

(S01E02) Dear Makers of Smith,

I just watched the second episode of your show, and while I think it's still good, I'm starting to fall out of love with it. Have you ever had that feeling?

Maybe it's not you, it's me. But I'm pretty sure it's you.

(S01E01) As I sat watching the premiere episode of Smith, I kept thinking the same thing: after Heist and Hustle and Thief, are people really going to want to watch yet another show about a gang of clever thieves who pull off elaborate robberies?

If it's based on quality, it shouldn't really be a problem. This is a good show. But we all know it's not just based on quality, there are about 9 other things that come into play when people decide to watch or not watch a TV show, and I wonder how viewers will calculate those other things in their head when deciding whether or not to watch it.

The new Ray Liotta, shoot 'em up series pilot is available for a preview on Google Video. Smith is about a guy who runs a gang of thieves, but is trying to get out of the business for the sake of his wife and kids. It's one of the few pilots that I haven't had a chance to see, but fellow TV Squadder Bob really enjoyed it (I did get a TiVo season pass though). Smith premieres on CBS on Tuesday, September 19th so you're getting it online almost one week before it airs.

Other CBS series currently available for viewing on Google Video are The Class, The New Adventures of Old Christine, NCIS and all sorts of CSI.

[Via TV Guide.com]

Regardless of how good Smith is - and I'll say right from the get go that it is good - the big question is, are viewers going to give yet another show about a bunch of clever crooks a chance, after shows like Heist, Thief and Hustle? I'm not convinced they will, but if they base it on quality and entertainment value, Smith should be given a chance.

CBS released its 2006-07 prime-time schedule this morning. They're returning a lot of shows this year, only introducing seven new shows, four of which will debut in the fall. The changes in brief:

Returning: Survivor, The King of Queens (13 episodes airing at mid-season), The New Adventures of Old Christine, How I Met Your Mother, Two and a Half Men, The Amazing Race, Without A Trace, Numb3rs, Ghost Whisperer, CSI, CSI: Miami, CSI:NY, The Unit, Criminal Minds, Close to Home, 60 Minutes, 48 Hours: Mysteries, Crimetime Saturday (reurns of CBS crime procedurals), NCIS.

Out: Threshold, Out of Practice, Courting Alex, CBS Sunday Movie, Love Monkey, Yes, Dear, Still Standing.

New: The Class, Smith, Jericho, Shark, 3 Lbs., Waterfront, Rules of Engagement.

Moving: How I Met Your Mother (to Mondays at 8), The Amazing Race (to Sundays at 8), Cold Case (to Sundays at 9), Without A Trace (to Sundays at 10).

Detailed descriptions of the new shows are after the jump.

Despite his career-long hesitation to work in series television, Ray Liotta has signed on to a new crime drama on CBS. Virginia Madsen, who had a stint on Frasier and co-starred in the wine-soaked flick Sideways, has also signed on to the project. The series, called Smith, is a crime drama told from the point of view of a crew of career criminals. Amy Smart and Franky G are also on-board this project.

Liotta may have decided to come to television because of the producer and director on Smith. The producer is John Wells and the director is Christopher Chulack, both of whom Liotta worked with when he had a guest appearance on ER. Wells is an ER producer and Chulack directed Liotta's episode, called Time of Death.

I like the idea of a crime show from the other perspective. Sure, there's The Sopranos on HBO but we haven't seen a new episode forever and they're about to end the series. I'm tired of all the cop and court shows on television. It's time to root for the bad guy!

[Via The Hollywood Reporter]