Journeyman Cancelled, NBC Sucks
Posted by bmac on December 21, 2007
I watch a lot of TV. Way too much. Many more important things go unattended while I bask in the warm glow of the idiot box. It makes me happy. I have an extensive list of favorite shows, and one of those shows was NBC’s Journeyman, which after only 12 episodes, has been cancelled, due to low ratings.
If you’ve never seen Journeyman, well….it’s too late. If you like time-travelly sci-fi with interesting twists and good characters, you probably would have loved this show, but alas, it apparently didn’t get the monster audience of absolute dreck like……Medium, which will be in it’s place next week.
I’m as pro-capitalist as one could be, but at some point, everything shouldn’t always be about the bottom line only, particularly artistic ventures. This is the same attitude that has killed the music industry. If an artist doesn’t sell 10 million copies of their debut CD, they won’t get a second chance, move on to the next one. Sorry, no time for developing an artist.
Same with TV shows. While a really unique drama like this gets cancelled, total bullshit like “CSI Wherever The Fuck” and “Law and Order-Parking Patrol” just go on and on.
Fans of this show are trying to save it by using a “Jericho” type of campaign of sending boxes of Rice-a-Roni to NBC (the show is set in San Fran), but I think it’s already too late, as all the actors have been released from their contracts, and are probably already working elsewhere.
A Fine Line Between Stupid And Clever 
Enas Yorl said
That’s too bad. I’ve never seen any of the shows, but I’ve read good things about it. Also, I really like that guy who starred in it – he was awesome in HBO’s Rome which also, alas, got the axe far too soon. I hardly watch any regular broadcast shows anymore though. Between night classes, the XBox, internet, and Netflix there just isn’t any time to devote to watching YET MORE stuff. Then there’s all these books I’ve got piling up that I need to get read. I need to unplug for a while and get working on those.
Hey, how’s Kramer feeling lately?
bmac said
Kramer’s doing really great Enas, thanks for asking. He just finished up his 5th treatment about 12 days ago, and is in FULL REMISSION!
He’ll be sending out an email to everybody pretty soon.
Do you get those? I just want to confirm that everybody gets his emails.
Books….one of these days I’ll have to put down the remote and read one.
Really Robin said
What? This sucks!! The show was just getting enough of a foundation under it for it to start making it good, solid entertainment! Has NBC become the new FOX?? Because they are also notorious for cancelling good shows!
Honestly, what IS this world coming to?
Enas Yorl said
Oh yeah, I get the e-mails – they’re great! Just happened to think about him. Glad to hear the good news.
bmac said
Yeah Robin, the last episode was Wed. and they wrapped it up nicely because they knew it was a goner. Show had a lot of potential to be one of the greats.
Cool Enas, thanks again for your help man!
Really Robin said
Wow. I just watched the last episode on nbc.com You weren’t kidding – it did wrap up nicely. I also noticed that it left enough of an opening that it could, potentially, begin production again.
::humming tune to “Rice-a-Roni, the San Francisco treat” under breath::
Now where is that silly boxcutter?
bmac said
It was good wasn’t it? Here’s what producer Kevin Falls had to say:
“Oh, and your fight to save Journeyman has humbled and moved us. I’m certainly not going to tell you to stop now. Again, our sincere gratitude and a deep bow from the waist.”
Sounds hopefull.
cranky said
Good rant, bmac. Law-and-Order PP. When said outloud what does that sound like?
😛
Anonymous said
I am very disappointed to hear Journeyman will be cancelled. I just started watching it and really enjoy the show. I hope they will reconsider and keep it going..
Scott said
The only part of NBC that can be blamed is their marketing department.
Good shows die, while awful shows suceed.
Usually the right people to blame are the viewers who don’t watch challenging shows… people who kept Will and Grace on the air for ten years, and Friends for a millennium while shows like Arrested Development barely made it 3 seasons
Emily said
This show was a rarity for me in these current times of insipid television- something DIFFERENT that was highly intelligent, AND made me care about its characters- that I made a steadfast weekly appointment to watch. (One of only 3 shows for the year that I did.)
Yes, it did a known theme (time traveling), but it was no rehash…very much its own show: refreshing, intelligent, home & family-oriented, & with its own nifty, twisty style. With _damn_ fine actors and writing. That made you care about them. Easily.
I think I already said that.
NBC, if the masses are too thick or slow to catch on to good art like Journeyman QUICKLY, what you do is GIVE IT MORE TIME. Cancel their other cracker-jack crack TV and their minds will un-numb and unhook from it and they’ll see your other brainchildren- the series you should be proud of; that’ll win awards. And which they’ll hook in to and thank you for bringing them, in the end.
Jeffery said
What really gets me are the folks that watch “reality television”…Big Brother 9? C’mon, gimme a break! I can tolerate the CSI series of shows better than that garbage!!!
Melissa said
You’ve got to be kidding, it was one of the best shows on TV. Why don’t they get off some of these freakin stupid reality shows and put Journeyman back on. It was a great show.
MissC said
That’s the problem. They don’t give a TV show time. They cancel it after two episodes. I’m still irked they took off Conviction. I loved that. All those hot young lawyers, especially Eric Balfour. I wanted to see where him and Finn’s relationship was going. NBC get it together, give shows some time.
Dude said
I am extremely upset and disappointed that nbc has stooped to another low. I became very sick during dinner when I witnessed a man vomiting on this show. That isn’t funny. I’m shocked that you didn’t give any warning that you were about to show a sick disgusting scene of red puke spewing out of a mans mouth. You should be ashamed! How low is nbc going to go? I’m no longer watching this show. Real smart NBC. Hope you go out of business soon. I really mean that. Whoever decided to put this sick scene into the show has got some serious mental sickness. It’s sad to know there are people at nbc that would approve of showing sick crap like this. Very sad.
Dude said
I loved Journeyman. Instead we have ‘outrageous moments’ showing people vomiting. Some very brain damaged people over there at nbc.
Morgana said
I’m so glad I’ve found this blog to tell me that the shows cancelled. My hubby and I have been waiting patiently for it’s return. One of the few shows with depth that we both enjoyed watching together. I chalked it up to the writers strike and expected it’s return anytime. What is more frustrating (besides this being the second time a show has disapeared with no warning) is that when you look on NBC’s website, they leave the page for the show up forever and never tell you “oh so sorry we cancelled it”. I don’t know where they are getting their info re: ratings because Journeyman was a show that most people I know were watching and enjoying.
bmac said
It’s kind of a mystery Morgana, it seemed like a popular show, but it is definteley cancelled.
The last episode kind of did a quickie wrap-up, and I’m guessing you can still watch it online.
NBC sucks.
Jerry said
Yeah, NBC is sucking big-time. They cancel Journeyman, but add (what?) six or seven more “Deal or No Deal”. Hey, I like Howie… but Plz. Then “Law & Order” … what are we up to now? Three of them? And yes, Matt does interupt people. So does Anne. Must be the NBC way, cut people and shows off. They know best… right?
Ahh, one more NBC peeve. Really getting tired of their SNL biased slams against McCain and Palin. Mind you, if the parodies were a bit more even, it’d be cool. But if SNL’s biased parodies “on Saturday night” weren’t enough … we can now watch them Thursday night as well. Plus they’re happy to run 30:sec spots of Palin and “…I can see Russia from my home…”
Plenty of Barrack gafs still untapped.
Dave said
They have a history of getting rid of the shows that develop a following for the lousy shows. (Kit and Kim) Black Donnellys was another awesome show that they let go.
skeptikult said
NBC is bunch of idiots. Sorta like Warner Bros and marketing movies. Hey maybe they should merge and produce great stuff that they don’t know who to market and inevitably shelve. Idiots, all of them.
Hug it out Bitch…The Top 10 Characters from HBO said
[…] if they were on conventional viewing-figure led networks. However it seems they may be ‘NBC‘ing(still not forgiven those buggers for Journeyman) themselves and perhaps the boardroom is […]