Television Q&A

By Rich Heldenfels

Q. Please tell me why the TV series “Forever” and “Perception” went off the air, especially “Forever.” And I can’t even get the first series on DVD. I always looked forward to these shows. I know it’s the critics and the public that make the decisions, but I would like an explanation.

A. While critics and the public have a say in shows’ survival, neither has the final say. That’s left to the people who put the shows on the air and, in some cases, the people who make them. (In the latter case, for instance, some stars and producers simply decide enough is enough.)

And the network executives have an array of factors to consider, including not only how many people are watching but also whether those people will appeal to advertisers, what it is paying for the show, how it fits with the overall style of a network or with other programs, and whether the network itself owns a piece of the show. It also may be looking at the age of the show, and whether it’s time to put something new in its place.

As for “Forever,” while its fans were enthusiastic and the storytelling improved as the series went along, the ratings were what one report called modest by ABC’s standards. It ranked around 77th among all network shows in average viewing (a bit higher when you count DVR numbers) and even lower among viewers 18 to 49 years old. Even star Ioan Gruffudd conceded the numbers “hadn’t been great.” The studio, Warner Bros., did search for a new TV home for the series, but so far, nothing’s come of it.

But regarding a DVD, TVshowsondvd.com reported there’s a chance of a complete-season set with deleted scenes before Christmas.

TNT dropped “Perception” after three seasons even though the ratings were OK because, one executive told Deadline.com, TNT is moving toward edgier programming.

Q. I have watched the first two seasons of “Copper,” and it seems that the third season should have already been on. It’s such a fantastic show and concerns a time in our American history I’m not very familiar with. I wonder if it’s been canceled or possibly just postponed.

A. BBC America ended the drama, about a policeman in New York City in the 1860s, in 2013 after two seasons. The producers made noises about continuing it as a big-screen movie. But that was two years ago, and I have not seen anything official since then.

Q. I have been trying to find a complete DVD collection of the TV series “Run For Your Life” starring Ben Gazzara. The only one that I found put my credit card through China, so I voided it. Is there a safe place in the USA to purchase the series?

A. I do not know of an authorized release of the series on DVD, and I do not recommend unauthorized sets such as the one you found. I’ve seen too many complaints about quality and service in such packages over the years.

The show, which aired on NBC from 1965 to 1968, is an interesting story itself. Gazzara played a man with a terminal illness who decided to spend his remaining time traveling the world – and helping others along the way. As the reference Total Television points out, producers had to search for a disease that was incurable but would not have any immediately debilitating symptoms, and settled on chronic myelocytic leukemia. When the series began, he was told he had two years to live, but that was apparently in TV time; the show ran three seasons before being canceled.

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