Some reasons this probably got cancelled.

1. What you basically have here is a show that, each week, pictures a bunch of teenagers doing highly illegal computer hacking, not to mention impersonating government employees, invasion of privacy, and a host of other crimes. Farley actually instigates a lot of it, which is rather questionable considering how he is always trying to look out for their safety.

I can see why certain authority figures might not necessarily take a liking to it. I mean you are basically teaching kids (the target audience apparently) that it is cool to hack into the NSA, the Social Security Administration, the police, the DMV, school databases, weapons firms, etc etc. I mean maybe it is cool but it is also illegal and often unethical (they even mention this in the episode Red Star Rising, where they have second thoughts about snooping a classmate's records).

I could see kids watching this, trying War dialing, then winding up in jail. Only in one or two episodes does anything remotely bad threaten to happen to these kids because of their explorations.

2. Audience

Is this supposed to be a kids show or a grown up show?

If it's a kids show, why do the other four kids get almost no development? There was literally a scene where Ham and Jeremy go 'what are we supposed to do for several hours?' (while Richie is doing stuff). They pull out a pack of cards. Wow, fun. Then there are the numerous shots where they are just watching Richie typing. Excitement.

Second of all... if it's a kids show, where are the kid show plots? Almost every episode involves murder, then there are the arsons, kidnappings, embezzlement, money laundering, mafia conspiracies, grave robbing, more murder, assault, Soviet spies, Guerilla mercenaries, assassination plots, etc.

How about a plot about.. I don't know.... how Ham tries to use Ralf, and screws it up, and tries to hide it? How about the three trying to hook Richie up with a dance partner or something? How about a bully tries to get Richie to change his grades? How about a nice simple sitcom plot?

Poor kids must have PTSD from being kidnapped, assaulted, and almost killed so many times.

3. Focus

Is this supposed to be about Whiz Kids? Cause Richie is the one most of it focuses on, and that's only one Whiz Kid. And is it supposed to be about the kids or about Quinn and Farley?

I think Farley has more dialog than Ham or Jeremy, if you add it all up. So is the show supposed to be about him? Then why is the logo 4 kids in a smiling pose and the title 'Whiz Kids'?

And what's up with Richie dissing Alice all the time? Are they friends or what?

4. Repetition

They should use the hacking as a character feature... not as a plot crutch. There are so many times where the whole thing centers around Richie hacking some business/agency and finding information. It gets a little old.


Don't get me wrong. I love the show. The actors are so good. I mean just spot on, couldn't have been better. The music is excellent... the plots are interesting and invovled (mostly), with interesting characters (the crook in the van, the programmer/con, the kid in Witness Protection, the bureaucrat who steals social security money, etc). The technology is interesting, and well done. The stuff they do is not completely out of the realm of the imagination.

I really liked the scenes with Quinn and Farley. I love the Farley character, a street wise but idealistic reporter. I like Richie's mom, and how she is played. I like how they try to pop Cheryl in now and then. I love the awkwardness of Richie's relationship with his dad. The episode with 'Chip Patterson' has some interesting stuff regarding school, social prejudice towards computer kids, etc. I like the 'moral dilemma' episodes where there is no good choice what to do and they have to 'talk it out' and weigh the options.

But I can also see why it might 'miss' in the ratings.

It's almost like they have taken two different shows, and shoe-horned them together.

One is a show about teenage friends, who are into computers, and the hijinx they get involved in.

The other is a procedural crime show with a detective and reporter who don't get along but need each other.

It is like they took The Wire and mixed it with Scooby Doo. Some of the stuff that happens is just stuff you don't want to see juxtaposed... kids getting caught up in murder conspiracies and stuff.

I can kind of see it working.. after all the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew dealt with some hairy stuff. But the tone.. the tone is the problem. It's like mixing NYPD Blue or Law and Order with Hannah Montana or That's So Raven. It just gets a little depressing... these kids should not have to deal with some of the stuff they deal with in Whiz Kids.

One show I do remember that mixed a kids show with dark themes is maybe Teen Titans. But those are older teenagers, and they are all superheroes. And they are battling cartoonish bad guys, not agonizing over the US Constitution.

This is my humble opinion. Thanks for reading.