MovieChat Forums > I'll Fly Away (1991) Discussion > Anyone know why it was cancelled???

Anyone know why it was cancelled???

posted 12 years ago by PtitAngel
3 replies | jump to latest

HI,

I discovered that great tv show when I was a kid. And it introduced to me to segregation. I did not know back then what it was. I did not see many episodes back then, but I remember that I enjoyed watching this tv show and listening to Lilly's voice. I am now rewatching the eppisodes (still 1st season) so I don't know how it ends and all, but I am wondering why stopped so soon, not even a full 2nd season.

Does anyone know why it was cancelled back then?
was it because not enough people watch it?
was it because in the end the channel did not appreciate the subject?
???

Thank you in advance for the info.

Take care everyone!
PtitAngel

[–] coop-16 12 years ago

For the same reason as all of these other superb shows:
The Westerner
The Richard Boone Show
East Side West Side
The Great Adventure
Channning
Slattery's People
He and She
My World And Welcome To it
The Rogues
Nichols
The Call To Glory
Profiles in Courage
The Adventures of Briscoe County Junior
Homefront
Now, what did all these shows have in common? They were intended for intelligent
human beings who speak in complete sentences. They were also intended for people who welcome moral complexity, fully realized characters, imagination, etc.
Joseph Anthony Harder

[–] CooperCamden 11 years ago

TV programs are generally cancelled due to low ratings, however there are several examples of shows terminated because the networks wanted to attract a different demographic, which might lead to higher advertising rates.

[–] Ithilfaen 9 years ago

The network fought really hard to keep the show on, giving it a second season even after the first had very disappointing ratings. In fact, Waterston thanked them for keeping them on as long as they did, in his Golden Globe speech.

Contextually, the show was too advanced for network tv. At a time where procedural and family dramas were the rule, there was very little room for period dramas and there was a concern that the show's subject matter was "too heavy", which led to a lot of changes made in season 2. More family drama, more about the kids, more about the redneck friend, more love interest, less civil rights, less politics.

So all in all, it was canceled like many other shows, because it was not for dumb people.

For every lie I unlearn I learn something new - Ani Difranco