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Is ABC a Supernatural Series Graveyard?

Recently, here on HB, I posted an open letter to ABC, pretty much begging for a second season of The River. If the series was to be scrapped, it would not be the first time ABC had tossed an interesting and viable supernatural series on the trash pile. HB’s own BloodyAdored pointed out today another ABC series, Happy Town, that didn’t survive past a ngle season. But was it a fluctuation in viewers’ tastes that caused a great show to die? Or is there something about the network that is the problem?

Some might say that ABC couldn’t posbly have a problem with airing televion series that featured the weird and the wacky. After all, they did give us x seasons of LOST, right? Well… that is true, but it wasn’t without problems; there were huge gaps between new shows and new seasons, and on more than one occaon the series was leaning towards failure. On top of this, it came to what many conder a very unsatisfying end. In spite of having aired for several years, it could very well be that LOST was a fluke, based on ABC’s track record.

Here’s why:

Invaon: one season, 2005

t the boy with the power to heal only at his own pain. Alva’s response says it all: “What makes you think it was from God?”

The series was dark and fascinating, addresng head-on questions of God, the devil, mysticism, and religion. Whatever controversy it might have drawn due to its religious nature was eclipsed by its fervent fans. The problems for the series came instead with ABC’s repeated preempting of the series for news specials on developments in the Iraqi war and, in at least one case, a special on troubled pop nger Michael Jackson. Miracles ran for only one season.

Honorable Mentions of ABC Series Gone Too Soon: Eastwick Happy Town The Gates No Ordinary Family Twin Peaks

So what is it about ABC? Many different networks have their fair share of supernatural or scifi televion series that weren’t given a fair shake, but ABC seems to carry the majority. Is it their ties to Disney that makes them so hetant to give anything a little spookier or kookier than usual a shot at finding an audience? Or are they so insecure of their place in network hierarchy that they cancel at the slightest hetation in ratings? Here's hoping that Once Upon a Time can last.

Perhaps we’ll never know why ABC is a constant death knell for the weird and wacky tv series that we love, but we can at least hold out hope that future producers and creators will recognize this pattern, and shop their premise to a more forgiving network.

With American Horror Story thriving on F/X, maybe they should stick to cable.
dew Sunday 3/25/2012 at 10:14 PM | 91750
Great read!
BloodyAdored Monday 3/26/2012 at 01:48 AM | 91761
Great read

Thanks! I'm a dunce when it comes to BBCode so I still haven't grasped how to link text, or I'd have linked your piece on Happy Town!
dew Monday 3/26/2012 at 02:59 AM | 91768
Indeed great read. Its too bad these shows didnt make it long. They seem great. Itd be sweet if FX Scyfy or AMC picked up these shows or something and tried it on there stations. I think maybe ABCs problem is theyre more family oriented maybe. I just dont think these shows fit on ABC. But if theyre getting the ratings then theres no reason they should get cancelled. But it is what it is
kizzle Monday 3/26/2012 at 05:04 PM | 91778