BearFan

"After weeks of speculation, the end is in fact near. According to a high level source at Sci Fi Channel parent company NBC Universal, the show will dock after its next 22-episode season, slated to kick off in early 2008"

Full story here:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/show..._aint_fra.html

This is too bad, one of my favorite shows, I guess better to leave to early and with some kind of "finality" to the story instead of getting cancelled or dragging on too long.

FinkPish

From the way they ended Season 3, I'm actually glad; I can't imagine how they would fill out another full season after 4 without resorting to a lot of filler episodes.

Plus, there's still opportunities for spinoffs.

riley_dude

This was announced months ago and I believe there is a thread for it already.

calhoun07

I do recall the thread, but I thought that was just a rumor at the time...this is official.

nodeerforamonth

It's been so long, I even forgot how Season 3 ended! I suppose by the time season 4 starts, I will have forgotten everything about the series.

JuryDuty

Well, good to have final word on it. Sad to see it go, but its time had come. Still, a great show most the time.

chess

Some of my favorite television ever...including my favorite episode ever.

So I'm sad to see it go, but really, 4 seasons is about as long as any show can really maintain a high level of quality. And it's also about as long as I can stomach a DVD marathon.

I also think that the writers knowing that this is their last season will add a lot of momentum to the story and make for some terrific television...much the same way that season 4 of Babylon 5 was...all killer...no filler.

Josh-da-man

I'm actually relieved.

At least we won't (shouldn't, anyway) have season four end on a cliffhanger not knowing whether or not they would renew it.

Now Moore and Eick can go into the fourth season and craft nice, tight finale for the series. Hopefully with no dead weight filler episodes.

And, honestly, following the season four finale where we saw it really feels like they're moving the storyline into the endgame.

Jason

Realistically, there's only so far they can go without becoming repetitive and stale. Sure, I'd like to see a really good sci-fi series like this run for 10 years, but the story isn't open ended enough for that.

I just hope the success of this show opens the door for another well written space show. Of course, given the maddening treatment of Firefly, and the its-finally-getting-its-act-together-so-lets-cancel-it-now-and-give-it-the-worst-series-finale-ever run of Enterprise, I'm not very optimistic.

BJacks

The decision must have come recently since as few as a couple weeks ago, David Eick pretty much denied that the fourth season would be the last.

http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index...ory=2&id=41457

starseed1981

I'd much rather have the show end on a high note than drag itself out, ala X-Files.

Setzer

My favorite show on TV. Sad to see it go.

Draven

I'd rather the show end on a high note than the low one so many of my old favorites did (Buffy, X-Files, etc.)

Bring on season 4!

Palaver

Good news in my book. Such a great series as this deserves to go out on top.

Holly Martins

I think this is a good thing.

A serialized show like this really needs to know beforehand when it's run will end. It's not like they can just have the cast hug and sing "It's a long way to tiperaree(sic)".

There are a lot of loose ends which need tying up and 22 episodes gives them plenty of time to do it well. And from the quote below I think that's exactly what they plan to do.

http://www.eclipsemagazine.com/galac...ut_with_a_bang

milo bloom

In case it hasn't been mentioned, Ron Moore admitted in a podcast that a lot of the "standalone" eps from S3 were at the behest of the network, who didn't want to confuse first-time viewers with an ongoing arc (though it ended up driving away current viewers...) Thus the issues with Kat, and the killer doc seemed to come out of nowhere and get neatly resolved. I still believe that those stories could have been a lot more compelling if spread over 3-5 eps or so, as they could have dropped hints in advance, fleshed out characters, etc.


I'm sad to see it end, though of course glad that Ron has an endpoint to aim for. I just really think it could have done a full five years, and it makes me hate trash like American Idol even more just for existing.

aynrandgirl

Network execs always make that demand, which always turns away more current viewers than it gains in new viewers (hence lower ratings). Yet, the execs never learn from it and repeat it over and over and over again. One definition of insanity is to repeat an action and expect different results. So why do the networks keep hiring insane executives?

Dr. DVD

Glad to hear they are going to let it go out with dignity and not get stale. I wonder if this means they will split the final 22 into two 11 ep. mini-seasons?

RichardW

I'm sad to hear that next season's its last, but with an end in mind, we shouldn't get too many filler episodes.

Shady12

I would have been happy if they'd announced 5 seasons, although wary of that being too long/not enough story.. And I'm happy to hear it will go 4 seasons, yet disappointed a little because I love the show and wish it wasn't ending. So I was going to be pleased yet a little disappointed either way..

rmick

When can we expect Season 3 on DVD?

MovieExchange

Good old Bonnie Hammer and her "our viewers are too stupid to understand things" philosophy.


Good god, I don't know how many times I said that in various threads. Don't forget the Chief and his union. That one pissed me off the most because they had Adama threatening to execute Tyrol's wife at the end of the ep, and we're supposed to believe that everything is perfectly OK between Tyrol and Adama after that?

In my eyes the show jumped the shark as soon as Jane Espenson's name appeared in the credits. As I've said before, she's the master at writing pointless stories that have no meaning and no impact on the ongoing plot.

TimeandTide

You must not watch much TV. I can think of at least a dozen shows off the top of my head that got even better after their fourth seasons. (The Shield, Sopranos, Buffy, X-Files, Friends...to name just a handful of relatively recent shows that have/had really strong post-season 4four runs.)

MovieExchange

I'd say a couple of those are debatable...

Buffy seasons 6 & 7 were less than stellar (although 6 had some exceptional single eps, the season as a whole was weak and contrived). Most fans consider X-Files to be done after season 5 & the movie, and after that everything was downhill.

Can't argue on The Shield, though. 6 seasons and all of them have been consistently good.

calhoun07

Are they just making room for the prequel series?