One of the benefits of the 2007 WGA Writers Strike is that some shows that may have had the cancellation axe fall on them prematurely have at least had more of a chance to find an audience. However, such opportunities don’t always reap the expected benefits of series survival.
Witness NBC’s fascinating SciFi Lite drama, Journeyman. Part newspaper drama, part Quantum Leap, the show chronicles the family-disrupting adventures of Dan, a San Francisco report, who suddenly finds himself leaping backward in time to help out people in crisis.
The NBC drama found its niche and a unique identity apart from its Quantum Leap-style premise by closely tying time-traveler Dan’s personal life in the present with the lives of those he helps out in the past, an element that Quantum Leap never utilized.
Now, word has come down from on high that NBC will burn off the final two episodes of the network’s initial 13-episode commitment during the week of December 17, with the 12th episode airing on its traditional Monday timeslot, and the 13th episode airing two nights later, on Wednesday.
It marks what looks like an ignominious end to a promising drama that, personally, I’ve enjoyed since its debut as a satisfying capper to Chuck and Heroes. Although a sharp upswing in ratings could still spur the network to order the “back nine” episodes of Journeyman, such an 11th-hour save appears, at this point, unlikely.
As a writer, I can only imagine the creative frustration this must lead to behind the scenes; story elements have been introduced that clearly indicate a long-range plan by the series creators for the direction of these characters; now, it appears many of those tales will never be told. The makeup mirrors have gone dark and it appears the show is a wash.
The writer’s strike appears not to be an influence in the network’s decision; both Chuck and another freshman NBC drama, Life, received full-season orders last week.
