Why did ABC cancel such a great show? Wasn't it highly anticipated? Wasn't the BBC original hugely popular?
Yes, all these things are true.
The show originally aired Thursdays in the 10pm time slot following Grey's Anatomy. However, the ratings began to decline after the first few episodes but never slid into the danger zone. But after the 7th episode, ABC put the show on "hiatus" for two months without any re-runs.
Fans and industry analysts both speculate that putting the show on hiatus without even re-running any episodes broke any traction the show had to begin with, and viewers simply lost interest. In addition, when the show returned, ABC did very little to continue promoting it.
When Life on Mars returned in its new Wednesday 10pm time slot, ABC was hoping the lead-in from Lost would attract more viewers.
But it backfired. Now the show was up against established cop drama giants CSI:NY and Law & Order. Life on Mars slid in the ratings almost immediately.
Fans speculate that most viewers did continue to watch Life on Mars, but began recording it to watch later. The networks have admitted openly that the current ratings system is not accurate in accounting for time-shifted viewing,
In addition, tax breaks given to the entertainment industry as incentives to produce more shows in NYC were in danger of being rescinded.
For this reason, in addition to what the traditional ratings were showing, ABC felt it had no choice but to cancel Life on Mars, claiming that the show just didn't click with viewers.
"BOLLOCKS!" exclaimed thousands of Life on Mars fans.
An online petition started immediately after the cancellation was announced, and thousands of fans have already signed.
But then a strange thing began happening in the petition.
The petition comments weren't all simple one-liners like "please don't cancel this show." Fans actually took the time to explain why they loved the show and what made the show so unique - genuine, heartfelt comments that ABC executives don't get from the traditional outdated rating system - comments that networks need to listen to with much more alacrity.
Most frequently praised were the innovative plot mystery, a dynamic cast ensemble, accurate depiction of 70's culture, and a terrific music soundtrack. People who lived through the 70's were overjoyed to see those days portrayed so well, and the newer generation seemed to appreciate the history lesson.
At the same time, many fans voiced criticism of ABC and other networks, claiming that preferential treatment is given to lackluster cop shows and insipid reality drivel. "Intelligent" shows are quickly sacked or thrown under the bus to save more popular shows if ratings don't make the mark within a few weeks of the show's debut.
Unique shows like Life on Mars take a while to gain a fan base. In fact many viewers hadn't even heard of the show despite ABC's promotional efforts. Many fans claim to have started watching the show several weeks after the premiere and have been "catching up" online and suddenly found themselves sucked into Sam's mystery...only to find out the show had been canceled.