What also killed SGU was changing the tone of the show. They alienated their core fan base by trying to make it BSG the sequel. Not SF, but this also happened to Sinbad with Zen Gesner. It was pretty much a family show. A new exec came stepped in after the other left and changed the format to a darker show and basically lost most of it's core audience and was later cancelled. That's a big no no for shows of any genre. You don't change the format of a show! Big reason The West Wing lost viewers.
I think the reason that Doctor Who is doing great is because each season there is a story arch that is resolved. Torchwood while darker still feels of the DW universe without the Tardis. Don't recall if they had arcs been a while. Haven't seen the new series of Torchwood on Starz, but pretty much most eps were self contained.
I watched Blake's 7 and while it was mostly self-contained it was also continuing without it being over done. In fact story lines would pop up and you'd be like oh yeah I remember this or that. That's what I liked about b5 as well.
As for NuBSG. Whew! Remember TOS BSG was an action adventure scifi series. It had it's cheesy moments, but also had great drama. The NuBSG just made you want to literally shoot yourself. I don't mind shorter seasons. I guess because I'm used to watching shows from Britain, Canada and Australia (though not every shows season is short. McCloud's Daughters was around 32 eps a season. Some shows went as high as 40) I think BGS could have done with something shorter like 13 eps like the first season. 20 eps a season for that series was just over kill.
No offence to BSG fans, but I hope they don't make anything after because it's too much melodrama. But I guess they're working of that new prequel stuff promising more action. I like action and all but...there's no sort of adventure in BSG, sure they can explore more planets and whatnot but...eh I don't wanna see more human civilizations, I like the good ol' alien encounters and alien civilization.
I'm weird in the fact that I like a little melodrama, but damn a little. Not a whole battalion! LOL
I think the reason Alphas did so well is because they pretty much stayed self-contained while they have an arch. Hopefully they won't become arch crazy like many shows have become.
As for Sanctuary the main thing I have a problem with the writers of that show is they killed off Ashley for no other reason, but for dramatic effect. They also assumed that no one liked her. Being a fan as many I knew were of Sanctuary when it was a web series I was pissed!
Almost forgot to add something else about serialized TV. They make the stories have to be bigger each ep and each season. So by the end of the series you get the finale and are let down. The only reason I even watched NuBSG is because I just wanted to see how the 4th season would end even though I'd stop watching the show way before that. Let me tell you that ending was such a let down. It's like Blake's 7 they should have stopped at season 3. Blake's 7's actual ending was series 3's ep Terminal, but the execs at BBC thought hey look how much ratings season 3 got let's bring it back even though the story is finished. Then we get season four and then we get the most depressing ending in TV history. And while it's one of the most famous it's just depressing. Though you don't know if the outcome is what you think it is, it's still a piss off.
. I do agree that writers should write to thier contracted time as RM notes, serial or episodic and what they really need to do is pay far FAR more attention to what fans say (good or bad), and the ratings. If A shows ratings really start to slide, they should get in the writing room and work out a way to close out the series within the time allowed them, doing otherwise is really a slap to the fans more than anyone else.
yep I'm an optimist!
I am still stinging over the Surface cliffhanger.