Smallscreen News
NBC takes the 'Life' out of the network
By April MacIntyre May 5, 2009, 14:24 GMT
Cast of "Life": Adam Arkin, Sarah Shahi and Damian Lewis - The 2008 NBC Universal Experience Upfronts - Arrivals - Rockefeller Center - New York City, NY, USA © Anthony G. Moore / PR Photos
One of the best shows on NBC is dead in the water. "Life" starred Donal Logue, Adam Arkin and Damian Lewis, and for network fare, the show was well-written and cast perfectly. The series has come to an end.
NBC announced a partial schedule yesterday without announcing any cancellations. But word quickly spread among reporters from inside network sources that the dramedy was done.
"Life" was an excellent under-the-radar series that didn't get a whole lot of coverage from the media.
‘Life’ is the tale of officer Charlie Crews (Damian Lewis) as he rebuilds his own life that was marred by a false accusation that imprisoned him for twelve years.
Charlie went Zen instead of bitter or angry in his bid to keep his sanity. He was subsequently released and exonerated, with a golden multi-million payout parachute and returned to his work as a homicide detective.
The news was revealed during a question-and-answer session with the media after the presentation.
'Life" was critically acclaimed, not so robust in ratings (but not disastrous either), similar to "Friday Night Lights" own struggles to find an audience, quality for the network was sacrificed to make room for Jay Leno's new venture.
Also revealed, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit may see stars Mariska Hargitay and Christopher Meloni replaced by NBC due to salary demands.
Adam Arkin was cast in Kurt Sutter's excellent FX series, "Sons of Anarchy" and will portray a supremacist leader for at least six episodes who moves into Charming, the SAMCRO home base.
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Older Talkback
page: 1
NBC is responsible for the poor ratings which LIFE got in the second season. How are fans supposed to watch the series if the network keeps changing the date on which it airs???????
I will miss Damian Lewis. He is a great actor and his Charlie Crews was unique. Typical of the networks to kill a good thing!!
What is going on in TV nowadays. You get a great show with wonderful casting, clever writing, action, etc. and it is the 'kiss of death'. Why does TV resort only to pablum? I dn't know about ratings but I can't believe that this show wasn't popular. It is getting to the point where your choices will be reality TV dancing and singing and regurgitated episodic TV shows. Bring on cable if that continues to be the case. I love shows like House, Law and Order and all its variations but they are getting played ad nauseam on TV. Life was a brief reprieve from all of that. NBC PLEASE BRING IT BACK IN THE FALL.
Life was my light in a neverending tunnel and the best show I've seen on the TV screen since Keen Eddie, which also got cancelled... and before that Farscape (but at least that one got an ending).. Both shows had quality and smarts to it, which i guess is why they got cancelled. NBC is probably not even existing in a few years from now... The audience can only take so many cancellations before they start boicotting channels.
Life, will probably allways be my favourite tv series and i seriously doubt that you producers over the atlantic ocean can ever come up with anything remotely close to Life again...
NBC, I'm so disappointed in you right now...
I dare any TV station to buy up the rights for Life and make NBC eat their decision...
page: 1
Lover Of LifeMay 14th, 2009 - 17:06:00
the people at NBC have decided to end this great and wonderful show. If you are like me and you love this show then just go here ( this site dose not allow links so i am gonna give you the address with out the www. but you get the point)
damianlewisweb.com/bringbacklife/
to try and save it and bring it to USA were they say characters are welcomed. please re post the link were you can
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