I was wondering what the story was on the cancellation of ds9 was? Did they know the show was going to be cancelled before the 7th season or did the show find out during the season? Does anyone know the back story?
deep space nine cancelled?
- Thread starter Hawkeye_90
- Start date
DS9 wasn't cancelled, it ended its run, just like TNG and Voyager. They decided to end it after seven years so that it would have the same number of seasons as TNG, Voyager did the same, and Enterprise was also planned to run for seven years except it was cancelled after only four.
So yes, going into season seven they knew that it was going to be the final season, barring something extraordinary such as Jesus Christ returning to Earth to demand an eight season.
So yes, going into season seven they knew that it was going to be the final season, barring something extraordinary such as Jesus Christ returning to Earth to demand an eight season.
They had some trouble re-signing the originals (like Colm Meany, Alexander Sidding, Avery Brooks) before the seventh season. I remember the news of that when there was a flood of internet rumors season six would be the last.
They had a lot of trouble signing Terry Farrel
I wonder why, if at the beginning of their run, they knew it would be 7 seasons, and if the producers did know, why didn't they have the cast sign 7 year contracts?
And a related question, they must have planned 7 seasons for Voyager from the very beginning, Does anyone know if that cast had 7 year contracts?
it almost seems inevitable
I always suspected that Christ would be a Niner.
From what I've been told by those in the know, there's no such thing as a 7-year contract in Hollywood, the most that actors sign on for is 5 years. DS9's cast was originally signed up for 5 years and when the show was renewed for a sixth season they united in demanding a pay raise, which they got. When it became clear that Paramount was willing to do a seventh season, Terry Farrell tried to unite the actors again, but this time the producers went behind her back and negotiated deals individually and Farrell was left in the lurch. At least, that's a rumour that I've been told.
Voyager's cast had 3-year contracts, which is why Kes was written out at the beginning of season 4. The exception was Kate Mulgrew who joined the show after Geneviève Bujold left during the filming of the pilot, and it seems that Mulgrew did sign a 5-year contract. Remember that out-of-nowhere cliffhanger at the end of Equinox Part 1 where it seemed like Janeway was about to be hit by one of those flying alien things? That was a bargaining chip.
Once again, this is just what I've heard so don't take any of it as gospel.
DS9 might've had a 6 year contract (or 3+3+1) because there was only some issue after Season 6. Voyager, yes, the big rumors were maybe a death dolphin would kill Janeway (who Neelix would process the mummified Janeway into jerky to feed the crew, or like those 'living Buddhas', a figure to go to for guidance) in Season 5 because her contract was for 5 years.
What might they have known? Well, when DS9 launched, TNG was in Season 6 and was going to get a 7th (they only would've known that later in filming DS9 S1). After TNG ended at 7 seasons, it seemed that became the model and everyone there just assumed they would get 7 seasons. DS9 was one of the top shows in syndication (always in 1st, 2nd, or 3rd), so it would run as long as the showrunners wanted it to. Voyager was the flagship on UPN and Paramount made Voyager, so it would have taken a lot to cancel it. Notice Enterprise only faced its cancellation threats after Star Trek lost internal support at Paramount, which came after the megaflop known as Nemesis, combined with a very mediocre Season 2 (gazelle speech/Temporal Cold War flop, that block of 7 episodes where a big chunk of the audience left and never came back). And Voyager's ratings were among the best for UPN, which had crappy ratings overall because of being a fringe network.
And a show that chooses to end its run is usually not said to be "cancelled". Cancelled means the network cancels the show (usually for ratings, occasionally for other reasons) or the production company cancels the show because the budget-profit ratio skews against it. When a show's producers choose to end it on their own, it's not considered being cancelled. TNG, DS9, VOY weren't cancelled, nor was Babylon 5, and I don't think X-Files was cancelled (I was surprised Fox renewed it for a 9th season). Twilight Zone was cancelled, Hercules was cancelled (actor walked), Xena was somewhere between producers choice & not being profitable
What might they have known? Well, when DS9 launched, TNG was in Season 6 and was going to get a 7th (they only would've known that later in filming DS9 S1). After TNG ended at 7 seasons, it seemed that became the model and everyone there just assumed they would get 7 seasons. DS9 was one of the top shows in syndication (always in 1st, 2nd, or 3rd), so it would run as long as the showrunners wanted it to. Voyager was the flagship on UPN and Paramount made Voyager, so it would have taken a lot to cancel it. Notice Enterprise only faced its cancellation threats after Star Trek lost internal support at Paramount, which came after the megaflop known as Nemesis, combined with a very mediocre Season 2 (gazelle speech/Temporal Cold War flop, that block of 7 episodes where a big chunk of the audience left and never came back). And Voyager's ratings were among the best for UPN, which had crappy ratings overall because of being a fringe network.
And a show that chooses to end its run is usually not said to be "cancelled". Cancelled means the network cancels the show (usually for ratings, occasionally for other reasons) or the production company cancels the show because the budget-profit ratio skews against it. When a show's producers choose to end it on their own, it's not considered being cancelled. TNG, DS9, VOY weren't cancelled, nor was Babylon 5, and I don't think X-Files was cancelled (I was surprised Fox renewed it for a 9th season). Twilight Zone was cancelled, Hercules was cancelled (actor walked), Xena was somewhere between producers choice & not being profitable
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Actually, Babylon 5 was cancelled at the end of season four. It was later picked up for an additional season on another network.
I forget the timeline exactly, but it's kind of ambiguous. The TNT deal came around July 1997 if I remember correctly, Season 4 aired eps thru June, then a block in October. PTEN was ending, leaving them without the syndicating apparatus and Warner Bros wasn't going to put B5 on WB, though I'm not sure why they never tried to put the show directly in syndication (probably because it was a crowded competitive field and TNT could give them a primetime weeknight timeslot). They were going to be cancelled, but found a workaround before the cancellation went into effect. And B5 already had a deal with TNT to make 2 new telemovies originating in Nov or Dec 1996.
TNT was friendly to some sci-fi in the '90s. They had Outer Limits only because that 1 lady there loved the series, they had Monster-vision, and then they aired Babylon 5 even though it didn't seem like it really fit the channel well. Maybe they picked it up because they had also picked up Kung Fu: The Legend Continues?
B5 does win the title of having the screwiest air schedule of any continuing series (as opposed to those where episodes are being burned off at stray spots on the schedule).
Blasphemy!!! Jesus loves TOS the best!!!!!
They had a lot of trouble signing Terry Farrel
I wonder why, if at the beginning of their run, they knew it would be 7 seasons, and if the producers did know, why didn't they have the cast sign 7 year contracts?
And a related question, they must have planned 7 seasons for Voyager from the very beginning, Does anyone know if that cast had 7 year contracts?
I think the original contract lengths were 4 years (which is pretty standard) and then an additional 2 were added to that. If memory serves. I don't know the contract status of the Voyager cast.
Rightly so: TOS had followers but the higher ups had it crucified. Then, when everyone thought it was dead, it came back to life...
No, just Shatner's toupee.
