While I realize the first two seasons (season story arcs) made things difficult to attract new viewers, and the writing teams have tried many different ways to attract new viewers, I sincerely believe that ABC has done the most damage to the series by continually bumping it in favor of every award show or variety hour special that happened to be available (when it was on Sunday nights), then finally giving it a chance by putting it after Lost only to take that time-slot away again. It's weak that ABC wouldn't support a show that helped keep it afloat during it's rough times. But, then ABC doesn't treat just Alias poorly, they treat many of their great shows poorly... like threatening to make Lost film in LA to save $500k/ep... like bumping the last 7 episodes of Boston Legal last season to accomodate Grey's Anatomy... like thinking Desperate Housewives is actually more of a long-haul show than a passing fad that has already begun to fade...
The sad thing is that I know there are Alias fans out there who just don't know it... sooo many people I've talked to have never even heard of it (probably because of all the "dial-dancing" that ABC put it through). I've lent those people my box sets and they ALL come back major fans... like watching 22 episodes straight, in one sitting, fanatic-type fans... asking to borrow the next season, dissapointed when they run out of DVD's to borrow at the end of season 4. That said, obviously ABC's marketing of the show was hugely ineffective. The promos for the pilot and the Superbowl ad before Phase One were the strongest the marketing has ever been for this show... which was great for those episodes, but wasn't really enough to get the ball rolling (plus the fact that Phase One was on WAY later than usual, well after the game was over. Why wouldn't you have aired that episode (my #2 favorite, right behind the pilot) on the following Sunday, since you're in the habit of pre-empting anyways, instead of airing it for a primarily half-drunk, either celebritory or depressed audience after 10 at night on a Sunday! (Ok, so that was a bit of a rant... sorry about that...)
JJ was/is under contract with Touchstone TV/ABC to develop series for them. Alias, Lost, and soon 'The Catch' (not to mention M:I3). I think he's simply spread too thin. I have some significant hopes that 'The Catch' will be a hit. I'll miss Alias though... I loved it from episode one.
I also think Nichols and Getty could have made for good TV, with guest spots from Garner, but as was stated before, the show is not about the CIA -- it's about a father and daughter... and with the daughter part missing, it becomes an entirely different show.
JJ is a brilliant guy who's plugged into what makes for interesting TV. Hopefully, M:I3 pans out for him, and he gets to do some bigger movies too, but I don't want him to leave TV behind. He gives us reliably great shows time and again.
I'm sad to see Alias go. I'm more connected to the show than most , and while I will miss these characters, I'll continue to support the cast wherever they may go... and JJ will always have at least one audience member in me to watch his latest creation, whether I have to chase it around the ABC schedule or not!
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You are very right! I have been anti-"Desperate Whores" since it took over Alias timeslot...but it is interesting to know that some cast members of "Lost" are very outspoken about all the attention that the hooches on "Desperate Whores" get from ABC! That is just what I have been saying about ABC all along,yeah it is buissness...but it is dirty buissness!
I want just two things from the end of Alias:
1.Get the story back to Syd and Jack....before there was Syd and Vaughn chemistry there was Syd and Jack chemistry!
We have had so very few Syd and Jack ,father/daughter moments....they're relationship has improved quite a bit over the years but they still have so much to work out. I frankly have always craved more scenes with these two then with her and MV. And I have always thought that the show started with Jack and Syd and the lack of bond there and it got pushed to the background for her romance with Vaughn.
But who wants to see a daughter with her old man all the time,I guess just me...but these two were always more interesting and dynamic!
So we need to see more repair spent on they're relationship!
2. My god give Syd an happy ending.Yeah the baby will be a wonderful thing for her but if that means bring a dead Vaughn back,then do that...just to focus all on him! There are more interesting actors on the show that should be seen more!