There are so many amazing TV shows, but some just get canceled too soon. One of those shows is FlashForward, which got unfairly canceled after only one season, despite having a really interesting concept!
FlashForward: The New Lost?
Released in 2009, FlashForward was compared to Lost, another popular show, right away. The show was super unique with a truly epic mystery! A crazy global event made almost everyone on Earth pass out for 137 seconds. When they woke up, they had visions of their lives six months into the future!
What followed? A whole bunch of twists! An investigation by FBI agents who went after the "Suspect Zero," someone that didn't get this experience, even looked into something that seemed super crazy, that happened back in 1991 in Somalia.
Why FlashForward Was A Hit (And Then Not):
FlashForward was initially meant to go on for five seasons, but the network canceled it early! A bunch of factors influenced the cancellation.
- A long hiatus hurt the momentum.
- Viewership went down.
It was such a shame because the original premise of the TV series, taken from Robert J. Sawyer’s novel (and not the one some fans incorrectly thought), had real promise and certainly deserved to last longer! Sawyer was disappointed because FlashForward was really marketed as a "replacement" for Lost, which really didn't do the series justice.
FlashForward vs. Lost
Lost is one of those awesome, beloved shows but it and FlashForward, had vastly different structures and focuses.
- Lost kept everyone on the edge of their seat and really played off the idea that a bunch of survivors needed to figure out ways to stay alive.
- FlashForward was about figuring out that global event but, didn't seem to build the aftermath like Lost did! There was an opportunity to examine survival too!
- Lost also kept focus on this small group and the people needed to find one another. However, FlashForward didn't stay with these core characters which hurt the storyline.
What could have made FlashForward much better and gave it that edge?
- They could have followed the aftermath.
- Focus on the group who was most involved
Why FlashForward Was Canceled
It wasn’t just the storyline. Other things influenced the failure of FlashForward, which had pretty great initial ratings! This led to a lot of anticipation from viewers but these hopes didn’t last too long.
- The show aired on different channels in different parts of the world! In the UK, Channel 5 had this show at prime time. It didn't help because it didn't have amazing numbers!
- Scheduling and the long break in its production caused things to fall off, impacting viewers!
FlashForward: A Second Chance?
It was too bad FlashForward got canceled so early and didn’t get a season 2! It had that potential and a reimagining of the original series. Using current-day platforms like Netflix, a reboot of the story might give it a second chance. The story certainly is exciting. Using these new streaming methods, this may be just what it takes. Even Lost is back on Netflix. That certainly might help!
Overall, FlashForward was unique. Although, there are differences from Lost, It’s worth watching because of the premise and its awesome story.
