Cancellation of MWC

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sklose@chello.at
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Cancellation of MWC

Post by sklose@chello.at » Wed Mar 07, 2007 3:36 pm

I heard for a few times now that FOX acted very shamefully in the cancellation of MWC. Can anyone explain what actually happend?

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Post by sklose@chello.at » Wed Mar 07, 2007 4:36 pm

I just read, that FOX stated that 1,5 Million $ for 9 Million Viewers was too expensive. I think it's pretty cheap compared to some shows made today. Like on Friends, every one of the 6 main characters got 1 Million $ per episode. That's 6 Million $ for the cast alone. MWC costing 1,5 altogether really doesn't seem that much.

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Post by Daniel » Wed Mar 07, 2007 8:06 pm

sklose@chello.at wrote:I just read, that FOX stated that 1,5 Million $ for 9 Million Viewers was too expensive. I think it's pretty cheap compared to some shows made today. Like on Friends, every one of the 6 main characters got 1 Million $ per episode. That's 6 Million $ for the cast alone. MWC costing 1,5 altogether really doesn't seem that much.
At that time 1,5$ have been very much money.
Probaly Firiends had also more viewers.
And at last you have to think that FOX also had learned a lesson. I'm not sure if they would cancel the show if it would air nowadays.

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Post by Dr. Shoe » Thu Mar 08, 2007 11:32 am

I wouldn't give them too much credit. Its taken them 3 1/2 years to get half of the series out on DVD in the U.S. :cry:

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Post by sklose@chello.at » Fri Mar 09, 2007 1:04 pm

To answer the first posting: The show ended in 97. By that time Friend was in Season 3 and had about twice the viewers and at that time cost about 5 times what MWC cost.

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Release and companies

Post by sklose@chello.at » Fri Mar 09, 2007 1:41 pm

Dr. Trumaine wrote:I wouldn't give them too much credit. Its taken them 3 1/2 years to get half of the series out on DVD in the U.S. :cry:
The DVD release of older shows has sometimes (less & less though) nothing to do with the Network that aired it, because the didn't produce it themselves. Since FOX was a pretty new Network back then they didn't produce too much themselves to cut down on the risk. They paid companies to produce most of their programming. MWC for example was produced by ELP Communications and distributed by Sony Pictures - Television. That might be another reason that they cancelled it, now that I think of it, because they pay 1,5 Million $ just for the right(s) to air it on their Network, but ELP & Sony are the ones that now make money of the DVD release and all foreign releases. That's why nowadays most Networks do a lot of their shows themselves, to cash in on the DVD Sales (That has become a vital factor but was of course non existent back in 97), and like I said all the foreign releases. Nowadays or better yet, for some time now, FOX tries to do as much as they can themselves. Like 24, Simpsons (That show was one of the earliest shows produced by FOX for their own Network back in '89), The X-Files and so on. But with MWC they could only make money with advertising during the station breaks. Even if they produced it themselves, I don't think they would have done it longer because in '97 the DVD Business just started in the US and was nowhere in Europe. (I know because I had a company that imported DVD's and Lasers back then). So they would have also quit. Maybe they would have released it sooner if they owned the rights, but I even doubt that, becauseyou check 'The Simpsons', the Show is now in Season 18 and they just released it up till Season 9.
You are right with the DVD release though. Took them a long time. Up until Season 6 they released the MWC Season by Season every 6 Month. In Germany after Season 5 they released it every 2 Month and they kept the pace.

This is all very nice. I still would like to know what FOX did with MWC near the end, which many people called "foul play" or "unfair practices" some even called it "dishonorable".. Anyone know what they meant by that? I know that they changed the Broadcasting Hour & Date were changed. Does anyone know if the was near the end? I know that it contributed to the shows demise. I wonder though, why they changed it. MWC & the Simpsons made FOX into a Network but at the end it somehow seems they didn't want the show on their shedule anymore, even though it brought them good ratings.

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Post by Shoe Dick » Tue Aug 21, 2007 1:38 am

You can read it all on http://www.bundyology.com, but to put it shortly: FOX changed their timeslot several times during its final season, which resulted in poor ratings (they dropped out of the Nielsen 100 list).

The worst thing about it is that they cancelled the show without letting everybody know in advance, ni finale episode was recorded either. This is a horrible way to treat the show that made the channel into what it is today. That is the shameful thing that FOX did. I for one, agree. Shame on them.
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