10 Years Ago, ABC Pulled the Plug on Best Fantasy Drama With 92% Tomatometer After 1 Season
One of the best procedural shows of the past decade failed to live up to network expectations.
Not only Netflix, but also networks like ABC are notorious for canceling shows right after the first season. And since networks and streaming services don't always reveal the details of why a new show was canceled, viewers are left to deal with the fact.
At the same time, most of the projects that go under the knife are, frankly, not so very impressive. At the same time, there are also popular series that get positive reviews from viewers, but are still axed after the first season. And one of such cases is the fantasy drama Forever.
Forever Was an Unexpected Success
When Forever prepared to hit the small screen in 2014, many viewers considered the concept of the series a failure. The main character is immortal, and eternal life has been his curse for two and a half centuries.
All this time, he lost loved ones and tried to find the reason for his long life. Today, his search has led him to work as a forensic scientist for the New York Police Department, where he uses his knowledge to solve complicated crimes.
In the middle of the last decade, such a show seemed like a relic of the 2000s – it looked like just another procedural with a brilliant but misanthropic main character solving complex cases with ease.
Forever Was a Strong Fantasy Drama Packed with Exciting Events
However, Forever became a pleasant exception to the rule: from the very first episode, the creators focused the story on the confrontation between the main character and a mysterious stranger who knows his secret.
They did not waste any time: there were no unnecessary scenes, and each of the 22 episodes was filled as much as possible with details important for the story. This is confirmed by the audience rating of Forever on Rotten Tomatoes – almost perfect 92%.
Forever Was Canceled by ABC Due to Low Ratings
Viewers waiting for the story to continue in the second season were touched when the star, actor Ioan Gruffudd, reached out to them on social networks and thanked fans for their loyalty.
However, literally two days after the release of the last episode of the first season, ABC decided not to continue filming the series. The official reason given was low ratings.
Such a decision made fans furious, because despite Forever's similarities to a number of other shows, like The Mentalist and Castle, it was still filled with a subtle philosophical charm, even taking into account the fantastic content.
Unfortunately, Forever's life was not only not eternal, but also very short.
Where to Stream Forever?
The first season of Forever is available to watch on Prime Video.