'Grey's' Isn't Going Anywhere
'Red Widow' Gets The Axe
'Lone Star' Canceled, But Fox Could've Saved It
by Allison Waldman, posted Sep 29th 2010 2:30PM
As Maureen Ryan reported yesterday, Fox has axed 'Lone Star' because of poor ratings. Despite pleas from the Kyle Killen, one of the creators of the Texas-tinged soapy drama, the low viewership for Monday night's second installment was a death blow. Fox felt they had no choice but to drop the show in favor of 'Lie to Me,' which takes over the Monday 9PM ET time slot.
For the record, in week one, 'Lone Star' netted 4.1 million total viewers, while week two was down to 3.2 million. Still, was cancellation the only solution for Fox? We don't think so; the network had options. Here's four ways the network might have saved or kept 'Lone Star' on the air ... at least for a while.
1. Move it to another spot on the Fox lineup
'Lone Star' was the kind of show that needed time to develop. It's a character-driven program all about the art of the con. The network knew that going in, and yet the programmers placed it in the über-competitive Monday night where it was facing the likes of NBC's new thriller, 'The Event'; the long-running and highly rated 'Two and A Half Men' and new Chuck Lorre sitcom 'Mike & Molly'; as well as the second hour of ABC's blockbuster, 'Dancing With the Stars.'
It was a suicide move by Fox. Also, 'Lone Star' was filling the spot that '24' had occupied, making it counter-intuitive to Fox viewers who were used to looking for brutal Jack Bauer -- but got sensitive conman Bob Allen instead.
2. 'Lone Star' could go to FX
There would be much less pressure to perform on FX when it comes to viewership numbers and Nielsen ratings. Yes, the producers would probably have had to cut the budget, but it could have been an answer or at least an alternative. On FX, shows like 'Justified,' 'Rescue Me' and even 'Terriers' have been given a chance because FX isn't run like Fox. Perhaps 'Lone Star' could still make that jump ...
3. Shelve it for a while
If Fox had enough faith in the quality of the 'Lone Star' to put it on the fall schedule, why cancel it without trying to save it at all? Fox could shelve the program for now and relaunch it in the spring. Reintroduce the show during a less competitive time of the year and present the show from the beginning so people can get the full run.
And if Fox really wants to give it a great boost, pair it with the biggest lead-in on the schedule -- "American Idol." Airing behind 'Idol' did wonders for 'Glee,' which was a show that also needed special handling, not unlike 'Lone Star.'
4. Show some patience
Fox has a history of showing patience with programs it believes in. Think about 'The Good Guys,' which is severely ratings-challenged, and 'Fringe,' which has experienced a slow climb to ratings stability. Fox should show the same kind of patience for 'Lone Star.' It's essentially a soap opera and those types of programs need time to find an audience. 'Knots Landing,' which was a spin-off of 'Dallas,' failed to take off right from the start. CBS had to nurture the show, and that's what Fox should be doing with 'Lone Star.'
'Lone Star,' unfortunately, suffered when media reports of terrible ratings led to immediate talk of cancellation. The bad press squelched hope for more viewers tuning in for week two. Who would risk getting hooked on a show that was doomed? Fox needed to send a positive message of support and patience. Instead, they did nothing to help the show.
Was 'Lone Star' worth saving? What could Fox have done to help the show survive?
26 Comments