Reports of COnstantines Cancellation premature

[Bhu]

http://www.cosmicbooknews.com/content/now-constantine-said-be-not-cancelled

[BWR]

If true, this is very good news.

[comicshorse]

Not to pour cold water on everything that just say's its not cancelled yet. According to Wikipedia the shows creator knew in February that the show hadn't been cancelled the decision to come towards the end of this month

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constantine_(TV_series)

[Bhu]

http://nerdbastards.com/2015/04/27/constantine-series-creator-asks-for-help-convincing-nbc-to-save-show-today/ uh oh

[comicshorse]

Slightly hopeful

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2015/04/28/how-did-the-constantine-nbc-meeting-go-yesterday/

[tomandtish]

The Cancellation Bear would call this "Jedi PR".

It's important to know that from a network perspective, the only shows that are actually cancelled are shows that they have yanked off the air with unaired episodes remaining. The networks define everything else as "not renewed". You'll never hear the network itself use the term "cancelled" for a show they haven't renewed. (You may hear the creators of the show use that term if they are upset, but not the network itself).

From a fan perspective, "not renewed" and "cancelled" mean almost the same thing, with the only real difference being whether or not we see all of that season's episodes. But we treat it as "cancelled" either way.

Case in point: Look at Revenge. I bet you cannot find one actual "On the Record" remark from someone at ABC itself that says Revenge was cancelled. Even the show's executive producer will only say "Now that everybody has seen the finale—which is fabulous—everybody understands that as much as we all adore the show, it has hit exactly the mark it needed to to end. This is the series finale of Revenge that will be airing in a couple weeks.”

Translation: They didn't renew our contract and we don't think anyone else is going to pick us up so we're calling it quits. But we aren't going to say that.

Constantine (which in my mind improved somewhat near the end) had some significant problems. These resulted in NBC deciding to not pick up the "back 9" (terminology used to indicate they pick up the full 22 season order for a show that is planned as such). That's usually the kiss of death for a show.

Has NBC cancelled Constantine? Nope. They didn't yank any unaired episodes. They showed all the episodes in the series order. And that may be all you hear of it. In two weeks the networks announce what shows they are keeping for next season (of those they haven't already committed to). Any show not on the list is not renewed and is gone from that network.

And let's be clear, NBC is 99% to have made up their mind what they want to do with Constantine already. Where they might make a slight difference is if NBC has decided to keep one of their poor performers because next year's slate looks poor already. With Constantine, State of Affairs, and Mysteries of Laura all doing poorly in the ratings, there's a slim chance they might decide to keep one if next year looks poor. In that case, they'll weigh ratings, cost, etc. They may pay a little attention to vocal support if they need a tie-breaker.

Even if that happens, Constantine's chances are still poor because it's actually an expensive show to make. Poor ratings and high costs are a killer. Terra Nova might very well have survived on FOX, but it was expensive to make even discounting the pilot (which matched the budget for the first season of many new shows).

[Antonok]

Eh it's chances may be better than you think. I was trying to find info a couple weeks after the season finale, and someone (think it was the writer) commented that NBC wanted Constantine to do well.

And with it's pick up in rating the last 5-6 episodes, it does stand a decent enough chance of getting a second season. Specially if they change the slot time.

[Kitten Champion]

Eh it's chances may be better than you think. I was trying to find info a couple weeks after the season finale, and someone (think it was the writer) commented that NBC wanted Constantine to do well.

And with it's pick up in rating the last 5-6 episodes, it does stand a decent enough chance of getting a second season. Specially if they change the slot time.

Not to sound ignorant or anything, but wouldn't television networks normally want their programs to do well?

[Antonok]

Not to sound ignorant or anything, but wouldn't television networks normally want their programs to do well?

In an overall sense yes, but this was NBC directly messaging him, trying to get them to pick it up.

Can't find the article on it now though.

[tomandtish]

Eh it's chances may be better than you think. I was trying to find info a couple weeks after the season finale, and someone (think it was the writer) commented that NBC wanted Constantine to do well.

And with it's pick up in rating the last 5-6 episodes, it does stand a decent enough chance of getting a second season. Specially if they change the slot time.


Not to sound ignorant or anything, but wouldn't television networks normally want their programs to do well?

Kitten Champion is exactly right. You'll never find a network saying "This show is doing poorly". They will always find some way praise it right up to the moment they officially make a move against it. And that move will either be cancelling (by yanking un-aired episodes) or not renewing. The praise may be finding the one positive article written out of the 500 negative ones. It may be repeats of old praise from premiere week. But they will sing the praises of the show until they yank it.

Look at Selfie: ABC said wonderful things about it (especially in TV advertisements about the show) up til 11/7. On 11/7 they announced they were not renewing the show (note that they did not use the word "cancelled"). They did air the 11/11/15 episode. Then the next week they pulled the remaining episodes, with the only announcements from the network being that other things would air in its place. They never broadcast the remaining episodes.

But you'll never find anyone from ABC saying anything at all bad about the show (on the record at least) prior 11/7, and even after November they never used the word "cancelled". Up til 11/7, based on anything you heard from ABC it was doing great.

[comicshorse]

And that would seem to be it

http://screenrant.com/constantine-tv-show-season-2-canceled-new-network/

[tomandtish]

And that would seem to be it

http://screenrant.com/constantine-tv-show-season-2-canceled-new-network/

Yep. And note that even now NBC itself never uses the word canceled. Whatever they may say behind the scenes, the network's only public release on the matter was the list of shows they are picking up for Fall/Spring 2015/2016. Constantine was not on it.

Note that even the shows producers were told that they were not being renewed.

Cancelled is a word you'll never hear officially from the network.

[BWR]

Bugger and blast.
This gets cancelled and countless crappy shows keep going.

[comicshorse]

Strange you should say that.......

http://variety.com/2015/tv/news/constantine-arrow-season-4-crossover-possibility-1201492462/

[Antonok]

Well right now they're talking with CW about them picking it up.

I'm honestly a bit torn by that. Considering CWs penchant for turning things into teenage angst fests.

Reference (https://twitter.com/DanielVCerone/status/598281174948061184)

[tomandtish]

Well right now they're talking with CW about them picking it up.

I'm honestly a bit torn by that. Considering CWs penchant for turning things into teenage angst fests.

Reference (https://twitter.com/DanielVCerone/status/598281174948061184)

From the CW conference call May 13th:


•CW president Mark Pedowitz laughed off rumors about Constantine moving to the CW saying, "There’s also a rumor around that I will go play in the NBA."

More importantly, CW doesn't have room anymore. They renewed everything this season but Heart of Dixie and The Messengers. They've already announced their fall schedule (http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2015/05/14/cw-conference-call-dcs-legends-of-tomorrow-containment-to-premiere-in-january-or-february-constantine-rumors-dismissed-supernatural-could-run-forever/404077/), and Legends of Tomorrow and Containment air in Jan/Feb (the two replacement shows). So unless they want Constantine as a summer show, there's no space for it.