More troubling news for “Journeyman” fans!

Series mastermind Kevin Falls says, much to his sorrow, it looks like NBC may not air the 12th and final “Journeyman” completed before the writers' strike.

An excerpt from an interview Falls did with Bullz-Eye.com:

So we’ve got this Episode 12 dangling out there, and…I don’t know if it’ll ever see the light of day on the network. And it is…in some ways, it could very much be the series finale. And it’s really good. It’s directed by Alex Graves, it’s a really strong script, and it answers questions, and it’s gonna be one of those things that people are really, really gonna want to see.


More frustrating? Episode 12 concludes a two-part story to launch in episode 11.

Episode 8 aired Monday, Nov. 19.
Episode 9 airs Monday, Nov. 26.
Episode 10 is the “Christmas episode.”

It’s strange to think that NBC wouldn’t want to delay the January season debut of, say, “Law & Order” for one week to give fans that final episode of “Journeyman.”

Here’s Falls’ comment in a larger context:

BULLZ-EYE: So what is going to happen with the remaining episodes? Because Ain’t It Cool News got everyone up in arms by saying that the network was gonna cancel the show unless the two-parter that started last night (Nov. 19th) and finishes next Monday (Nov. 26th) brings big numbers.

KEVIN FALLS: Here’s what…I think what got twisted around was that episodes 8 and 9, the episodes in question there, were certainly important episodes. We’d up-kicked on 7, and 8 and 9 were sweeps, and so they’re gonna be watching that closely. That, coupled with the fact that, on Dec. 3rd, “Life” gets our slot…there’s gonna be a “Life” episode on that night, and I think they’re doing a Monday / Wednesday episode that’s a 2-parter, but you’d have to check on that…and I think that made it seem like we were gonna get yanked after that, but that’s not true. We will air Episodes 10 and 11; 10 is our Chris tmas episode, and 11 is the first part of a two-parter that leads into our…season finale.

Now, here’s what no-one knows about and what I just found out about last night: there’s no room for Episode 12. And the idea is…they’re not saying, “We’re not going to give you that back 9.” I mean, no-one can predict what’s gonna happen with the strike. But I think the idea is that NBC, what they want to do is tie up all their loose ends. Like, “Heroes” and “Life” and our show, have all that stuff done by the first of the year, so that they can, if there’s still a strike, air new programming or mid-season shows like “Medium” and “Lipstick Jungle” or another “Law and Order” and a ton of reality wallpaper, so they can start fresh. I think that’s (NBC President Jeff) Zucker’s thinking, and, business-wise, I get that. It makes sense.

But what’s frustrating…and this is the second time I’ve been frustrated with the network…is because I love them so much and I think they do the best TV shows. It’s like being angry at your parents; you love them, but sometimes you don’t like what they’re telling you to do. So we’ve got this Episode 12 dangling out there, and…I don’t know if it’ll ever see the light of day on the network. And it is…in some ways, it could very much be the series finale. And it’s really good. It’s directed by Alex Graves, it’s a really strong script, and it answers questions, and it’s gonna be one of those things that people are really, really gonna want to see. Now, I’ve been told that there’s gonna be a DVD, so you will get it. But it’s…what makes us so frustrated is that, at a time when writers are striking and networks need programming, why on earth would you not find a place for Episode 12? And that’s the question for which nobody seems to have an answer.

First at 10 p.m., of course, was CBS mainstay CSI: Miami at a healthy 15.46 million viewers and a 4.6/12 among adults 18-49. Comparably, that built from lead-in Rules of Engagement by a hefty 3.84 million viewers and 21 percent in the demo. Second was NBC’s struggling Journeyman (Viewers: 6.18 million; A18-49: 2.5/ 6), followed by the time period debut of ABC’s October Road at a mere 6.02 million viewers and a 2.3/ 6 in the demo.