Does any one know why this was cancelled ?
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ghostfan — 12 years ago(September 22, 2013 10:37 PM)
Oldest reason in the world the ratings weren't high enough, to keep it on the air, and it was more expensive to produce because of the 1940's settings/ costumes, etc., I remember reading that back when the show was cancelled I was just out of high-school then.
There was some talk, I believe, about changing the format to an hour and a half and making it part of the NBC Mystery of the Week wheel, along with the likes of McCloud, Columbo, McMillan and Wife, etc. but the plans fell through (I read about this elsewhere on this IMDB board, but I can't locate the thread
How sad, that you were not born in my time, nor I, in yours. -
ghostfan — 10 years ago(April 05, 2015 08:29 AM)
But ratings and money go hand in hand if nobody is watching the show, nobody is watching the commercials, and if nobody is watching the commercials, they aren't inspired to buy the products, or in the old days, nobody wants to sponsor the show for an hour.
How sad, that you were not born in my time, nor I, in yours. -
jaybabb — 12 years ago(October 25, 2013 07:25 PM)
I say ratings is the oldest excuse and the most convenient for the network. Just follow the money-a show like this-because of the sets and costumes-it takes more money to produce. It's not so much the ratings were lower than other shows-it just that they couldn't make back the money it takes to produce the show.
Ratings is not the issue-it's all about the money$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$!!
You may think that but I couldn't possibly commentFrancis Urquhart
Jay -
midnight_raider2001 — 9 years ago(July 11, 2016 09:09 PM)
I think the show, if it had premiered on a Sunday night and had been given time to build its audience, might not have been a huge hit but it would have showed promise especially since Cher's solo series in the adjacent time slot was slipping badly in the ratings. But NBC had ordered a series called The Family Holvak without considering where to put it (it was a Waltons clone so Thursdays were out), so Ellery Queen got the Thursday slot with a hopeless lead-in in Fay. It was a wonder that Ellery Queen managed to get higher than the bottom 10 during its first weeks. Because of the classy production values and the pedigree of the producers (Richard Levinson and William Link created Columbo, which was still a huge hit), NBC gave Ellery Queen a full season and moved it to Sundays. The ratings did improve, but after Sonny rejoined Cher and their new show surged to the top of the ratings, Ellery Queen had no real chance of being renewed. Murder, She Wrote, from the same producers but somewhat less refined, was also a Sunday early-evening show and became a 12-year hit a few years later.