It just doesn't work like that in Hollywood. Most of the time writers barely have a plan mapped out for season one, much less future seasons. A few of the better showrunners go out and create a series bible, but that is usually derived from existing source material. The writers are at the mercy of network execs constantly providing notes, which are more like threats to follow the network's advice. You don't get much honesty on this subject in public, since trashing television execs in public is considered a good way to never get hired again in the business.

When a writer or showrunner says he has several seasons mapped out, don't believe him. It's a way to reassure fans that what happened with Lost won't be repeated. Everyone now knows there was no endgame in place.

It really should be season 1 should be selling the public and the network on a season 2 so they really need to blow their beans right from the get go.

Then once they have an audience, then work or a multi season vision

No show should expect a second season automatically. This slow burn and set up rubbish needs to stop.

Think 24, you have a baddie, and he/she gets killed/beaten, then they introduce a bigger baddie. That's how all shows need to work, Blow your beans, then get more tastier beans and blow them. Don't save your wad for a hypothetical future season.

If I ever get a show, I'll plan 15 season shows.

I love the "plans". They mean nothing to a network unless it gets ratings.

How dare the network cancel this show! It had a x season arc!!!

Supernatural, if course, destroyed that 5 season plan.

*** Making a list of tv shows to avoid buying on dvd/bluray. ***




Previously, I was a sucker for dvd sets of one/two-season sci-fi/fantasy/action type of tv shows.

More recently I've been finding ways of curtailing my ocd compulsive "impluse buying" of tv dvd/bluray season sets. One criteria which cuts down the number of potential dvd sets, is to restrict my purchases to shows which end on something resembling closure and with no cliffhangers.

Awhile ago I picked up the dvd set of "Last Resort" based loosely on this criteria. Also under this same criteria, I turned down numerous dvd/blurays sets of shows which didn't have closure and/or ended on a cliffhanger, such as: The Event, Flashforward, Camelot, Alcatraz, etc ..

The problem with Lost was it set up so many mysteries that fans tuned in to get the answers for, when the show runners just wanted to have it be about the mystery. Then they realized they had to explain some stuff, so they made up answers that didn't really tie into anything or lead to a satisfying conclusion, or just created more questions. This can frustrate watchers when they only have the mystery to cling to. A series mythology arc largely worked with shows like the X-Files, since they had a lot of self-contained, monster-of-the-week type episodes to balance out the overall conspiracy arc.

I think the best way to go is the Buffy/Angel setup, where you have self-contained episodes, a season long arc or baddie, as well as stories that carry over multiple seasons. That way the season ends with a satisfying conclusion and most issues tied up, and you have threads that carry on to the next season. Then there are shows like Firefly that are cancelled so quickly they don't really have time to tie anything up, it's mostly setup of the characters and big mystery arcs. At least Firefly had a movie to tie stuff up, though.

I was annoyed when Young Justice was cancelled, as it turned out to be a worthy successor to Justice League Unlimited, and there were a lot of stories that weren't tied up properly. It also ended Bruce Timm's incredible two-decade run with the DC Timmverse (starting with Batman: the Animated Series).

I'd also vote for Pushing Daisies as a show that was prematurely cancelled that I revisit often.

Young Justice was just released on Blu-ray this week.

Firefly for sure. I'd also watch Journeyman again if it ever aired.

There are two "seasons" worth of comics now. Season 3 & Season 4.

It's not the same as having more episodes, but it's a nice way to continue the story and give more closure for the fans.

This.

I thought it was odd that after all of the fuss, Jericho got cancelled so quickly after its resurrection.

When it came back, it was only given a 7 episode order. The idea sort of was "Okay, you guys said you really wanted more. So here's some more episodes, but if viewership doesn't increase to a point where any further episodes are justified, this will be it."

...and then the second season's ratings were even lower than the first.

Funny, I just picked up THRESHOLD last week, and popped all the discs in yesterday to make sure they worked. I barely remember watching this when it aired, so I haven't exactly been dying to find out what happens, but I did peek at the end just to make sure it's not some horrible unresolved cliffhanger. I'm looking forward to revisiting the series. It's disconcerting seeing Courtney Cox's doofus ex-husband from Cougar Town playing a bad-ass commando type!

watched invasion when it aired, then picked it up from amazon a few years ago for $10

enjoy it, but reading where they were going to go in s2....now its like good thing it was canceled

id say it was because after the cancellation...then the nuts and renewal, they reaired s1 over the summer. but then didnt show s2 till late january

I'll certainly re-watch Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles before re-watching Terminator 3 or Terminator Salvation.

Fastlane!

Now we'll never know what happened to Tiffani Thiessen

This is what happened to Tiffani Thiessen:

How? I loved that show and would've picked up a release if it had one.

Joss Whedon (and Vince Gilligan) are the only producers that I would trust to make a good arc show.