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The axe falls at NBC & ABC

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It looks as though NBC’s celebrated, 20-year-old series, Law & Order, is coming to an end. Despite indications earlier this year that the show would go on to a record-breaking 21st season, negotiations have fallen apart for next season and NBC is reportedly on the verge of dropping the show altogether. Law & Order has, for years, trailed behind its spinoff, L&O: Special Victims Unit, in the ratings. (SVU is in no danger of being canceled.) Meanwhile, the latest spinoff for the franchise, Law & Order: Los Angeles, is still set to premiere this fall.

It also looks likely that NBC’s Heroes won’t be getting a fifth season. The show has struggled in the ratings for years, but it’s held on despite storylines that have wavered between ridiculous and so-so. But NBC is not blind to the show’s dogged fans, who still hope for some kind of proper ending, and are considering giving Heroes a 2 or 4 hour wrap-up movie/miniseries at some point next season.

Meanwhile, over at ABC, a number of high-profile shows have gotten the axe, including FlashForward (which the network once hoped might become the next Lost), the long-running Scrubs (which jumped networks from NBC not too long ago), Better Off Ted (which is universally loved by critics, but has too few viewers), and Romantically Challenged.

Heroes likely to get one last season

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Ah, Heroes. You started with such promise. That first season was truly stellar, but it bungled its ending and never quite recovered. I’ve always tried to root for you, but you make it so frickin’ hard. Fans will point to different “Volumes” of the show that they enjoyed (I thought Volume 4, “Fugitives,” was the series’ best), but everyone agrees that the show has been scattershot, hit & miss after that first season. The problem, methinks, stems from the fact that Heroes filled with superpowered characters who aren’t all that interested in doing heroic things. I’m all for realistic human drama, but even Peter Parker — the most “everyman” superhero there is — strives to use his powers to help with evils and crimes bigger than what effects just him.

As always, Season 4 (but Volume 5 — don’t ask) ended with a cliffhanger meant to lead into the next Volume of the show, but the smart money has been saying all year that a 5th season was highly unlikely. Until now.

A new rumor has surfaced that suggests NBC may give Heroes a final season of just 13 episodes, which it can use to tie up all its dangling plot threads. Nothing’s guaranteed at this point of course, but it’s the first ray of hope the show has had since the end of Season 4 a few months ago.

Heroes may not be a huge ratings hit, but it does well internationally and commands a brand recognition that NBC is in desperate need of. The peacock has been circling the bottom of the ratings heap for several years now, and anything that brings in consistent ratings (even unimpressive ones) and has rabidly loyal fans, can only be beneficial to the network’s cache.

Battlestar Galactica and Lost Wins Saturn Awards

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saturn_awards_trophyThe Saturn Awards were given away last week and we all know that the “Dark Knight” dominated the awards show, at least for the movie awards categories. When it comes to the TV awards “Battlestar Galactica” still rules, managing to get back its title of being the Best Cable TV Series, which it has won 2005 but was snatched away by “Dexter” last year.

Below’s a list of this TV winners of the 35th Annual Saturn Awards. For a full list of winners you can download this Microsoft word document provided by the by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films.

Best Television Series: LOST

Best Syndicated/Cable Television Series: BATTLESTAR GALACTICA

Best Presentation on Television: THE LIBRARIAN: THE CURSE OF THE JUDAS CHALICE

Best Actor on Television: EDWARD JAMES OLMOS (Battlestar Galactica)

Best Actress on Television: MARY MCDONNELL (Battlestar Galactica)

Best Supporting Actor on Television: ADRIAN PASDAR (Heroes)

Best Supporting Actress on Televison: JENNIFER CARPENTER (Dexter)

Guest Starring Role on Television: JIMMY SMITS (Dexter)

My reaction to the winners? Being a Battlestar Galactica fan I’m glad they got the title back. I also really like Dexter though so it’s good that they at least got awards. As for Lost, I lost my interest in the series a few seasons ago so I couldn’t care less. The twists and turns are also too much to follow and I am not in the mood for a Lost marathon just so I can finally figure out what’s been happening.

Fuller could return to Heroes

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It’s been reported that former writer for Heroes and creator of the critically-acclaimed Pushing Daisies Bryan Fuller may return to the Heroes show if Daisies is not renewed. This comes at the heels of the firing of both Jeph Loeb and Jesse Alexander.

This is big news if ever for the troubled Heroes. Fuller was the writer of the best ever episode of Heroes, the stand-alone Company Man.

Heroes undergoes shakeup

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The Heroes TV show is undergoing major overhauls as a way of saving itself from growing viewer apathy. Recently, it was announced that Jesse Alexander and Jeph Loeb have been fired as executive producers.

The two have been involved with Heroes since the first season. The reason for them being let go was NBC’s unhappiness over the show’s creative direction.