Image via tvseries-in-a-box.blogspot.co.uk
TV shows often face a period of uncertainty when they first air. They put a pilot together and put it out into the TV universe for the audience to judge, hate or love and producers to decipher whether that reaction means they should invest significant amounts of money into the project or not.
Once the TV show makes it past the pilot, it then has to deliver a stellar first season- establishing characters that will captivate the audience and develop over time. The longest-standing shows know the importance of keeping the audience on their toes, creating major plot twists and if necessary, reviving the cast with a death of a major character or the introduction of a new one.
Whatever the reason, the following list of shows made it work for their target audiences. Sadly for loyal fans, these shows are facing their final episode this season. (Warning: these videos may contain spoilers!)
Chuck
Chuck was a quick hit among young adults who loved/believed this dorky, awkward young man could somehow be embedded with CIA secrets and just as miraculously, keep them safe. The show faced cancellation after its second season ended, but a fan-fuelled campaign to keep the show on the air was ultimately the reason behind the next three seasons. The show ended in the US in January 2012.
One Tree Hill
One Tree Hill premièred in 2003 and was an instant hit for the teenage-young adult (mostly female) demographic. The dreamy male co-stars definitely had something to do with this. The show is still touted as the first to do the “One Tree Hill Jump” where they ended a season with the main cast in high school and picked up the season in the fall with the cast having just finished university. The jump was pretty appropriate seeing as how most of the cast were at least 5 years older then their characters anyway. Fans have grown to love the characters beyond their good looks and are sad to say goodbye to the show this season.
House
I have to admit, I’m a sucker for a mostly unrealistic medical show where they have to figure out what is wrong with the patient before they die, and House delivers. The main title character, though, has always been a bit of a handful and for the last few seasons he’s been outright absurd in his behaviour. While we know the show is unrealistic already, it goes far beyond any real medical ethics. House has been arrested, addicted to painkillers AND drove his car into his ex-girlfriend/boss’s house and still was allowed special privileges to practice medicine. The medical mysteries are interesting, but it’s about time this show acknowledged its absurdity and ended it.
Desperate Housewives
How many life-altering, earth-shattering, heart-breaking things can happen to a group of 4 friends on one street in 8 years? If you watched every season of Desperate Housewives, you’d know the answer is: a lot. I have a secret/not-so-secret affection for Desperate Housewives and am sad/happy to see the series end. Sad that the drama won’t continue to unfold and happy that they are ending the series on their own terms. The show wasn’t cancelled or rejected; writer/producer Marc Cherry and his team just decided it was time to close the show before it jumped the shark.
This final season has had a series of twists, turns and tying up of loose ends, leaving just enough to get their whole fan base watching the final, 2-hour episode (airing Sunday night, 13 May in the US). Rumour (and spoilers) have it that old/dead characters will make an appearance in some way and people will be watching to see if Nicolette Sheridan will appear following her in-court feud with producer Marc Cherry over her unfair dismissal when she was killed off the show at the end of the 5th season. (Seeing as how the series finale was filmed before the court appearance and the relationship between the two has been damaged for a few years, I don’t foresee Edie Britt (Sheridan) making an appearance on Wisteria Lane.
Which shows have ended this year that you will miss the most? Let us know in the comments below.
