After two seasons, Fox is pulling the plug on Human Target, as reported by Deadline.
The news isn’t entirely surprising, given Human Target’s recognized status as a “bubble show” after lower average ratings from last season. The series did hit some late spikes, including seasons two’s penultimate episode netting 9.2 million viewers in a post-American Idol time slot.
The series was loosely based on the DC character Christopher Chance, and starred Mark Valley in the title role. Fox has also canceled Breaking In, which co-starred Smallville‘s Michael Rosenbaum.
More television news is expected in the days ahead, with all five broadcast networks announcing their fall schedules in upfront presentations next week. NBC’s upfronts are scheduled for May 16, where the fate of the David E. Kelley-helmed Wonder Woman pilot will be revealed.
May 10th, 2011 at 9:43 pm
Dang. Well now I won’t be watching any network TV.
May 10th, 2011 at 10:09 pm
I’m not surprised. I liked the first season a lot, but in the second season they introduced two new female characters as regulars and they were clearly extraneous, unnecessary and boring. The previously tight fast-moving stories were slowed down by having to give face time to these new characters and it unbalanced the stories. It came across like the network thought there was something wrong with a show where all the main characters were guys but by trying to broaden the show’s appeal, they ruined the chemistry.
May 11th, 2011 at 12:37 am
I hate to hear this,But have to agree with the previous comment. The show was dilutted a bit with the addition of the two new characters,and took away from some of the edge of the series by making Chance a more vuulnerable character. I was put off from the very beginning of this seaon when they abandoned the storyline with Chance’s mentor the Old man,played by Armand Assante. It had appeared at the first season finale that he would be forced into working for him,in order to save Winston.But this was wrapped up in the first two minutes of the first episode. there was alot of story that could have been told there,but again was shelved. Sorry to see you go Human Target,I’ll be watching Justified and The Walking Dead in your place.
May 11th, 2011 at 1:07 am
I’d love to see SyFy pick up thie series for a third season.
On a similar note, with the upfronts next week, it would also be cool to see if some of the “magic/superhero” series that are being talked about made it to SyFy or another cable outlet if the Big 4 plus 2 don’t take them.
Poe and Precient 13 were two that come to mind.
May 11th, 2011 at 1:09 am
Crap
May 11th, 2011 at 5:47 am
James and John hit the nail on the head. If one of the two new characters had been added — either Mrs. Pucci or Ames — then I think the show would have done alright. But both of them at once moved the show much too far from it’s core competancy and that’s that. Definitely stinks of network interference — “You need more females so women will watch the show!” A damn shame. You could read the writing on the wall as the season progressed that the show was cancelled.
The miniseries which DC put out last year was very good. I’d really like to see this version of the character continue in that format.
May 11th, 2011 at 6:18 am
I LOVED the second season and I thought the addition of the two female characters was great. It added more depth to both Chance and Guererro and made the show more appealing to a broader audience. I really loved this and I really miss this show but really, I’m not surprised that it’s cancelled being that it’s Fox and all. It’d be great to see another network pick this up but that’s just wishful thinking. I will say this, though; after watching the Season 2 finale, I looked to my girlfriend and said, “If this show is cancelled, I’m actually happy with this ending. It wrapped up almost everything.” Usually I’m left furious when a show I watch is canned (i.e. Heroes, Firefly, Reaper) but this one I was actually okay with. I give the showrunners props for that! Now only if Mark Valley could’ve got that Captain America role…
May 11th, 2011 at 6:36 am
that blows. Fox really never gave it a chance with how they screwed the second season scheduling up. hopefully DC can shop it around to channels looking for an action series.
May 11th, 2011 at 7:27 am
I agree with Ken. The first seasons seemed to be a string of “damsel in distress” per week episodes where as the addition of the two female characters in the second season provided needed depth for both Chance and Guerero. I really enjoyed the second season where as I tolerated the first simply because of it’s “loose” comic tie in….but i am glad they tied up many of the loose plot ends knowing that the axe was falling probably due to low ratings.
May 11th, 2011 at 8:21 am
They should have just introduced Ames, and that’s it. Pucci was too much of a schoolmarm than an love interest to Chance, and I didn’t like the way the Old Man character (played by Assante)
was disregarded.
Hopefully, NBC will renew “Chuck”.
May 11th, 2011 at 9:38 am
Any idea when Season 2 will be out on DVD?
May 11th, 2011 at 10:36 am
Well, FOX has done it again! This was one of the most entertaining shows on television, and now it’s gone after two seasons while American Idol keeps on rolling! But hey, what do you expect from the network that only gave Firefly one (shortened) season– and didn’t even show the episodes in order!
If it weren’t for Fringe I wouldn’t turn this station on at all.
May 11th, 2011 at 11:27 am
Here’s an idea FOX…why don’t you axe the people at the network that made the decision to keep bouncing the air day of the week all over the place for this show, letting it go several weeks in-between episodes, etc… This network never gave this show a chance to succeed. Give this show to a network that will let it become a great series…you had a good one here and YOU blew it!!!
May 11th, 2011 at 11:49 am
It doesn’t surprise that Fox did this, especially if Fox wasn’t seeing the margin returns for the show.
As for bouncing the show’s schedule around, CBS did the same thing with The Flash. Regardless of how big of a fan base a show might have, once a network has pulled the plug, the network will use all their tricks to lower ratings, etc. to validate their need to pull the show.
This just shows that WB Entertainment needs to form a parntership with one of the networks for their live actions shows, kind of like what WB Entertainment did with Cartoon Network for their anime shows.
May 11th, 2011 at 12:55 pm
The only network show I recorded, besides IDOL
May 11th, 2011 at 1:43 pm
how unfortunate! Surprisingly, even with the super cheeze first season “tell me your real name” b.s. — the show was fully entertaining! Mark Valley’s an incredible mission man and there was good chemistry between the characaters. It’s too bad they didn’t do more with Ames a la Alias-style! I guess the new Nikita show (which is fabulous! btw) will replace the void for me.
May 11th, 2011 at 2:41 pm
figured given what fox has proven to do with shows like human target that odds are it would not be getting another go round. too bad warners’s does not bring it back as the replacement for smallville. but figured human target has done its last case.
May 11th, 2011 at 4:24 pm
It’s my fault. Every time I like a show it gets cancelled.
May 11th, 2011 at 6:20 pm
“It’s my fault. Every time I like a show it gets cancelled.”
With that in mind, Douglas, please don’t get into Fringe next season!!
May 12th, 2011 at 4:57 am
People keep blaming FOX, yet what are they to do when people are not watching and it’s bleeding viewers on a weekly basis? Like it or not, companies are not charities out to cater for a loss to the few; they have a bottom line and if a show is not turning a profit, they do what they have to.
May 12th, 2011 at 7:41 am
@Charles Baserap
There were several times I couldn’t find Human Target on the schedule slot for S2. It got bumped a couple times between Wednesdays and Fridays without any indications of the reschedule. In addition to that, they ended up showing 2 episodes those times.
That’s a scheduling/programming problem with the network–NOT an audience issue.
Fox is very much to blame for the cancellation of the show.
May 12th, 2011 at 9:31 am
First they canceled 24 and now Human Target. I can now take FOX off of my favorites list on Directv. I know it’s wishful thinking to hope that CW or SyFY picks this up but I really enjoyed this show and hate to see it go. At least it ended without a major cliffhanger. I too wished Mark Valley would’ve landed the Captain America role. Not knocking Evans as I think he’s a great actor but I think Valley was perfect for the role. I wish the cast the best of luck on any future endeavors.
May 12th, 2011 at 11:21 am
Charles Baserap’s right. If there’s not an audience, whether by Nielsen ratings or Internet (“Chuck” is a great example, and it’s been, at this time, unofficially renewed), for a TV show, it dies.
May 12th, 2011 at 12:04 pm
@ Roy
Then explain the logic behind having an audience not knowing when the show is on? My DVR couldn’t get a track on the show to even record it. That’s how bad Fox screwed the series. There’s one thing about having poor audience numbers. It’s another thing to sabotage those audience numbers.
May 12th, 2011 at 12:06 pm
@ Roy
also, the only reason Chuck is still on was because one of the execs at Subway was a fan for the show and made a deal with NBC and the showrunners to cement sponsorship to keep the show going for the second season.
May 12th, 2011 at 9:01 pm
Lets show FOX what we think about cancelling The Chicago Code! Help get everyone you know to watch the final episodes. http://on.fb.me/jsyZwS