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by Rick Norwood
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SF on TV | |
I've been disappointed in the new season of Battlestar:
Galactica -- it seems to have stopped making sense. Why did the Cylons
put two of the final five aboard the Galactica, a ship which was being decommissioned and which only survived by a series
of narrow escapes? Was it just a coincidence that at least two more of the final five, and maybe all three, wound up
there? And why did Lee Adama divorce his wife? That was never satisfactorily explained. There have been some good
moments ("Please."), but the feeling is rushed and sometimes perfunctory. I understand much more footage is shot than we
see on the air, so the DVD version may be better.
May features season finales of Lost, Smallville, and The Sarah Jane Adventures,
and the last episode of Reaper, which has been cancelled.
When the original Star Trek was on the air, a TV series typically aired 30 episodes each season. Gradually,
that number has dropped. Last year the average was around 22 (except for the series 24, which is kind of locked in, but
which had to skip a season). And now? Smallville Season Seven ran 20 episodes, so does every season
of Stargate Atlantis. Reaper ended after 18 episodes. Lost Season Four ran 14,
and the next two seasons will also have fewer episodes than the first three. Doctor Who, The 4400,
and Eureka only run 13 episodes each season, Heroes Season Two and
The Sarah Jane Adventures Season One only ran 11, Terminator: The Sarah Conner
Chronicles Season One was 9 episodes,
Jericho Season Two only 7 before it was cancelled. Of course, the writer's strike is partly to blame,
but I suspect that, in the future, the number of new shows in a TV series will continue to decline.
SF on TV in May
Coming in June are the season finales of Doctor Who and Battlestar Galactica.
Shows renewed include Smallville for Season Eight, Lost for Season Five (of Six),
Eureka for Season Three, Terminator: The Sarah Conner Chronicles for Season Two,
Heroes for Season Three, Doctor Who for Season Five (or Season 31, depending on how you count)
but not until 2010. Battlestar Galactica will end, but prequel Caprica is scheduled.
Coming in September, animated Star Wars, "Clone Wars".
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Rick Norwood is a mathematician and writer whose small press publishing house, Manuscript Press, has published books by Hal Clement, R.A. Lafferty, and Hal Foster. He is also the editor of Comics Revue Monthly, which publishes such classic comic strips as Flash Gordon, Sky Masters, Modesty Blaise, Tarzan, Odd Bodkins, Casey Ruggles, The Phantom, Gasoline Alley, Krazy Kat, Alley Oop, Little Orphan Annie, Barnaby, Buz Sawyer, and Steve Canyon. |
Thursday, May 1
 
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