Defying Gravity cancelled due to poor ratings
Filed Under: Television | By: Kerry Chubb
Sep 14, 2009 | Comments 111
Having been cancelled due to poor ratings, Defying Gravity has had its series finale before the last filmed episode had aired.
Defying Gravity was a series about an interplanetary voyage to visit planets of the Solar System. Currently there are no plans to air the unaired episodes that are just six days away from Venus, which was the first destination.
Did you see this series? If so are you disappointed that this series has been cancelled? You can read more about Defying Gravity at examiner.com.
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For all fans of “Defying Gravity”, it looks like CTV (Canadian Television) will still be airing 3 more episodes this season… and lucky for us, these can be viewed on their website the day after they air (September 18, 25, and TBA)!
I am not sure why so many Scifi shows get cancelled. This is just the latest in a long list of shows made for people whole like a little depth with their action. Not sure why every show out there has to be a dumbed down ratings whore in order to stay on the air. Let the story build, let the characters evolve, and then you have a vested intrest in what happens to these people… not just a bunch of red shirts.
IT doesn’t surprise me that this show has been canceled!!! It seems as though every time a show comes out that has some imagination and makes you think – it gets canceled. I don’t understand how it could have had poor ratings. Let’s just hope that the past repeats itself. ABC cancels a show and another network sees the value in the show and picks it up!!!! This show is downright amazing – I hope another network picks it up soon!!!
Down right SHAME!!!!
Yes I’m very dissapointed!!! All the shows I like end up getting canceled after 8 shows!! I’m getting tired of it!!!!!!
I am quite disappointed, but at least I did not have a full season to really learn to love the show like I did Jericho. Like most good network shows, DF will now be replaced by another awful “reality’ or contest show the just confirms and creates more fat, stupid, apathetic Americans. At least AMC, FX, TNT and USA still “mostly” know what it is to be a good show with potential.
I think they should at least finish of the season because there are still some people who watched this show and aren’t happy with the decision the network has made ABC has done this before and if they keep ending shows before the season ends i believe people will stop tuning in and eventually ABC will lose all rateings
Why oh why???Cant these network executives learn to nurture a show even through low ratings????this is crazy!A great story like this needs to be kept on tv for variety’s sake instead of the same old drivel we are forced to watch everyday!!!We need to start an online protest or something.Maybe somebody will listen.How many shows will these people cancel???What is the exact number of millions a show has to have watching before it is taken off?
Reality TV and sports are the world. Like everyone else said, it’s amazing that when a show arrives that makes you think they cancel it. Every single time. I guess I have to go get a lobotomy and learn to like Cop dramas…
*shrug*
I just watched what was labelled “finale”. It was soooo good. I a showdoes not appeal to the demographic that is believed to buy stuff, it is cancelled. That demographic supposedly is young men. Duh. And the rest of us can just drop dead, according to Budweiser and Walmart. I am watching more and more ‘TV’online or HBO, SHOWTIME. I wish a premium channel would pick up this story.
this show was AWESOME. it’ll still be online somewhere…wont it?
hhahahahahah yeah too bad Americans can’t watch video on CTV…
Another great show cancelled… this feels like Firefly all over again. I wish more people enjoyed thoughtful programs. At least I can look forward to the next season of House and Dollhouse (Season 2!). I hope the full season of DF becomes available on DVD, but I really wish that I could donate to keep DF alive for awhile.
I agree that it is a shame. I work for an ABC station and I wish we would still air the show as I personally liked it as well. How do you have this build up and not show people what happens?
I am very disappointed as well this show had a lot of potential. Just when it got interesting they canceled it. I hope they put the season on video. There is a new media that people watch now they have to take notice.
Totally bums me out! Did ABC not notice the rating where starting to go up or did they care?
Are you kidding me? This show was TERRIBLE. The science in it was a farce, and the drama and action was ridiculous. There were plot holes the size of space stations and the only “action” was really “who’s schlepping who”. It took the worst part of science fiction and mixed it with the worst parts of drama and tried to pass it off as entertainment. And it was NOWHERE near Firefly or some of the other series mentioned above.
I don’t want it to be replaced with some reality show, but it was NOT good TV.
Good riddance.
Defying Gravity went no where. No wonder it got no viewers. You could have watched episode 1 and the finale right after each other, with no other episodes, and NOT MISSED ANYTHING. Nothing happened during the show! They revealed nothing, they never even got to a planet. The deal is, you have to deliver on a show in the first few episodes, or you lose your viewers. It’s just the way people are. DG never grabbed anyone. It had a bunch of depressing people doing depressing things, living miserable lives, which no one wants to see. Such a great concept for a show too. I really wanted it to succeed, but after a few episodes, I really didn’t care if it ever came on. I often forgot to watch it until a few days later when I would find it on my DVR.
Just proves yet again that intelligent shows have no place on network television
Defying Gravity needs to be seen, please air the remaining episodes. This is great show.
A show with characters you want to care about, and want to know more about.
I believe the writing is very good, the flashbacks are done very well, not as dramatic as done with LOST.
Also dont forget about the directing, visual effects and set design, you beleive you on the space ship with them, you beleive you are right there at mission control.
Please air the remaining episodes, if not then at least include on DVD release!
This reminds me of what happened with “Invasion” a few years ago. Great stories leading up to a truly gripping cliffhanger–and then, nothing. I hope this comes out on DVD. If I understand correctly, 13 episodes were produced, and I’d love to see them all.
Yeah, I also liked this show. ABC expressing a curious lack of foresight with this one- give it a shot! I guess the change of airing day a few episodes ago was the harbinger of doom for DG.
Even though I live in Canada, and can watch the rest of the episodes, I am disappointed it is Season 1 and Done.
Tell the person that said the show was terrible that Kanye West is terrible; ACORN is terrible; MSNBC is terrible. Defying Gravity is entertainment and was descent. Add it to Journeyman and Joe and Sons. Can we see the final three episodes online on CTV? When they air.
I am so disappointed this show has ended, and ended on a cliffhanger at that. I watched every episode, and it was the ONLY show I’ve looked forward to watching all summer. Great move ABC. Typical network mentality. Cancel the shows that actually have a story and interesting characters so you can shove more reality garbage down our throats. TV is hardly worth watching anymore, and the cancellation of DG just made it moreso. The networks aren’t going to sell any commercial time when everyone gets fed up with trash television and stops watching. They need to give these new shows a chance to build an audience. Didn’t they learn ANYTHING after Firefly?
I watched the last show and was surprised that something actually happened. That was my first clue that it had been cancelled.
I admit, the show as a stinker up until this point. I wonder whether the writers knew it was a stinker (i.e., nothing was happening), and for the sake of their collective resume they decided to actually introduce a (oh dear!) plot element.
The truth is probably that ABC laid off anyone and everyone who knew anything about entertainment and all they have left are junior boys and girls who spend all their time at the gym buffing up for the weekend by running like gerbils in a wheel and mindlessly chatting on cell phones.
The sad thing is that broadcast TV shows were/are like this one….a steady drizzle of nothingness. I would say that they all forgot how to tell a story but the awful truth is more probably that they never learned how to tell a story in the first place. They are hiring fifth-rate talent for their producers and it shows big time. Meanwhile, the stockholders continue to loose money and everyone wonders why–including senior management who lard their rear ends onto their private jets and zip off to their weekend condos and wonder why broadcast television is spiraling down the drain.
It is obvious why this is happening. They’ve forgotten how to tell a story.
loved this show but the flashbacks turned people off, that worked for season 1 of lost then that got tired and I think people loathe this format now.
This show was really really good, I’ll buy on HD on iTunes rather than download SD version from bitorrent sites, hopwfully this gets a blu-ray and extras but will most only see a DVD release so iTunes HD 720p will be keepers.
I saw the show. Personally I didn’t think it was very good. It was too much soap opera and too little science fiction.
Glad it was cancelled. I only watched as far as episode 2 and that’s all you need to see this show trample scientific achievement, inject blatant religious overtones and subtley and inappropriately come down on the very wrong side of important issues, making absurd statements–by scientists no less–about scientific facts and saying things no respectable or reputable scientist would ever say.. (aside from francis collins maybe… the sad tale that is).
There are very serious issues that are in conflict right now in this day and age and this show would obviously not help scientific truth if it masquerades as science denying science.
It wasn’t Lost, but it was OK and I was enjoying it. Guess we’ll never find out what “Beta” was..just as they were opening the door to! I don’t know why ABC bothers with shows that have mysteries over episode arcs… or why I bother with ABC shows that have any element of mystery to them as they often seem to cancel them abrubtly with no resolution (think Twin Peaks!). I love Lost, but always half think they are going to cancel it mid-way through the last season, just when they are about to answer the biggest questions, because ratings aren’t what they were during season 1.
Well, there was no stupidity, no vapid teens, no sex other than what was hinted at and oh, right, there was humor and whole lot of imagination. The average dolt who watches tv has NO imagaination. It is so dismaying to see that the shows that glorify public humiliation and the vapid pursuit of a spouse via reality tv are what succeeds in the ratings. As for ratings, I rarely watched Defying Gravity on tv, I usually watched it later in the week on Hulu and it was on the best treats I had all summer. Do the networks even take into account how many people watch programs on their laptops?
PS, my 14 yr old son was watching it too, on his laptop on Hulu, and I didn’t even know until he recently said “well, I think that is a definately an H2IK situation.” I did a double take and he grinned and said: “Oh, you are watching it too?” The kid loves stuff about science but he predicted the show being killed off two weeks ago. He said that the networks are stupid and always get rid of the best intellectual shows before they have a chance to grab an audience.
I loved this show. Very disappointed it was canceled. Maybe with some luck the SCIFY channel will pick it up. Surly they could find a spot during the week instead of repeats of 101 variations of stargate.
Sorry but just got to say it. I like this show, it may not be the best and in no way can you call it the worst. I just like it and want to see it return and carry on.
Thank you Canadians for at least letting the last few episodes of the first season air. The people at ABC are idiots for not even letting the first season end. For those of you that can’t watch it on the Canadian website, the interwebs has the torrent out for the 9th episode already. All hail our Canadian overlords!
I’ve never watched a lot of television, but I know a good show when I see one. Watching Defying Gravity on sunday nights was a great way to wind up my week. This was one of the best sci-fi shows to come along in a long time but alas it has been unfairly cancelled early like some of my other favorite sci-fi shows have over the years – star trek TOS, Farscape and now this one. This show was too good for this kind of treatment.
You gotta be kidding me… we finally get a TV show that has a real plot, some good personal interaction and has some real potential and now……Who decides this stuff anyway????
This show is great.If you’re ever able to see episode 9 you will see how awesome a show it is. Everything comes together and the adventure begins. Its a shame fallow minds are what determines what we see on TV. The story folded slowly so we could know the characters and root for them. It is the best science fiction character driven I’ve seen in a long time and it is a shame that all ever shown on TV are reality shows and doctor drivil. This show needs to have a second chance,it is that good.
Another smart, creative show canceled because the network execs have no balls to let it run and develop. All those execs know are the old TV ways. And those “suits” wonder why everyone is going to the cabled channels.
ooooooh This flames me to no end. Every time I really like a show, its cancelled, and it’s usually SciFi. With BattleStar Galactica done, we need our Space fix!!! i agree, why dont they give it a chance? After all, how much advertisement doe you REALLY see on this show anyway?? Wake up Execs. You really DO have an audience… and NO ONE asked us! Give it a chance already. Consider the fact that it’s summer, and also, it’s on a 10-11 right before people want to go to bed and get a fresh start on their week for work. Doesnt mean we are not watching it. I’ve just had it. Im afraid to LIKE anything else new for fear they will cancel it. There’s aonly a few that I love.
That show was garbage. Nerdy guys don’t care about love triangles, and most women(not all, but most) don’t care about spaceships and SciFi in general. So it doesn’t appeal to either demographic.
Its half-assed attempt at realism fell short too. I switched the channel as soon as the girl threw up in zero G, but her hair and everything else was still affected by gravity.
I watched every episode and I liked it quite a bit. I guess I should’ve watched it while it was on instead of recording it on my DVR.
I actually thought it was more like Lost set in space rather than Greys Anatomy though, of course I’ve never watched Greys Anatomy so I don’t know if the comparison is valid or not.
Oh well, I probably watch too much TV anyway.
I was really into this show and looked forward to it each week. What is wrong with the networks, that they can’t let a show build up an audience? It takes time time to become known. Cheers took over a year to get noticed. TSK TSK
I really liked this show, but it seems it’s the way of things these days and it all has to do with money. The music industry, television…etc..etc. They ought to kick some of these fat assed network executives to the curb and hire a few folks with half a brain and maybe….just maybe we could get back some quality innovative programming.
Maybe we’ll get more coked out of their mind washed up 80s b-list celebrity reality shows. Long and gone are the days that a show was given time to develop to fruition. If you dont have blatant TNA or some kind of take on the urban jungle that we all seem to try to free ourselves of but cant help but tune into then your just not going to cut it as a show these days. People dont really want plot, they want plot devices. Im going to make a show called breasts and bright flashy stuff and retire to a nice island somewhere with no t.v. and a stack of books.
I thought the show was really great and am deeply disappointed that they aren’t even going to air all the episodes filmed.
Where i live, we saw up to episode 9, and 9 was the best yet and left us breathless for more of such a grand scoping science fiction story.
I’ve never seen grey’s anatomy, so, I don’t know the comparison, but whoever made that quip doomed this show before it was ever out of the gate.
it’s a shame, there are a lot of pretty dopey shows, whether sci-fi, drama or what not and they run for season after season. every once in a while, something truly special comes out, and everyone hates it. I just don’t understand audiences.
This show was awful -more soap opera than scifi. Who cares who’s in love with who? Tell us what’s on board the ship! I love scifi and I thought this would be a good show. I was very disappointed and I won’t miss it a bit.
This isn’t linke the old days when there was three or four major networks to chose from. There are now hundreds of channels available, so it stand’s to reason that some of those rating numbers will now be smaller as they are spread across all these networks and channels.
Maybe it’s time for the networks to look more carefully at how ratings are used.
@ mallone
Your a complete retard, if you maybe opened your mind and listened to the story you would have realized that everything in the ship is magnatized down. The reason her vomit went flying is because they couldnt magnatize your internal fluids once they had excited your body.
This show was truly awful in every regard, top to bottom. It deserved to be canned. Before the idiot brigade jumps all over me, i’m a huge scifi buff & have been since i was a little boy. ‘Firefly’ getting canned….now that’s a tragedy….this however was pure dreck. Good riddance.
First off, I too am a Sci-fi Fan. But what all those posting negative comments about this being ‘poor’ sci-fi are missing, is the fact that this wasn’t a ‘Sci-fi’ show. It was a typical drama, that happened to take place in space. It was basically ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ in space. It had enough pseudo-science and mystery to keep men interested, along with the typical drama elements that keep women watching. It’s sad that it couldn’t find it’s place and get the ratings it deserved. For those ‘Sci-fi’ fans that didn’t get it: so back to watching Stargate… umm whatever it is now.. and enjoy its accurate portrayal of science.
Reminds me of how Buck Rodgers and Quantum Leap were treated
My wife and I thought we had our new LOST.
One of the few shows my husband and I watched together…we enjoyed the gradual revealing of character and of the mystery behind the journey.
Networks give up on shows way too quickly. They throw a bunch at the wall each year to see if any stick. I can’t count how many shows are cancelled before I’ve even found them in the schedule. Some shows that have had long runs in the past–Cheers or Mash, for example–took a while to find their feet. Now they wouldn’t be given the chance.
I’m losing interest in TV. Why should I invest my time and attention if networks won’t?
Im getting tired of investing my time in a show I feel has something that interests me only to have it canceled before I can enjoy it to fruition. I mean cmon ABC as well as other networks get your act together and commit to a damn show that has an ending for crying out loud. I;m so sick of people who have no idea what the public wants. Fire your damn people and get someone who knows a good show when they see one and stay with it for crying out loud.Bunch of idiots running the show and ruining it for us.
This was the largest floating turd in the cesspool that is network television. As a long-time scifi fan, I was bitterly disappointed with how lame and pointless the show was by the second episode. How ABC had the balls to even air 8 episodes of this mindless drivel is totally beyond me. The people who ‘loved’ this show were obviously the same bunch of brain-dead idiots who voted for Bush and McCain.
I love this show, I watch everything online and have for the past 10 years. Now more and more is available all the time online and this show looks like it was going places. If this were a book, I would have never set it down, it’s much like a John Grisham novel, one you read all night till the sun comes up the next day. I thought of buying a big screen, but whats the point, lets face it, T.V. has gone down hill. I hope CTV here in Canada picks up this show. After all the Canada arm is in the show, with a few other Canadians.
esh how come every good show UK tv networks pick up get canned, does ABC realise people do have longer attention span than a goldfish?
I just watched / downloaded the final (13th episode), what an excellent show. It is such a great show I would even watch it again on free-to-air tv if it ever came to Australia. But alas it got canceled, just liked Life-On-Mars, Journey-Man, and New-Amsterdam. I have an idea, with sci-fi they show write them as 13 episode one season only (final), so that when the brainless numbers men pull the plug the viewers at least get a full story. At this rate TV is going to only be full of mindless bubble-gum milk-shake (substance less) 15-minutes-of-fame reality tv.
Sad to see it end.
I was able to see all 13 episodes, I’m so choked there will be no more of them. Everything is left hanging and you want to find out what happens. I’m not sure how these things work but can another network buy the rights to the show and get it produced? The Space Channel in Canada aired all 13 episodes but I managed to find them on-line as well. Crossing my fingers someone has the sense to bring it back.
Why oh why has it been canned?? Poor ratings?!?!? C’mon man – don’t these unimaginative corporate vampires ever learn?
God, it seems the people who appreciate good narrative, imaginative writing and excellent acting are doomed to watch reality TV and utterly dreadful talent shows, simply because it feeds the million or so air-heads. So unfair.
Why are people so completely powerless to ‘answer back’ to these greedy money hungry SOBs – and why can’t they even give it a second season? The inventiveness of the story arc in itself deserves that.
So much dross gets repeated time and time and time and time again, and increasingly, great TV gets smothered and killed by nothing more than idiocy and financial greed.
Disgusting.
I just want to add my voice to all the others i’ve seen here and on many websites that is a true shame to see this show cancelled. I have been lucky enough to have seen all 13 episodes and believe it really built towards the end as you are given enough of the story to become vested in it. Given what it must cost to put these sets together its a pity it was not given a second season to mature, if sucessful, the story could have lasted the entire six year mission. Bottom line I loved it and will remember it fondly and silently curse the short sightedness of today’s network executives, thank you
I just read on the shows wiki page that the Defying Gravity sets were destroyed on Oct 22nd. I guess that means that’s it. One could hope for a 2 hour movie to tie the story off, doubt it though.
they cancelled it…if i had know i would never have started i need a ending at least grrr dammit
We have just had episode 3 aired on BBC TV here in UK. This series is sooo slow I decided to delete it from my Sky+ schedule already! Now having found out that it has been scrapped on networks elsewhere I am glad it was such a poor attempt at Sci-fi and that I haven’t invested any more of my time in the programme. Maybe the BBC will air more episodes but personally I advise them to scrap it now rather than run the risk of losing airtime to it.
The BBC could run repeats of 1960 & 1970 episodes of Dr Who and probably get more viewers I’m sure.
Get it off BBC, quickly!
Have Just finished watching the entire series this weekend. I will admit the first few episodes were slow spent more time developing the characters backstory that moving the plot along.
This series could have turned out to be another LOST, the basic premiss is much better than lost, with the backdrop of space exploration there were/are more possibilities for weird and wonderful plot development. Such a shame, no one within these TV channels has any balls. Suppose we’ll have to put up with either more Torchwood and doctor who reruns instead or yet another reality TV/quiz show.
What a shame this will not get a second Series, The Same thing happened to Invasion a few years ago, about some odd fishes taking over people in Florida after a missive storm hits, that show was little **** but being a sci-fi buff & Sci-Fi being little thin on the ground I’ll take what I can and defying Gravity was cool.
Doesn’t have the battle scenes Like star trek or SG and nothing can top the end fight scene on BSG when the ships jumps next to the cylon mothership, But I found this show relaxing and calming- a slow story about mission to our planets in the solar system with underlining mystery – Sci-Fi doesn’t need to be full of CGI and explosions, This isn’t but thought provoking it was- ( little hammy in the acting at time and a little to sugary) but I think it could have be great- let’s just hope they reshow it over the winter time and more people fall upon it..
The fact that this is one of the few American shows to be purchased by the BBC says something about its quality!
I love Defying Gravity – I’m hooked.
So far, I have seen the first five episodes, and the format is intended to make people think about what is going on. The flashbacks are intended to introduce us to the characters and how they relate to each other. There is an atmosphere of something creepy going on on board the Venus mission ship, and I think people are becoming disillusioned with this series because there are no ‘in your face’ special effects like in Star Wars movies, or Star Trek. It requires thought to figure out what may be happening, and I find the situation has tension, which will build, the longer I watch this series. People have to learn to be patient and accept the story as it unfolds.
BBC is doing a good job of killing the series off as well!
I have just discovered that it is no longer being shown on Thursdays, and have missed the next episode since it was broadcast 5 days earlier!!! Thank you very much BBC NOT.
I would love to watch it on iplayer, but don’t have the bandwidth available to do so.
The fact that this is one of the few American shows to be purchased by the BBC says something about its quality! So hopefully the syndication money alone will maybe make someone else pic it up. Awesome totally loving it.
I love Defying Gravity – I’m WAY passed hooked now lol ohh and we use AJ’s quote all the time now lol
I’m very disappointed about Defying Gravity being cancelled! I watched episode 13 on Space before I saw the others, decided that I liked it, and went back to watch the first 12 episodes on the Space channel website. And now they’re just not going to make anymore?? I was starting to like all of the back story and everything. Sad. :’(
Well, I have watched the first seven episodes and feel as if I have watched the same episode seven times. No wonder it’s been cancelled.
I’ve watched all 13 episodes of this and its really friggin annyoing when you get in to it only to discover there is no more! there is no conclusion to it.. nothing… really pissed me off!
The BBC has done a good job of killing this off with moving the time slot around all the time so i keep missing it!
shame its cancelled im really enjoying it, guess they only want the same old rubbish and no diversity
Tragedy.
Utter rubbish like the X-Factor goes from strength to strength yet anything with a bit of intelligence gets canned.
Ratings are King of course.
Intelligent viewers not required.
I have been enjoying the show too. Did the BBC decide to “lose” DG in the schedules to make sure that it got poor ratings? The next showing is at 2 in the morning! Thank goodness for DVRs!
I’ve seen all 13 and I enjoyed it. Yeh it was a bit slow and paula and her religious message crap started to annoy me, but on the whole it was fun, its not supposed to be taken too seriously.
Some of you should lighten up, if you want bang on scientific accuracy, then get a study book on astro-physics or similar out of the library.
Once I’ve decided that I shouldnt expect too much from shows like this I can relax and enjoy them more.
Shame theres no more
ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST!!!
THIS WAS A GREAT SHOW, I RECORDED ALL 8 EPISODES BEFORE I WATCHED IT, I WAS HOOKED AFTER THE FIRST EPISODE, THEN THEY GO AND CANCEL IT DNT PEOPLE KNOW A GOOD PROGRAM WHEN THEY SEE ONE, JUST LIKE ODDESEY 5 WHICH WAS CANCELLED A COUPLE YEARS BACK THAT AGAIN WAS A GOOD SERIES ABOUT 5 ASTRONAUTS WHO SEE THE WORLD BLOW UP BUT THEN GET SENT BACK IN TIME (6 MONTHS) TO HOPEFULLY STOP THE CASTASTROPHE IT STARTED GOOD BUT THEN GOT AXED !!! BRING BACK DEFYING GRAVITY
I like watching that science fiction TV series, Defying Gravity, too, here in England. In fact I am hoping that I will be seeing all 13 episodes on BBC TV. Which was doubtful, when the show was broadcast on Thursday, then moved to a late Saturday night with a repeat on Monday late nights. Then it vanished from the schedules recently. But I have been assured by BBC TV that episode 9 will be broadcast on BBC 2 on Saturday 12 December 2009. If the rumours are true, and this series has been cancelled in America/Canada, then that is really disappointing. A show about a “normal” space mission (with no aliens etc) is a refreshing change from Star Trek. Although having a series that followed a six year mission, was a bit too ambitious I think. Maybe someone will decide to make a movie of Defying Gravity, to act as a finale to the whole story?
By the way, many years ago, BBC TV cancelled a TV series called Tripods. And the story had not concluded! Now that was disappointing!
I cant believe this show has been canceled, even more so that it was so obscurely announced! I had to do some real trawling to find this information.
So many good sci-fi shows get canceled these days. I guess the viewing time is better served showing soap operas and medical dramas for those whose attention spans only stretch so far as when the next action scene is.
I despair for the state of television.
I will miiss Defying Gravity it was the only good sfi drama on TV, surely they could of kept it going!! If i had the money i would fund them :-/ but i dont. come on bbc dig deep in your pockets!!!
just been following on bbc , was into it and then found out it was cancelled, bit disappointed and i was a bit hooked and wanted to learn more about the characters as the show reveals as you go along. Pity…..
did you know there was actually 13 episodes made for season 1???
Why am I not surprised the such a good show would get the can. The one bright star that sparkled on ABC and they walk away form it. Just when I put down the WII and started watching good TV what\’s next. Well FOX should add it to the list of great shows like FRINGE and make it\’s self #1.
auugh! nooooooo!
Im so happy to have been able to actually see this show because it will surely never have aired on south african television. Just finished watching the venus landing episode and needless to say im so very very dissapointed that it was the last one. While i was watching i went into wiki to see the episode listing and was shocked to see that it was cancelled. Why do shows with substance always get canned. Just goes to show what utter rubbish the general american population supports. Damn…
Well, a long time ago they cancelled Star Trek too (& look what happened to that) but maybe modern tastes cannot cope with a show like this one.
Appalling, dumbed-down, spun out, plotless, pointless garbage which is an insult to anyone above palin-intelligence. Producers should be shot for ever letting it go past the pilot.
I am utterly distraught that Defying Gravity is being cancelled. This is by far the most intriguing Sci Fi programme in years. A series like this needs more than 13 episodes to build a fan base.
Is there any hope ABC will change their minds?
watched all 13 eps via torrents, knowing it had been cancelled. I am extremely dissapointed that it’s been cancelled – It was really beginning to flesh itself out. A character peice takes a while to give characters a back story, as well as move the plot forward and I think this had great potential. I would have loved to see how it al panned out, but I guess no I never will. I’ll bet the cheeky sods will still release it on DVD, even though it’s as far from finished as any series I’ve ever watched. I’m split between boycotting DVD sales to prove a point, or buy it to make them reconsider. What do you think?
the best movie for years, even if I compare big budget productions.
BUT it seems that people prefer watching quick shallow first person shooter- type of movies nowadays. It is a shame, we live fast lives, we will burn out too.
For example BBC, I was strugging to figure out airing times episode after episode, the one -this week was at 2am Sunday, so I had to watch it using iPlayer
the time was not right. maybe someday when ET really shows up here
I’ve been watching (and getting strangely “hooked” on) this show in the U.K., where we at least get to see the full 13 episodes. The final 2 are “back to back” tonight at the peak time of midnight on BBC2 – hardly surprising that the ratings have dropped!! The timings, before tonight, have also been all over the place and you have had to scour the TV mags to even find out when the transmission time is! Our friends on the other side of the pond must have been absolutely gutted to have had the show pulled part way through the run. Bet that wouldn’t have happened to Big Brother, or other “reality” shows.
Fully agree with the earlier comments, that Star Trek and MASH might not have lasted if the same insanity had prevailed when those shows were first shown.
This show had real potential and was progressing very nicely. The characters had started to show their individual stresses and weaknesses and the concept of how their lives might have been different, had alternative decisions been made, was intriguing.
The bosses should have had the patience to let the show fully develop before taking any decision to pull the plug. Altho unlikely I still hope that the series may be picked up by another network in the future – even tho the cast and sets have been “dismantled”.
Maybe a bit too cerebral for a majority American audience?
VERY, VERY frustrating!!!!!!!!!!! I’ll miss it.
Agree with other UK viewers.
I thought the times when I caught it were the repeats (given that they were unholy hours of the night), but these were the actual first performance times.
Coupled with an irregular schedule, it’s definitely affected what could have been much higher viewing figures.
As for the series, it’s just finished and I have absolutely no idea what the ending was all about.
Far too many flash-backs (Lost-style) filled otherwise interesting episodes, although the references to religion really got on my nerves. It’s a sci-fi series, you don’t have to add even more ludicrous fiction in the form of religion. Gravity-clothes and -hairdryers are enough (and infinitely more believable).
Enjoyed it though, imagine there should have been another few series so they could get the rest of the blobs? Although once you’ve picked one blob up, you’ve done them all.
I loved this show how come every time I find a good sifi show it gets cansiled. This show is grate and deserves a chance to develop. I need more if you are going to cancil the show let’s atleast have a movie or book to conclude the plot.
I don’t usually do face book or twitter, but I was so disapointed and annoyed that Defying Gravity had been cancelled. I was fantastic, but what a stupid time of day for it to be shown! and no advertising! I struggled to find when the next episode would be shown. If anyone is listening out there, we want it back!!!
We’ve seen the 13 episodes in the UK and the general feeling is that this show was excellent, better than Stargate Universe which has seen ratings fall in the last few weeks!!
Totally gutted. Having just watched the season 1 finale I logged on to see when the next series would start only to find it’s been cancelled. Finally I found a good sci-fi series to watch only to never know how it ends…. tragic
I’ve just caught the last four episodes (10-13) on BBC iPlayer today. All thirteen were a trifle slow but despite that the show held my attention throughout having either hunted it down through its bizarre scheduling or picking it up on the iPlayer.
I’m disappointed that we only got as far as Venus and would have loved to have followed through future series through the solar system.
I managed to watch all the episodes in the UK thanks to Sky+ allowing me to follow the crazy scheduling.
I have to say that while I liked it a lot and am really sad to see it finish, I can see why shows like this get canned, or lose some support over time – they just take too long setting things up. Too many flasbacks and “characterisation” takes too high a proportion of the plot time, leaving viewers wondering too much about where things are going.
The format worked at first, in the likes of Lost and the middle episodes of Battlestar Galactica, but got wearing on both those shows and on this one too. I think the producers need to capture the audience much more quickly, get some real pace and drama under their belt, then use the middle episodes of the series to flesh out the chracters – though I’m sure they’d say that’s exactly what they are doing.
They also need to shoot for full denouemont over 2 or maybe 3 seasons rather than try for the full 5 or 6 – that way to have a chance at a faster plot and an actual finish. If DG was a movie they’d have to get it all done in 2 hours!
All that said, I liked the show – but can’t see a way back now.
I think it’s terrible that this show was cancelled – It was absolutely brilliant. Some decent, character driven sci-fi – for a change.
I really hope someone picks it up…..
PS Here in the UK we at least got to see all the episodes
Really disappointed that this show got cancelled, it was THE ONLY show on television my wife and I were watching (unless you count Timmy time and Chuggington with my 18month old son).
Beautifully produced, an intelligent story line, and no violence. But I guess there isn’t a big enough audience for these types of shows. Or is there? I lucked into seeing the first episode, I was planning on watching a DVD and the opening credits were running on the first episode, I got intrigued and stuck with it (mostly via iplayer as the BBC changed the sir time every week!).
This is a TV show for people who find most TV boring. How does a network tell people about it though when they’re not watching TV to find out about it?
The BBC did a really bad job of building awareness in the UK and I really hope Fox change heart, give it a big ad campaign and go with a 2nd season.
Come on attract a new audience for once!
In UK
I loved Defying Gravity – just finished watching the last one and jumped onto the net to find out when the next series was starting – cancelled!!!
They can’t leave it there – I need to know what happens next? Will the genetic changes help Zoe heal from her burns? Will Gen be the next to be tested?? What a shame – it’s a bit like reading the first novel in a trilogy and then being told you can’t read the rest.
what a bummer!
I could not agree more with Mark; myself and my wife also just happened upon the first episode shown on BBC2 and were hooked from then on.
I believe that had it been advertised properly and shown at a decent time it would have attracted much bigger audiences.
It’s intelligent plot line and character development were a refreshing change from most of the rubbish calling itself science fiction which is usually shown on TV.
This show really deserves another chance!
Damned shame, thoroughly enjoyed this show, a breath of fresh air. Once can only hope the networks change their mind. Good ol’ BBC showed us all of them though, nice work!
I’m really hoping the Defying Gravity will return, its one of the few programmes that I looked forward to watching each week – the others being ‘Doctor Who’ and ‘Merlin’ the first and second season of ‘Heroes’- and not many others.
I preferred it to Lost as although i liked the first season of Lost, and the first half of the second season too, the rest of it was dragged out…i still don’t know what most of the ’secret’ was as it annoyed me so much.
Defying Gravity has intelligence, intrigue, some depth and more.
The actors are excellent, the storylines a little challenging, with the storyline expanding with each episode- I liked how the flashbacks kept giving us a greater understanding of the present situation, so i was often suprised by it – and when Maddox worked out thru the flashbacks we saw what had happened to Zoe and him, was a kinda tearful moment.
In the UK, it was on late, and often changed times and days, so though not a problem with those with bbciplayer, i understand that it was a bit of effort to watch it other than bbciplayer, and not everyone can stay up late for.
I notice there have been a lot of comments in support of this from britain, and it reminded me a little of bbc programs like doctor who, and other programs that are not afraid to show characters that have deep flaws, with difficult decisions to make, that are questionable if they are the right ones. This did make it uncomfortable to watch at times, but in a good way, i think programs that challenge us, and encourage the questioning of our life views is good for most of us at least.
The program does challenge and address deep issues….like religion, ethics, etc.
I’m not happy that is was described as ‘entertaining to women too’, as if sci fi is a mens only attraction – the amount of female fans david tennant has as the doctor in doctor who shows that both females and males like sci fi.
It was good though that it had such strong female leading roles, as well as mens roles, but this should ideally happen in sci fi that isn’t described as ‘entertaining to women too’.
I’m glad there was a kinda happy ending at least in ‘kiss’, despite zoe and maddox making decisions that i didn’t necessarily agree with (e.g. Zoe not telling Maddox earlier, and shutting him out when he came to her, Maddox for finding someone else when he clearly loved Zoe), I know that so many make possibly the wrong decisions, like the characters in this, there isn’t really ‘good’ and ‘bad’, there just are reasons for people acting that way, as with all of us.
(there is no good or bad, just consequences’ as I’ve been told!)
Despite Maddox’s infidelity (kind of) and Zoe’s lies, I couldn’t help wishing them to get together, and to see Maddox’s face at the end, all protective, and loving, was a real good acting moment……
I’d be really interested in reading a book of the rest of the story (though would miss the excellent actors etc from the tv series), to find more about the mystery of Beta – are the humans putting together aliens who will destroy them, or help them? are they illusions? are they something else altogether? who is that person that nadia keeps seeing?- it looks like her dressed as a bloke? what will maddox and zoe be like now after so much has been revealed? will they still like each other now there isn’t the tension there was before….. well, theres plenty of open questions along the way.
What to say. Agree with all positive posts. Gutted to find it’s been cancelled. BBC did a great job in contributing to the lack of viewers. Last epsiode at 1am!
Little effort in publicising it.
we just had the last episode here in the uk (no 13). what a great show, i cant belive they were so stupid to cancel any more season. i think they need to re think and look at what the public wants and not what the tv critics have to say!!!
Another UK watcher couldnt agree more with the othe UK viewers the schedule was crazy. Maybe we could collectively contact the BBC?
I think it maybe needed a battlestar galactica esque style where really good character development is broken up with great drama or action sequences
I just started to watch this on BBC2 in the evenings and i think it’s depth of character and the plot are excelent. i found this to be much better then Heros and Lost i couldn’t get my head around these please try again and bring it back they did for startrek in the 60’s and it worked for them???
The reason that this excellent program was cancelled in the US was because around 2 million viewers were watching this, even though thats enough for keeping a program going over here its not enough for the US networks. They would rather have around 10 million watching. But even some of the best TV series over there gets cancelled when its got good ratings as the networks think that people want a different type of program (vampires at the moment due to Twilight).
This program was excellent, but I wasn’t suprised when it got cancelled as quite a few programs over there that we UK folk like get cancelled. But its doesnt help the fact that when people miss a program theres some who record the program and put it on the net for free and the networks miss out of the viewers real ratings. If they included all the people who download the episodes too they would find better ratings.
Would just like to say how much i enjoyed Defying Gravity. I was up feeding mym baby and just happened to catch the first episode of this fantastic new series on the BBC. I watched all the episodes, and am absolutely gutted to find out now (while researching to find out when series 2 on) that there won’t be a series 2.
I thought this programme wass extremely well made, and i was really looking forward to seeing what happened to Zoe’s injuries, and how the mission would end, and what Beta was.
Majorly disapponted that not going to be able to see any more.
Just by chance I found this series on BBC 2 and was hooked, and like others had to listen carefully to the announcer to find out when the next episode was on, had to record it was always on to late and there was not much promo for it. Cheap reality and talent show crap keeps the sheep happy and keeps the rich production corps. raking it in; is it me or is everything turning to excrement? Lets hope it comes to a stage where some of us can beat them and not join them !