Our ongoing look back at sci fi / fantasy TV shows that were cancelled way too soon or pilots that never made it to series.
This series followed Dr. Henry Morgan, a man who can’t die and who has taken a job as a medical examiner to study death and to see if he can find the answer to his own immortality. It combined elements of Sherlock Holmes, The Highlander, New Amsterdam, and more and delivered yet another procedural with a twist to Prime Time television. But it did manage to stand out in a large part because of the excellent cast led by Ioan Gruffudd in the main role as well as the supporting players which included Judd Hirsch, Alana De La Garza, Joel David Moore, and more.
The show debuted in the Tuesday 10 PM EST hour, which ABC had struggled with for several seasons, but produced decent premiere ratings. Its numbers slipped to marginal at best levels shortly after that, though. It did score well in delayed viewing, and ABC did give it a full-season pickup suggesting at first that the network had some confidence in the show. But as it turned out, the network apparently just wanted to use it as schedule spackle, plugging up the Tuesday 10 PM EST timeslot until the season ended. After November, it never aired more than two new episodes in a row which stifled any chance for it to build up momentum.
Its numbers remained low, and despite the lip service the networks were giving to the delayed viewing stats at that time, ABC cancelled it at the end of the season. Forever received high marks from critics and topped most season-end polls as the show least deserving cancellation. And a very vocal fanbase lobbied hard to convince the network to bring it back for a second season or to move it to another venue. But it remained cancelled as would NBC’s Constantine that season and Limitless on CBS the next year, both of which were genre shows that also performed well in delayed viewing. The networks were still far to focused on the same-day viewing (despite what they would say in press conferences), and still show reluctance to move away from those stats even today.
For those interested, Forever is available to stream for free (with commercials) on CWSeed.com (as is Limitless). It is worth a look as a show that had promised and could have developed into a sleeper genre entry if its network had supported it.
Aired: ABC, 2014-15, 1 Season Totaling 22 Episodes
Starring: Ioan Gruffudd, Judd Hirsch, Lorraine Toussaint, Alana De La Garza, Joel David Moore
Created By: Matt Miller
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Gutted. Just watched the first season and I’ve just discovered this has been cancelled!
Can’t believe it. Such a great show with fantastic actors. Reminded me of Bones with a fantasy twist…
ABC has canceled more Shows than any ne/work. They have really made huge mistakes…another GOOD show gone way to soon. .. I really dislike ABC’S decisions
I am a bit late for this forum but I have just finished watching this fabulous series on the 9 Now streaming channel here in Australia. I missed it when it was on originally. Enjoyed every second, loved all the characters, worked so well together. A true ensemble. It is an understatement to say I was disappointed when I realised there were no more seasons. With so much rubbish cloaked as entertainment on tv and streaming services today this was a breath of pristine air. Intelligent, clever, original, humerous, warm and fuzzy without being sickly sweet and never boring. I will watch it again, very soon. Anyway even though it is no more I want to share my thoughts and appreciation for a such a brilliant series. Bravo to the actors and the writers and the creators. At least there where 22 episodes, that usually accounts for three seasons today. Cheers.
Totally agree. I usually say to people” I am always late to the party when it comes to TV shows but this was a great show forever I love these shows and they always take off the really good ones before they really get rolling. I wish they had continued the show great characters great story something original I can’t believe they took it off for low ratings ImDB rating it 8.2 come on. Just agree with you.
I just finished watching this. What a great show. Great acting good storyline’s and it wasn’t a typical cop show. All the characters had substance and I’m so glad Henry and Jo were friends with separate love interests. Why was it not supported and renewed? It was a shame they ended it. I hope someone reads these and sees the value of resurrecting it ( hee hee see what I did there). Anyway thank you for at least giving us 1 season. ❤️❤️
Cmon where is season 2 ? i need to know what happens and how the detective knowing his story would affect her.
Just watching last episode now. So disappointed there isn’t more. I wonder if we could start a petition to get it back. I think it would do well these days. Plus Alana de la Garza. ❤️?
Back when it started, I watched the first episode of Forever and I wasn’t hooked at all (yawn). But I made a note to come back to it if survived long enough to have some good ratings and a proper ending, which I guess was not the case, thus it’s no longer on my list.
I often like to wait until a series ends before I consider watching it, as I’ve been disappointed too many times to keep investing in series that might get cancelled too soon, or that they start out great but then just get worse and worse.
Yet I watched all of Limitless when it was on in 2015-2016, and enjoyed it all. Sure I wanted more than the 22 episodes we got, but I expected it would be cancelled, as it basically promoted the use of drugs, yada yada. Back in the day, I was around MDMA when it was legal, pure, and rather unknown, thus Limitless reflected some of those times for me, in a good way.
Around that same time, The Leftovers (2014-2017) was another series I took a chance on from the beginning, as I could tell it was going to be good, and it was, at least for those who have some experience with such things.
Fringe was another I liked a lot.
Now I’m watching Loki. I’m not a big fan of the superhero/comic book genre, but I’m liking Loki a lot. IMO, it’s the best of that genre since Preacher.
Other newerish Sci-Fi/fantasy series worth mentioning are His Dark Materials, Lost in Space, Raised by Wolves, Resident Alien, Rick and Morty, See, Star Trek Discovery, Star Wars: The Bad Batch, The Expanse, The Mandalorian, The Walking Dead, and Westworld, which are all still on AFAIK.
As for the cancelled Sci-Fi/fantasy series I miss the most, that would be The Lost Room (2006). I know it was just a mini-series, but I still wanted more. I think that could have become a long lasting anthology series.
Lastly, as you may now, Babylon 5 has been remastered. I’m watching that all again right now. It’s much better than I had remembered—a Sci-Fi masterpiece!
Well I do believe that this show was one of a kind. Yes, most probably the cliches you speak of are justified, but still the show had great promise. It will forever be in my heart.(pun intended)
Its 2021 and I be just finished watching the entire season of Forever through the 9Now stream in Australia. I absolutely loved this show! The entire storyline the flashbacks to Henry’s past all so well executed. Why on earth did it not continue?? Especially ending it with him finally about to share his secret with Jo!!
Whoever is in the Tv screening board should revise there choices! There are so many degrading and ridiculous shows being aired while all the decent well presented ones are thrown out and discarded.
I love this show and certainly want to see it renewed!!
There are so many degrading and ridiculous shows being aired while all the decent well presented ones are thrown out and discarded.
TRUER WORDS WERE NEVER SPOKEN!!!
I watched this on CWSeed; while some parts, especially the Sherlock Holmes bit and the dragging attraction between Henry and Jo, were over played, overall the show was very enjoyable!
I don’t know New Amsterdam, I compared it to “Castle” as well as the slocky TV Sherlock Homes series and Highlander.
I thought Forever was terrible: cliched and derivative. New Amsterdam meets Sherlock with all the usual elements thrown in the usual way. And just when you thought it couldn’t get any more cliched or any more derivative – NAZIS! Save me.
Why does ABC even bother..there have been some good shows which they cancelled..there is enough to interest that the network could of tried putting it in a different time slot. It was the only show I watched on ABC..
this, along with haven, were my two favorite shows! Forever deserves to be picked up! I am so discouraged at abc for Cxling forever, that I have stopped watching the network’so new offerings. No point. When castle, Big Bang, and the middle are done, so am I. Forever was a classy, intelligent show with a stellar cast and crew and writers. Hope Netflix picks it up!