“Drive” cancelled: The Minear/Fillion curse strikes again
Admit it. We all knew it was coming, but did you all think it would happen so soon?
According to sources at TV Guide, FOX’s new drama, “Drive,” has been prematurely cancelled after airing only four of its thirteen season one episodes. Centered around an illegal, cross-country car race, the show got off to a great start during its two-hour premiere and hasn’t slowed down yet. The premise alone is promising enough for anyone who enjoyed the first season of “Prison Break,” so its surprising to see that not as many people tuned in. Of course, rumor is that many were turned off by the fact that they knew FOX would cancel it, and so they didn’t want to engulf themselves in yet another television history where they would never see the conclusion.
The future of the show didn’t look good as soon as word got out that “Firefly” star Nathan Fillion was teaming up with show’s co-creator Tim Minear for a new series, but we all figured that FOX had learned its lesson the first time around. Both Minear and Fillion are very talented people, so it sucks to see yet another collaboration between the two flushed away so quickly. Is two weeks (three episodes aired in the first week alone) literally all the time a network can afford for a new show to find an audience, because if so, they aren’t going to have enough shows to fill the voids come pilot season.
With “Family Guy” not quite as great as it used to be and “24″ experiencing the worst season of its six-year history, what else does FOX have to compete with the other networks? Not much, which makes the cancellation of “Drive” all that more disappointing. And to think I was debating blogging this show…
Oh well, I guess we have the DVD to look forward to, and if we’re lucky, maybe Universal will buy the rights and make a movie like they did with “Serenity.” Wishful thinking? Probably, but it could happen.
This show would have ruled as a new series on Spike or USA. Good or bad thing? You decide!
Jesus kee-RIST! I’m so fucking tired of networks yanking these dramas so quickly!!! I just finished writing up “Kidnapped: The Complete Series,” where I talked about how awesome a show that was, even though NBC pulled it after only a handful of episodes. Criminey, give a show half a chance to build an audience, why don’t you…?
They could show it on the web like NBC did with The Black Donnally’s
“Kidnapped” is out on DVD - gotta rent that to see how it ended…problem is, I can’t remember where it left off!
That’s the nice thing about the cable networks. They usually give the show a full season to build an audience. The networks just don’t have the patience.
Yeah, and that’ll be fine…although, either way, it’s all but guaranteed that we’ll see a “Complete Series” set on DVD before Christmas (Fox’s track record with these things is way too consistent for them to take a pass on it)…but what really pisses me off is that Fox takes a chance by putting these shows on the air, then cancels them before there’s any chance in Hell that they’ll take off. We’re definitely past the point where we can applaud them for putting it on in the first place; they’ve yanked too many shows too quickly for that to apply any longer. Besides, to my mind, the mere fact that they didn’t split the show’s two-hour premiere in half and then air the pair of them behind episodes of “American Idol” in order to have them debut before the largest possible audience is essentially a testament to how little faith they had in the show in the first place.
P.S. Love ya, Fox. Nothing personal. I’m just calling it as I see it.
You know, atleast finish the season for those of us who DID watch and would like to see how it would have ended!! Arg
I’m beginning to wonder whether Fox understands the ramifications of its policies. If a network is going to go to the trouble and expense of creating new programming, isn’t it in the network’s best interest to at least seem to be committed to it? If you contract to make one season of a program, make that one season, at least. If it’s not doing well, move it to a different slot, but promote it heavily in the new slot. If you make a habit of cancelling new programs after only a few weeks, it can’t possibly come as any shock to you if you can’t generate a devoted audience. You reap what you sow.
I also wonder if perhaps it isn’t time to review the process by which television ratings are generated. Or perhaps come up with an additional source of audience feedback. In a time when we can vote for our favourite idol or dancing star via phone or internet, why can’t we vote in the same way to keep shows on the air? A statistical sampling of households which are chosen for their demographic characteristics, and are not chosen randomly, may not accurately reflect the size or preference of an audience for a particular show. Also, does the ratings system take into account the enthusiasm of the viewers in a ratings household? After all, haven’t we all watched a show from beginning to end simply because it was all that was on, or because we couldn’t agree on a particular program with others watching the same television? Should a program that one watches without any particular preference be ranked in the same way as a program that one has waited impatiently all week to watch? I don’t think so. For information on the ratings system, go to .
I loved Drive, and am sad to see it go. I probably didn’t fit into the appropriate target demographic for it–being female and on the wrong side of 35–but I didn’t care. It excited me, kept me on the edge of my seat, and made me feel “bad-ass-by-association.” And I love Nathan Fillion.
Ooops, sorry, didn’t mean to go all bold on everyone!
Ooops again!
For info on the tv ratings system go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nielsen_ratings.
Wow , What a dumb*ss move it is to cancel Drive. I thought it was great. My two teenage sons thought it was great. I wish Fox would get a brain and reconsider this.
Drive is a great show. I was saddened to hear it has been cancelled so soon. Fox hasnt even given it a chance.I tried to email them to support the show but I am sure that it wont even be read.If anyone knows how to start an email campaign to save Drive let me know. Randall S. Sales@federalkinfe.com
Sorry I typed my email incorrectly it is sales@federalknife.com Randall S.
Let’s Face it folks. FOX is run by a bunch of right winged, corporate Fucking Douchebags who don’t know SHIT about anything except who their favorite idol is! Geez!, Gimme a break!
DRIVE is/was a totally wicked show. I really haven’t seen such a genuinely promising series in a long time. I loved it so much i purchased the 4 episodes on itunes… and then FOX execs went and miffed it all up. Bogus. Funny thing is that my schedule doesn’t allow me too much TV time, and this was one I would’ve made time for. Hopefully they (or itunes) releases the rest of the season!
Series “DRIVE” set to return
Drive rolls back onto Fox one last time on July 4th 2008. Starring Nathan Fillion and written by Tim Minear, Drive is a show about an illegal road race.
The last two episodes filmed will show at 8pm on Fox 7/04/08. This is a one time event that will not be re-aired. However, with high enough ratings, the show may be given a second life.
Please tune in.
I wouldn’t count on it.
Not too many people stay in to watch television on the Fourth of July.
I am totally aggravated
this is like the third show that was canceled so early that I had been watching. The other 2 were Gay or Straight and the Obnoxious Boss thing. I realize that those were years ago, but I have no confidence in Fox not to pull a show I might be interested in
Only one other network did something similar. I was looking forward to a second season of surface that never appeared. but at least they aired an entire season.
Fox blows
I have a general dislike for “car chases” in general. And at times this show promised to be one long series of “car chase”. I so much wanted to like it. Additional dimensions appeared, leading to some long scenes *outside* the cars, in the third episode, and it seemed most promising.
Unfortunately, I think “Drive” was Minear’s “Harsh Realm.
If one of the reasons to cancel Drive was b/c the Fox execs thought it dragged 24, down then they need to be institutionalized! 24 was very stale this year and I didn’t care what happened for the first time in that show’s history. Plus, throw in a kick ass contender like Hero and you see why 24’s ratings shriveled like a pecker in a cold pool.
I can’t say how good or bad Drive could’ve been but I watched the episodes I missed online. It was just starting to build a head of steam when they pulled the plug. I really don’t understand the whole reality show craze in this country, with the exception of perhaps The Amazing Race, and wish real shows would get a chance.