Moonlight on list of best canceled shows by Film.com

Film.com has released their list of Best Canceled TV Shows of the Decade, which includes Moonlight!

The other televisions series on the list are Freaks and Geeks, Roswell, Firefly (another personal fave of mine), Arrested Development, Jericho & The Unit.

Gone Too Soon : Best Canceled TV Shows of the Decade
by Susan Young

Moonlight : Cloves of garlic were sent to CBS entertainment honchette Nina Tassler, blood drives were mounted across the United States, and DirectTV, the savior of Friday Night Lights, was pounded by a write-in campaign that pledged subscriptions if only the company would pick up the vampire series. Nothing worked. The fan-fueled campaigns couldn't make up for the low ratings and it was canceled in 2008. So instead of being a crime fighting vampire, CBS turned actor Alex O'Loughlin into a transplant doctor in Three Rivers. Too bad CBS didn't hang in for one more season, when they could have cashed in on the current vamp phenomenon that's turning the Twilight franchise into a money making machine.

http://www.film.com/tv/firefly/story/gone-too-soon-best-canceled/31157682

Photograph ~ Vampire private detective, Mick St John (Alex O'Loughlin), in his office from the Arrested Development episode (#1x05) of Moonlight tv show

CBS has canceled Three Rivers

Uh oh! CBS has canceled Three Rivers. Poor Alex! Unfortunately, he has been down this road before with our beloved Moonlight :(

CBS Pulls the Plug on Three Rivers
by Natalie Abrams

Once again, adoring fans must say farewell to Alex O'Loughlin: His new medical drama, Three Rivers, has been canceled, TVGuide.com has confirmed.

Effective immediately, the network will air repeats of Criminal Minds and NCIS: Los Angeles instead of the organ-donor drama.

Rivers will complete production on all 13 episodes from the show's original order, but no decisions have been made on whether they will air.

The cancelation news would be more of a blow to CBS if it hadn't had such a successful fall with NCIS: LA and The Good Wife. Rivers has been flatlining in the ratings, drawing an average of 7.5 million viewers, compared to Wife and LA's 13.7 million and 17.5 million respective averages.

What are you going to miss more: Alex O'Loughlin or Three Rivers?

http://www.tvguide.com/News/CBS-Pulls-Plug-1012644.aspx

Photograph ~ Dr Sophia Jordan (Alfre Woodard) and Dr Andy Yablonski (Alex O'Loughlin) from Three Rivers television series

Does CBS realize canceling Moonlight was a mistake?

Today, Parade Magazine featured an inquiry sent in by a Moonlight fan asking if CBS knows what a blunder they made in canceling our show. We all knew the reasoning behind the network signing Alex O'Loughlin to a talent holding deal so quickly.

Personality Parade Cancelled TV Series

Question ~ Does CBS realize that canceling its vampire series Moonlight with Alex O’Loughlin was a mistake?— Sandy Bleiss, Bartlett, Tenn.

Answer ~ Yes. Our sources tell us that the outcry was so great that CBS took steps to bring O’Loughlin back into the fold. CBS Films cast him opposite Jennifer Lopez in The Back-Up Plan, and this fall he’ll star as a doctor in a new medical series, Three Rivers. Is there a cancelled TV series you’d like to see revived?

http://www.parade.com/celebrity/2009/07/personality-parade-cancelled-series.html

Photograph ~ Alex O'Loughlin on the red carpet at TV Guide's Sexiest Stars party

Poll ~ Which cancelled tv show would you like to have revived?

Parade Magazine is hosting a poll on their website. It has many questions, but the 1st is the one we are interested in the most. They ask "Which cancelled TV series would you most want to see return?" Moonlight is a choice, for your voting pleasure.

Vote for Moonlight in the Summer Pop Culture Poll ~
http://www.parade.com/celebrity/surveys/summer-2009.html

Question : "Do you think CBS regrets the decision to cancel Moonlight after only ONE season?"

Matt Roush gives his opinion on the question Moonlight fans have been wrestling with for months now!

TV Guide ~ Ask Matt

Question : Now that the movie Twilight is so popular and the HBO show True Blood has generated much interest, do you think CBS regrets the decision to cancel Moonlight after only ONE season? I am so glad I TiVo'd the finale which enables me to get my Alex O'Loughlin and Sophia Myles fix. It was such an interesting love story. I was reminded of Beauty and the Beast. The finale also left the door open for more story, such as the list of vampires that the ADA mysteriously received! Shame on you, CBS, for poor decision making! —Twyla B.

Matt Roush : If CBS were doing as poorly as, say, NBC in prime time, my answer to this would be yes. As it is, CBS is doing so well most nights that it has little incentive to express public regret about much of anything. Still, I’m betting they look back at Moonlight as a lost opportunity, given the deep and passionate following shows of this sort tend to generate. That’s certainly how I regard it. One thing that isn’t in doubt is CBS’s desire to stay in business with Alex O’Loughlin. He’s appearing in a Criminal Minds episode in late April, and he’s been cast in a new medical pilot for CBS. One way or another, he’ll be back. Just minus fangs.

http://tinyurl.com/dxjetg

Moonlight tops Comcast's list of Best Canceled Shows

Comcast has posted their 25 picks for "Best Canceled Shows." Can you guess which tv series is number one on that list? That's right..... Moonlight!

A few of the other television programs on Comcast's list include Jason Dohring's old home Veronica Mars, Arrested Development, Jericho, Freaks and Geeks, Gilmore Girls, Deadwood, Journeyman, Eyes, Kolchak : The Night Stalker, and two of my personal faves ~ My So-Called Life & Firefly.

Best Canceled Shows

#1 ~ Moonlight

Hot vampires. What's not to love? Fans sure loved star Alex O'Loughlin but it wasn't enough for CBS to bring "Moonlight" back for a second season. (Photo: CBS)

http://www.comcast.net/slideshow/tv-bestcanceledshows/

What does CBS stand for?

Several great Moonlightfan Blog readers have sent mail praising this article about CBS on the TVoholic website.

CBS: definitely doesn’t stand for Come Back Soon !
by Fred

CBS. Three letters that could mean so many things, and I’m sure many of you could think of a few significations for what you think those letters represent, I can already see the first letter linked to CSI or “Crap” for instance…

One thing these letters definitely do not stand for, though, is Come Back Soon. Nope, apparently The Eye doesn’t want you back, not really. It may pretend to, the press release might claim that’s the case, but we know better, don’t we?

I’m sure if you go on and ask fans of series like Jericho or Moonlight, you’ll find people who still haven’t given up on television, and are still willing to watch some, maybe lots even, and that might still include network television as well. Yet, mention CBS, and that one network could very well be on their blacklist. No big surprises here, when you have a look at the way the network treated them, and their beloved show.

But don’t feel alone, simple viewer that you are, because it’s the same thing on the other side of the screen, CBS treats everyone the same, obviously (and sadly), and now it’s not just viewers who are putting The Eye on their blacklist! So there might be hope…

Because it’s one thing that we, viewers, don’t tune back in on CBS, but it would be even better than people stop going to them when they got new, exciting projects. Not because it’s fun to hold a grudge, not because I don’t like CBS, but because they have proven, repeatedly, that they didn’t know how to love, handle, promote and support their shows, that they would try to control things, to change the shows, destroying them, alienating their audiences and eventually canceling them without ever giving them a fair chance.

Let’s be honest : with a network that supported a show like Moonlight, let it be and grow as the creative minds wanted it to, supporting them and promoting the show, it could have been a success. Maybe not the latest hit in TV land, but a very good & successful show nonetheless. But CBS wasn’t the place for such a thing, and now the show is dead.

We, viewers, don’t want to live through such an awful experience ever again, so we stay away from CBS. But if the creative minds on the other side decided as well never to go back to CBS, for the same reasons, because they do love & believe in their projects, maybe things could change.

A couple of days ago, Diane Ruggiero exited The Ex List over infamous famous “creative differences” between her and the network. Recently, she described said differences : “It’s like someone comes to you with a little black dress and says, ‘You can do anything you want with it, anything at all,’ and you go, ‘Oh, great,’ and then they come back and say, ‘But you need to wear this belt, and these shoes, and…’” — Sounds familiar?

Sure, CBS said they wanted her for her unique voice and her own take on the material, but that’s only words. If facts, they kept pushing her to stick as closely as possible to the Israeli show The Ex List is based on, even though this original version only ran for 11 half-hour episodes, as well as having other things that would come in the way of turning this into a long-running, hour-long-episode series (such as the fact that the heroine had no job, or no life outside of her romantic quest).

“They would keep coming to me talking about how they wanted the Israeli version, they wanted the Israeli version, and I’m going, ‘Test audiences loved the psychic, who was only in one scene (in the original). They loved her sister; she didn’t have a sister in the original. They loved the flower shop; she didn’t have a job in the original.’”

Ruggiero was allegedly brought on the project for her own voice, and she intended to do what she was hired to do. “I felt very strongly that she has to have a regular life, and this weird quest has to almost feel like a burden at times. She has to feel put upon, otherwise she bugs me. Every kind of spin they tried to put on it like that, they just wanted it to be happy and optimistic.”

Oh yes, CBS wanted to control everything, because, once again, they assumed they knew better. And this is why it got to ludicrous things such as this one : “They told me to stop using the word ‘dude’ so much because they didn’t think their audience would embrace the word ‘dude.’ I asked how many times I could use it, and they said, ‘Twice per episode.’”

Network exec just knew people wouldn’t embrace the word “dude” and that would drag them away from the show. Just like they didn’t want to witness an on-going romance developing in Moonlight, but more procedural P.I. elements, of course.

In the end, it was too much and since Ruggiero and CBS could agree on anything, and it was clear the network would not let her do the show she wanted to, despite claiming to be interested in her own voice they wanted nothing but what they had in mind, so she did the only thing left to do. “I’m not a fucking transcriber! Why would you hire me if you wanted a transcriber? I’m a pain in the ass. I have a specific thing that I do. If you don’t want that, go hire someone else.”

The worst part of this experience for Ruggiero, was how closely it mirrored what happened with That’s Life. Back then, CBS also told her they wanted a show with her distinct voice, but once she was on they kept hiring producers to work above her and give the show their voices, not hers. It’s just what those morons do, always, and now she knows better.

“I looked at the last CBS experience and that sucked, and I thought it was because I didn’t have any experience (in the industry), and now they would be cool. And instead I find myself smack in the same experience. ‘We want to do something different, we want your voice,’ and then they don’t want something different. I think they thought I’d be the same as last time, just nervous and acquiescent. But I didn’t need this.

Once we got started, I kind of knew what I wanted the show to be. It’s not reinventing the wheel, but for Friday nights at 9, I thought it would be fun and be funny, and it just became not. And it was such a bad experience, it wasn’t worth chunks of my life. It’s really sad. It’s all I’ve done since February, making the pilot. To keep doing that and having people be like, ‘Screw you’ is just too depressing.”

Conclusion ? “I’ll never work at CBS again!”

Well, I can only applaud this decision, because that’s what needs to happen now. CBS is an old network that is fading away, they have plenty of CSI and clones, and because it does well according to Nielsen, they just assume they know better than anyone else, never mind that every time they try to do something like that, it’s a failure, because then it’s not their fault, but those stupid creators/showrunners/writers who didn’t want to listen to them, of course.

So let’s all let CBS do their CSI’s over & over again, while we stick with other networks. If we don’t watch the network, if people don’t go there with their new projects, sooner or later they’ll have to think back their ways of dealing with everything, or just die. Last season, with the writers’ strike and months of American Idol versus reruns, CBS lost the title of most-watched network to Fox.

We’ll see this season if Fox changed and is indeed worthy now, but in the mean time, if you want things to change, if you don’t want another gem to be treated like crap, make sure CBS doesn’t get its title back !

PS: For the record, it’s Columbia Broadcasting System, what those three letters officially stand for.

http://tvoholic.com/news/cbs-definitely-doesnt-stand-for-come-back-soon/

TV Week asks Dawn Ostroff about Moonlight

TV Week's, Josef Adalian, had an oppotunity to interview Dawn Ostroff (CW's President of Entertainment). Thankfully, he asked her what Moonlight fans have been dying to know since CBS canceled our show..... if the network thought about picking it up. I had to let out a sad chuckle at her answer. How could they have seriously investigated Moonlight & yet didn't think it appealed to females?!?!? *sigh*

Ten Questions for The CW Boss Dawn Ostroff
By Josef Adalian

That giant whooshing noise heard by residents of Burbank, Calif., last week was the sound of the entire staff of The CW exhaling.

After another painful summer filled with barely-on-the-radar ratings and rumblings about the future, the first week of September produced some pretty good news for the folks at the 3-year-old network born from the ashes of The WB and UPN.

First, its cultural phenom “Gossip Girl” returned to near-record ratings. Then the super-hyped “90210” delivered network-best numbers for a scripted series. And while the Sept. 3 return of “America’s Next Top Model” didn’t wow, it did OK, given some strong unscripted competition.

At the center of the action: Dawn Ostroff, president of entertainment for the CW. While her network has done a good job of developing buzzworthy shows, from “Gossip Girl” and “90210” to “Aliens in America” and “Reaper,” translating hype into ratings has proven a tougher task.

Are the numbers for “90210” good enough to turn The CW around? Why didn’t the network pick up the CBS cult fave “Moonlight?” And are any more remakes of classic shows in the works?

Ms. Ostroff took a few minutes out of her busy week to answer 10 e-mailed questions from TelevisionWeek's Josef Adalian.

TVWeek: “Supernatural” and “Smallville” are solid players for you, and point out how well sci-fi does with your audience. Did you seriously consider picking up “Moonlight”? Is the genre a priority?

Ms. Ostroff: We look at all genres during development. Right now, in terms of new programming, we’re very focused on building The CW’s brand as a destination for young women. If a sci-fi/fantasy show came along that was really well done and would appeal to our young women demo, then we’d certainly consider it.

Of course, I only focused on the question dealing with Moonlight. To read the rest, follow this link ~
http://www.tvweek.com/news/2008/09/ten_questions_for_the_cw_boss.php

Thanks to the lovely Sergio for making sure I had this information :)

Photograph ~ CW Network President of Entertainment Dawn Ostroff

Vampires & Slayers new audio interview with Alex O'Loughlin

Another new audio interview with Alex O'Loughlin! YEA! Candid and thoughtful, as always. This time the talk is conducted by the wonderful Ed Gross of Vampires and Slayers. He broaches some important subjects. In this interview Alex talks extensively about Moonlight... its cancelation, fighting to save the show, being happy to have had the chance to play a Vampire, the difficulty of show runners coming & going, etc.

Ed also specifically brings up Nina Tassler's "actor-centric" comment. From Alex's reaction, it seemed to me that he had not heard her remark before this chat ~ and wasn't buyin' it.

I will say again that I'm excited & thankful for Alex getting a new contract allowing him to co-develop/produce & star in his next show, as well as pitch movie ideas. He deserves it!

Note : You must be a member of the site in order to listen to Alex O'Loughlin's interview. If you don't mind, please let them know that I sent ya by putting my name ~ Kandyegirl (like you didn't know ~ ha!) ~ as the answer to "How did you find out about Vampires & Slayers?" Thanks :)

MOONLIGHT AUDIO INTERVIEW: ALEX O'LOUGHLIN SAYS GOODBYE
by Edward Gross ~ Vampires & Slayers

For Moonlight's countless fans -- and the people who labored on the show in front of the camera and behind -- it seemed like a no-brainer that vampire detective Mick St. John and the love of his life, Beth Turner, would be returning for a second season. After all, the series won its timeslot almost every week, had highly-coveted demographics, won the People's Choice Awards and was the recipient of a strong cult following. Yet despite all of this going for it, the show was cancelled and its talented cast and crew were forced to go their separate ways. But now, in an excerpt from an exclusive interview, V&S Editor Edward Gross talks to series star Alex O'Loughlin about that cancellation, and his feelings looking back at the series. Moonlight fans take note: there will be much more coverage of the series to come.

Use this link to listen to the chat ~
http://vampiresandslayers.ning.com/profiles/blog/show?id=2235870%3ABlogPost%3A10103

TV Squad ~ Recently canceled shows I mourn

Debra, from TV Squad's website, has written an article detailing television shows that she misses since they were canceled. Moonlight is at the top of the list.

Note : She misspelled Alex O'Loughlin (as O'Laughlin) and Josef (as Joseph). I corrected the typos in the piece below.

Recently canceled shows I mourn
by Debra McDuffee

There will always be Buffy, Angel, Quantum Leap and Magnum, P.I. on my "Oh Man I Want New Episodes of These Shows" list, but what about the more recently canceled shows of the past few years? Are there any worth mourning?

Maybe not in the same way I mourn my culty loves and classic '80s shows, but there are a few worth mentioning....

Moonlight

Yep, I know, I am one of Those People -- a fan of Moonlight. Though I agree it was weak when it returned after the writer's strike, there were lots of things to love about this show: the vampire lore, the episodic mysteries, the way they could have taken the love story (had they not muffed it up in the last four episodes), the actors (Jason Dohring and Alex O'Loughlin; not Sophia Myles). I can't believe that I won't find out more of the back story with Josef's family and Coraline.

To read the rest of Debra's list....
http://www.tvsquad.com/2008/08/05/recently-canceled-shows-i-mourn/

TV Week ~ CBS needs to support shows like Moonlight

A great article in TV Week agrees with something we have all been saying... CBS needed to give a distinctive show such as Moonlight a chance to build & develop. You would think the executives could see that just based on the extensive & loyal fan base it garnered during a strange, Writer's Strike altered season. Moonlight was only gonna grow if it had the opportunity to run uninterrupted! After all, we reached eight million + viewers according to the outdated Nielsen ratings system.

In this excerpt, Josef Adalian compares NBC standing behind its shows to CBS canceling Moonlight & other programs instead of nurturing them.

Networks Must Evaluate Shows on Merits as Much as Ratings
By Josef Adalian

NBC renewed “The Office” and “30 Rock” even though both shows barely had pulses after their first seasons. The network is bringing back “Friday Night Lights” for a third season, and while some critics might not like the fact that it will air on DirecTV first, give credit to NBC for trying everything it can think of to make the show work for its air.

While the overwhelming critical support and upscale demographics for “Office” and “30 Rock” made the Peacock’s mission easier, it still took guts for NBC to stick by two series many network observers once considered hopeless.

CBS, which is home to no small number of very smart executives, has to start showing similar intestinal fortitude if it wants to avoid the fate of so many past winning networks that have hewed too closely to a winning formula. Too many times in recent years—think “Love Monkey,” “Moonlight,” “Cane,” “The Class”—the network has opted for short-term scheduling stability instead of supporting the kinds of shows that could help it evolve its brand and attract new audiences.

“Sooner or later, the networks are going to have to begin making some decisions to keep shows on, even if it doesn’t seem to make any economic sense,” one senior executive told me last week. “We’ve got to break out of this quarter-to-quarter mindset.”

http://www.tvweek.com/news/2008/07/adalian_column_networks_must_e.php

TVoholic takes on Nina Tassler's comments regarding Moonlight fans

Another television blogger calls Nina Tassler (CBS Entertainment President) out on her recent comments that fans didn't actually love Moonlight as a show. We are not the only ones who think her statements are "a cheap thing to say." Thanks, Fred!

CBS President Nina Tassler: Fans Didn’t Care About Moonlight Anyway…
by Fred

Okay so first things first : I don’t really know much about Moonlight. From what I understand it was a new series of CBS last season, it got canceled already, and many fans are pissed. Was it actually good ? No idea. What is it about ? Except for that it might be about “a vampire P.I.” I don’t know, because I never watched. These things just happen you know, many new series on the air, choices must be made, and sometimes you just don’t even try one of those new shows…

Anyways, I was just reading about CBS President Nina Tassler comments on why they canceled Moonlight and why it’s alright, where she said that pretty much fans weren’t fans of the show, but the actors starring in it. As she explains it, unlike with Jericho where people love(d) the show, here it was just about people. “I spent a lot of time looking the blogs and the website. Look, I don’t want to say Moonlight fans weren’t fans of the show. They were. But in sort of sifting through all of it (the e-mails, etc.) it was very much about ‘our vampire, Alex (O’Loughlin).’” I read that, and I just had to ask : are there really any such fans out there, who didn’t care about the show, only the actor(s) ??

I’m asking because that just feels like a cheap thing to say, trying to justify the cancellation. Listen, back in the days there was a show called Ally McBeal, and had it been canceled I’m sure people would have yelled to get “Ally” back, because they wanted their favorite lawyer with the shortest mini-skirts ever on TV. But that didn’t mean they didn’t care about the show, or the other characters, not at all.

Should Fox decide to cancel House right now, I can see millions of angry fans asking for the return of America’s favorite doctor, the great Hugh Laurie. Now don’t mistake that statement as to mean they’d just want Hugh Laurie back on the air, they’d want him as House, they’d want him with all his team members (well, maybe not all of them, but…), they’d want him with Wilson and Cuddy.

We call him House, we call him Hugh, same difference when it comes to what we’re talking about here : it’s the guy, the character he portrays, and the show it all happens in. Just because fans would praise for their favorite vampire slayer, Sarah Michelle Gellar, didn’t mean they weren’t really talking about Buffy, the show, not just the character.

Somehow I feel this was the same here, Hell even Tassler said they asked for “their vampire” back. Now unless you go on and tell me that Alex O’Loughlin is actually a vampire, for real, which I would find very cool though demand undeniable proofs before accepting that idea, I think those fans meant him as Mick St. John, the vampire from Moonlight, and by extension they meant the show.

So, am I wrong, are there really any such fans out there, who didn’t care about the show, or the characters, only the actor(s) ??

http://tvoholic.com/news/cbs-president-nina-tassler-fans-didnt-care-about-moonlight-anyway/

Thank you to Bluedahlia3 for making sure I knew about this article :)

Nina Tassler comments on canceling Moonlight

Hello all.... On Friday, I read comments Nina Tassler made regarding Moonlight. This was reported by several sources who attended the 2008 Television Critics Association Press Tour. I've posted examples below. After reading what Tassler had to say, I had many thoughts streaming thru my head (I know you will also). I wanted to at least attempt to get those thoughts in order before posting this for you.

As you know, when I started my Moonlight blog I shared with you that I was already writing, emailing and calling CBS in support of our show. I was very aware of the fact that Moonlight was not the "normal" series and needed its fans to be heard. I asked you all to do that same. You joined the campaign with such wonderful enthusiasm. :) We continued communicating with the network right through the cancelation of Moonlight.

I can not begin to count the number of emails and comments I received from Moonlight fans who were contacting CBS. Lots of you even posted the messages you sent to them for all of us to read here on the blog. The notes got our point across but were dignified, polite and gracious... even after we learned that our show had been canceled. Just like the messages we have seen and heard from Trevor Munson, Alex O'Loughlin, Jason Dohring, etc.

One thing Nina Tassler says is that the fan response to Moonlight is "actor-centric." We all know she is referring to Alex O'Loughlin. Of course, Alex is a huge draw! DUH! Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that a good thing? Don't you hire a leading man to do precisely that?

I was an Alex fan long before Moonlight. However, that is not the only reason that I am addicted. The vast majority of the messages I sent to CBS were about how fantastic the show is... the writers... the entire cast. You also shared with us that you did the same. We all know that MickBeth was the topic of innumerable letters, voicemails, emails and such.

Even if we were tuning in just to see Alex as Mick St John, since when is that a problem? Most television executives don't care WHY you are watching their show. They only care that your eyeballs are on their network and not some place else. It's about ratings leading to ad revenue.

In my opinion, the comments are simply an attempt at damage control. TPTB do not like to admit that they are wrong. I know you are shocked by that ~ *wink*

I'm happy to see that the entertainment reporters are still asking about Moonlight. Most canceled shows do not receive this kind of sustained attention in the media. That is because you have been doing an amazing job of keeping our show alive!

Sorry about the long winded post. I'm stopping myself now! I took the extra time to organize my thoughts so that I wouldn't ramble on. That didn't quite work out :)

XO ~
Kandye

Tube Talk ~ STLToday.com
Excerpts from TCA press tour: CBS party, only for the hardy
By Gail Pennington

The point of these events is to give visiting TV critics a chance to mingle with and interview actors, producers and network executives; people you either haven’t seen during the formal press conferences during the day or haven’t had a chance to talk to. The point isn’t really to have fun, although some of the parties can be fun.

...CBS partnered with the CW and Showtime and went all out, busing us to the club Boulevard3 in Hollywood...

...I again tried to get into the club and this time succeeded. Julia Louis-Dreyfus, in a strapless dress, was just outside the door; her publicist was rotating interviewers through on a 90-second time limit. Uh … no. Somebody handed me a glass of champagne (good) and a cone of french fries with rosemary mayonnaise (very good), but it was hard to walk without spilling on myself. After the crowd outside, the club was almost empty. That gave me a chance to talk to Nina Tassler, president of CBS Entertainment, who told me the “Moonlight” supporters had sent her red wine, and that she actually tried a bottle, but it was terrible. Although she had to cancel “Moonlight,” she said, she wouldn’t rule out another project for its star, Alex O’Loughlin.

http://tinyurl.com/623xng

iF Magazine

Television : Breaking News : THE FINAL WORD ON 'MOONLIGHT' FROM CBS
By Carl Cortez

The stake in the heart of the show has been there for some time, but at least we now know why it was cancelled

LOCATION: The underworld

THE SKINNY: While MOONLIGHT has faded into the darkness, it was still important to check in with CBS Entertainment President Nina Tassler at today’s TCA press tour about any final words on the series which starred Alex O’Laughlin as vamp Mick St. John.

“Everybody knows I love vampires, witches, werewolves, warlocks – I love them all,” says Tassler. “The response to MOONLIGHT was actually more actor-centric. So I think it certainly measures our decision on the show. Like I said, I don’t question the choice we made. I’m not getting as much mail and most of those comments were actor-centric.

So does that mean CBS would hire O’Loughlin in a heartbeat?

“Sure,” says Tassler. “We’d love to.”

http://ifmagazine.com/new.asp?article=6556

Entertainment Weekly ~ The Ausiello Files
by Michael Ausiello
Live Press Tour : CBS Day One

Executive Session
The Player: Nina Tassler, President, CBS Entertainment. Or as she's more commonly referred, the evil woman who killed Moonlight.

9:30 am: Cover your eyes, Moonlight fans. Tassler downplays the fan outcry in the wake of the show's cancellation, maintaining that most of the feedback was "actor-centric." (Huh?) She also says she's not getting a lot of mail and doesn't regret the decision.

http://ausiellofiles.ew.com/2008/07/live-press-to-3.html

Daemon's TV writer not impressed by preview of The Ex-List

Sandie, from Daemon's TV, has written an article about the incredibly lame show (The Ex-List) that CBS is planning to air in place of the canceled Moonlight. In the piece, she says basically the same thing we did upon seeing a preview video of the usurper.

What were they thinking?!?!? As I ranted in a previous blog post... CBS executives stated they want to attract more female viewers. However, they axe Moonlight & Mick St John/Alex O'Loughlin in favor of this rubbish. URGH!

First Look: CBS’ THE EX-LIST

By Sandie

Now that we have learned a little more about CBS’ new primetime schedule, it’s time to take a closer look at all of their new shows, next up THE EX-LIST.

So this is what they are replacing Moonlight with…well I’m not going to lie, it doesn’t look even half as good as Moonlight. Then again, it’s a totally different genre, which begs the question why would they put it after Ghost Whisperer?

I’m not sure if I am convinced yet, I would really need to take a look at the full pilot to make a decision, but let’s just say it’s going to have to be REALLY good for me to get over the fact that it replaced Moonlight (which we all know I loved).

http://www.daemonstv.com/2008/07/06/first-look-cbs-the-ex-list-picture-video/

Vote for Alex O'Loughlin and Moonlight on Zap2it Website

Hey guys.... TV Gal, from Zap2it, is hosting her "Amy Awards." We have until 5:00 pm EST on Friday, June 27th, 2008 to vote for Alex and Moonlight.

Our categories ~
3. You Never Know What You've Got Until It's Gone or Best Cancelled Show : Moonlight

8. I Know You're Fictional But Would You Marry Me Anyway (male) Or Hottest Actor : Alex O'Loughlin as Mick St. John on Moonlight

http://www.zap2it.com/zap-tvgal-form,0,2017270.htmlstory

Thank you to Terri for making sure I knew about the polls :)

Poll ~ What was the most heart wrenching cancellation of the season?

Rachel Thomas reports on TV dramas for About.com. She has created a poll to ask "What was the most heart wrenching cancellation of the season?" Of course, Moonlight is included. Our show's treatment is the definition of heart wrenching!

You can also leave your comments on the page.

http://tvdramas.about.com/b/2008/06/04/what-was-the-most-heart-wrenching-cancellation-of-the-season.htm

Photo ~ Mick St John ( Alex O'Loughlin ) and Beth Turner ( Sophia Myles ) in Moonlight's pilot episode ~ No Such Thing as Vampires (#1x01)

Moonlight in two TV Squad polls

TV Squad is hosting two polls asking which show least deserved cancelation & which show has the most devoted fans? Easy for us to answer those questions :)

The Arrested Development Award Nominees
by Jane Boursaw

Did your favorite show get canceled? Yeah, mine too. It makes you think twice about investing time into a new show, because you never know how long it'll last. Sometimes even shows with fairly good ratings are sent to the chopping block.

Here at TV Squad, we're doing our part to bring attention to cool shows that were axed in the recent upfront announcements. Last week, I put out a call for considerations for The Arrested Development Award, a.k.a. The Show Least Deserving of Cancellation Award.

You made your opinions known - thank you! - and now we're into Phase 2: The Nominees. The Squad will pick our own winner, but we're giving you the chance to pick a Reader's Choice winner. Here are the nominees, and be sure to vote in the poll at the bottom.

1. Moonlight (CBS). Paired with the other-worldly Ghost Whisperer on Friday nights, this dark dramedy about a vampire who finds work as a private eye gained legions of fans over its short run this season. So much so that there's currently a big campaign to resurrect it from the dead. In some ways, this show is disturbing. It's downright freaky when the vamps' eyes glaze over and fangs protrude at the prospect of a "freshie." And when they actually chomp into someone's arm -- and the person likes it -- it's weird and dark. And maybe that's the appeal of this show. I guess you'd classify it as a crime-drama, but it's just different enough to bring something new to the prime-time table. Of course, the top-notch cast doesn't hurt either. As Mick St. John, Alex O'Loughlin is a cross between Keanu Reeves and John Corbett with some Matthew McConaughey thrown in. He's smart and sexy and seems to have a handle on the whole vampire-in-the-real-world thing. And I love that Sophia Myles, who plays his love interest Beth, isn't a size 2. She seems like a real girl, not some Hollywood version of a real girl. And as Josef Kostan, Jason Dohring is giving Justin Bartha a run for his money in the sidekick department. We deserve another season of Moonlight, and Mick and Beth deserve more time together. As Alex says in the final passionate moments of the finale, "This isn't about being a vampire or a human. This is about us and how we feel about one another, right here, right now." Ooh, yeah.

http://www.tvsquad.com/2008/05/29/the-arrested-development-award-nominees/

The Nuttiest Fans Award nominees
by Annie Wu

If we have learned anything, it's that there's a big difference between being a casual viewer and a truly passionate fan. Whether that means spreading the word, doing charity work in the name of the show or just plain being crazy, fans of TV programs have found various ways to show their love. After some intense responses in the call for considerations post and deep deliberation within the TV Squad team, we have boiled down the list of shows with the most dedicated fanbases. Here, we have five of the finest contenders, each of them deserving recognition for their fans' contributions.

Yes, it's obvious that there will be fans angry at the results, regardless of who wins. American Idol fans, form an orderly queue and meet me in the parking lot. But before we have an epic throwdown, read after the jump and vote for the Readers' Choice.

Moonlight :

Even as we speak, Moonlight fans are working hard to bring their beloved show to a new home. This was another fanbase that I had the chance to observe first-hand at this year's NYCC, and I couldn't help but bleed a little from the ears every time the crowd screamed for Alex O'Loughlin and Jason Dohring. Not only is their love super-intense, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's a Moonlight fan prerequisite to have operatic training. Ow. This group has also done some admirable charity work, including multiple blood drives in the name of the show.

http://www.tvsquad.com/2008/05/29/the-nuttiest-fans-award-nominees/

MSNBC Article ~ Moonlight on list of "canceled shows we loved"

MSNBC published an article about canceled tv programs that they will miss. Of course, Moonlight is on the list! They heap more praise on the fans for the amazing Moonlight Blood Drive. And, they single out Alex O'Loughlin as a highlight from our show :)

So, add MSNBC to the list of media entertainment outlets & tv gurus who have come out in support of Moonlight. YEA! Surely, other networks must see all these positive comments from very reputable sources. We can include quotes in our letters & emails.

Rest in peace, canceled shows we loved
‘Moonlight,’ ‘Men in Trees,’ ‘Jericho’ will be missed
By Jeff Hidek

“Moonlight”

Why it should have been renewed: It might have been the lowest-rated of CBS’s Friday night dramas, but "Moonlight" still consistently won its time slot against ABC and NBC offerings. That’s impressive, considering all of the tinkering that went on at this series about a blood-sucking private investigator. After multiple show-runner changes and a few shaky scripts, “Moonlight” seemed to just be settling into a charming routine in its post-strike episodes.

Series highlight: As brooding vampire Mick St. John, Alex O’Loughlin injected equal parts hot and cool into his leading-man role. A flash of his smile could make even an undead pulse quicken.

Silver lining: Fans should congratulate themselves on the most charitable “save our show” campaign ever. A well-orchestrated blood drive organized through YouChoose.net might not have been able to save the series, but it did help save lives. Mick would be proud.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24780304/

CBS Watch website still featuring Alex O'Loughlin

Hmmmmmmm..... The CBS Watch Magazine website is still featuring Alex O'Loughlin on its main page. It directs people to the article and interview with him that was in the April 2008 issue. Also, they showcase photos taken of Alex & Jason Dohring at the New York Comic Con. Very interesting considering that they canceled Moonlight! Why showcase the star of a show that is no longer on your network? Obviously, they want to continue to benefit from Alex's rising celebrity status even tho they let him & Moonlight go! Grrrrrrrr!

I reposted the article on my Alex O'Loughlin fan blog.

http://alexoloughlinfan.blogspot.com

Have you ever boycotted a network?

Mandi, from Entertainment Weekly's Pop Watch Blog, wants our comments. She did a post allowing fans to mourn canceled shows, including Moonlight. While reading the replies, she noticed that a lot of people are planning to boycott CBS. Now, she wants to hear more about it from the fans.

Ooooooo..... and Mandi also mentions the Hollywood Reporter stating that Moonlight is still being shopped :)

PopWatch Blog
Ever boycott a show or a network (and for how long)?

After reading the comments on my post mourning CBS' cancellation of Moonlight (pictured), in which some viewers vow to boycott the network, and those on Abby West's Bones season finale preview and postmortem, in which a handful of fans threaten to abandon the Fox drama after its rushed resolution to the Gormogon case, I'm wondering how often people actually follow through on such promises.

So, tell me: Have you ever boycotted an entire network? Or gone cold turkey on a show because you felt it did you wrong? And how long did you hold out? I'm fascinated.

P.S. While I'm the "obsessed colleague" who wouldn't stop complaining to Abby about Booth's beer helmet — (a) he had a tub caddy that could've held his cans and (b) I know he's a "dude," but he still shops at Spencer's? — I'll be back.

P.P.S. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Moonlight is still being shopped to cable networks, including TNT. Hmmm. While TNT has Angel repeats in the morning, I'm not sure I see vamps fitting into its primetime lineup. Angel alums on the other hand, yes: I went to the Turner upfronts last week, and saw that J. August Richards (Gunn) has a role in Steven Bochco's upcoming TNT legal drama, Raising the Bar, while Christian Kane (Lindsey) will be seen opposite Timothy Hutton in the net's Leverage. Of course, TNT already has a double dose of Boreanaz, with Tuesday night Bones repeats.

http://popwatch.ew.com/popwatch/2008/05/moonlight-boyco.html

Photo ~ Alex O'Loughlin as Mick St John