Typically a show won’t last if there’s not enough interest. One of the biggest problems is that drumming up interest in a show isn’t quite as hard as it sounds, it’s keeping that interest that can be difficult, especially if the premise is something that doesn’t feel open-ended and is bound to come to a conclusion at some point. This works fine for a mini or limited series, but for a show that intends to run more than one or two seasons, the premise needs to be able to evolve, adapt, and continue to expand so that the audience has something to look forward to. It’s easy to say that the show might not get to where it needs to be thanks to the cancelation, but at the same time, it’s expected of many shows that they’ll get to their main point sooner rather than later in order to make it necessary for the network to keep them around. It’s a balancing act that takes place in showing the audience just enough to keep the show impressive and capable of wowing them in a way they didn’t expect, but at the same time not showing everything and thereby leaving nothing left to the imagination. The need to prove itself is a stressor to any show that often tips the scales in a way that can be beneficial or detrimental to its continuation, but it could be that not all is lost for Debris since it’s always possible that another network might want to pick it up and see what else can be done with it. The story itself is kind of compelling since the idea of alien debris falling to earth and having such a profound effect upon the world around it and the people that venture too close is one that has some merit. But as of now, it’s not considered to be worth keeping at NBC, for numerous reasons no doubt.
The same reason is usually cited for getting rid of a show since ratings are of great importance to each network, and if a show isn’t pulling in the number of viewers that is needed to sustain the network then it’s usually time to start cutting out what’s not working and replace it with something that hopefully will work. This has been going on for a long, long time now in the entertainment industry and it’s nothing to be surprised by. Of course, a lot of fans might not see it that way since a lot of us happen to enjoy our favorite shows and aren’t too keen on seeing them taken off the air in such a manner. But the thing about it is this, the networks want to make money, and they want to entertain the masses. The former is obviously the more important factor to many people, but the latter is the means by which they choose to do it, meaning that if the latter purpose isn’t being served then they need to find another show that will do the trick. The audience does have a bit of influence in what plays and what doesn’t, but only insofar as the show is seen to make money and attain the desired ratings. If the ratings aren’t there then it’s time to move on, no matter what the audience might want. Some fans have been pulling for their favorite shows to return after being canceled years ago, but as it’s been seen speculation and conjecture have been the only results to this date. When a show is cut from one network there’s always a possibility of being shopped out to another network, but if it’s not, then that’s a pretty good indication that no one else has a lot of faith in the show. It’s hard to hear, but it’s often the truth.
It is easy to wonder why some fans pull so hard for a canceled show to return when it’s obvious that not enough people are willing to pay attention to keep it alive, but the stark reality is that if a network sees no future with the show in question, it will part ways in order to make room for something that might help with the future they want to push toward. It’s a little brutal, but it’s business, and there’s no getting around it since, in order for the audience to get what they want, the networks have to get what they’re after, which is a show that can keep the attention of the audience and entice them to keep watching. If not enough people are willing to watch what’s being presented then it’s often counted as a failed attempt, even if it’s only in the first season that this happens. If Debris manages to land somewhere else it might be a blessing in disguise, but for now, we’ll just wait and see what happens.
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