History is shaped by our hands.

I know I blogged about this on Monday, but I'm not over it. I still can't believe Wonderfalls got cancelled. Everyone online that I mention it to is shocked. So many people appeared to be watching this show. Where were the ratings?

Why does FOX even put on shows like this any more? They know that they aren't going to give a respectful chance to any show that is quirky. If FOX would have passed on Wonderfalls, it would have probably went to the WB or to UPN. If it would have went to one of those networks, they likely would have let it ride out an entire season. Both of those networks understand that momentum needs to build for a quirky show; that its very rarely an overnight success.

What happened to the FOX network that kept The X-Files on even though it had terrible ratings its first few seasons? They knew the show was good, so they stuck with it until it built the audience it deserved. It then became an international phenomenom. FOX won't do that any more, but they'll give us 2 nights a week of American Idol and The Littlest Groom. Who cares if it sucks? If its reality, FOX will run it.

And even when a reality show of theirs is struggling, they still won't give up on it. They ran every episode of Joe Millionaire 2 even though no one liked it at all. And then there is their current mess, Playing it Straight. That show is doing terrible in the ratings. Did they cancel it? Nope... They just postponed it a few weeks. Its reality, so its got to be a hit, right?

And if Wonderfalls does for some reason make a comeback on another network or on DVD, it wouldn't be the first time FOX was wrong about a quirky television show. Last year FOX prematurely cancelled Firefly. Okay, yes, I'm biased here. Firefly might just be my favorite show of all time. It might even beat out my precious Buffy. But I'm off-topic now. FOX cancelled Firefly for the same reasons that they cancelled Wonderfalls. And just like Wonderfalls they didn't promote it. So what happens to Firefly? The entire series is released on DVD and sells so many copies that Universal Studios buys the rights to Firefly. A full length feature movie based on Firefly, titled Serenity, begins production in June to be released next summer to a theater near you. FOX was incredibly wrong in this case. The show got its legs and is proving to be a hit. If FOX would have just promoted it better and gave it a chance, who knows what it could have turned into.

I hate you, FOX.