Peter Lenkov on the cancxelation

[Will]

Take a look at thisl link:

https://tinyurl.com/sqdtmpf

Interestingly, Lenkov says that CBS canceled the show. It was not some sort of mutual decision to end it as some have assumed (Lenkov wanted at least another year). He notes that both O'Loughlin and Caan have talked about leaving for years but that they (the production comapany and CBS) always managed to make deals to get them back. This year CBS made no effort to lure either/both of them back.

[Bobbi]

I probably shouldn't comment on this because I don't watch the reboot. I get there is a lot of people out there who like it and don't want to see it end, but here's my thoughts.

I don't have a problem with any of the cast, they're people. My problem is Lenkov: I don't think that man has had an original thought ever. It also doesn't surprise me he wanted another season. I have a feeling they knew the show was ending before they announced it and if that was certainly the case, it is a poor judgment call on Lenkov's part to spring the announcement on fans as late as he did.

I've been thinking about the reboot the last couple of days because I know Friday is it. 10 years is a pretty good run and part of me is surprised the series lasted the long. I've said it before and will say it again, the pilot didn't hook me in. I have read reviews and followed threads here, all the while watching the original series multiple times (that's another story, trust me). My biggest problem is that Lenkov, in his grand scheme of putting together this series, made Danno into an insufferable jerk (and I'm being kind). The few times I have watched, I've also been annoyed by Scott Caan's mush mouth (maybe he actually speaks clearly in the show and I haven't seen it).

Another factor: CBS is kind of in flux right now. As far as I know, they haven't permanently replaced Les Moonves who was one of the people who was really behind this show when it premiered a decade ago. Of course, he's been ousted because of sexual misconduct so one of the higher up backers has been gone for awhile (part of my surprise the show lasted until Friday). This could explain, at least partially, why the ax came down now. The network could be putting in someone else who could potentially gut the schedule but with all the Covid-19 stuff going on right now, that may not happen until next year for both the permanent replacement and the gutting. I've also read where there might be a writer's strike on the horizon too.

However, the bottom line is that Alex O'Loughlin is not physically able to continue: at least not at the pace he's been going (based what I've read). At some point, one has to make a choice and I believe he chose his health over continuing. I wish him well in the rest of his life and whatever future endeavors he undertakes. That goes for the rest of the cast as well.

I just hope the final episode is one that fans will like but I have a gut feeling it may be more along the lines of "Woe To Wo Fat": ending the show on a whimper rather than something more worthwhile.

[Will]

I probably shouldn't comment on this because I don't watch the reboot. I get there is a lot of people out there who like it and don't want to see it end, but here's my thoughts.

I don't have a problem with any of the cast, they're people. My problem is Lenkov: I don't think that man has had an original thought ever. It also doesn't surprise me he wanted another season. I have a feeling they knew the show was ending before they announced it and if that was certainly the case, it is a poor judgment call on Lenkov's part to spring the announcement on fans as late as he did.

I've been thinking about the reboot the last couple of days because I know Friday is it. 10 years is a pretty good run and part of me is surprised the series lasted the long. I've said it before and will say it again, the pilot didn't hook me in. I have read reviews and followed threads here, all the while watching the original series multiple times (that's another story, trust me). My biggest problem is that Lenkov, in his grand scheme of putting together this series, made Danno into an insufferable jerk (and I'm being kind). The few times I have watched, I've also been annoyed by Scott Caan's mush mouth (maybe he actually speaks clearly in the show and I haven't seen it).

Another factor: CBS is kind of in flux right now. As far as I know, they haven't permanently replaced Les Moonves who was one of the people who was really behind this show when it premiered a decade ago. Of course, he's been ousted because of sexual misconduct so one of the higher up backers has been gone for awhile (part of my surprise the show lasted until Friday). This could explain, at least partially, why the ax came down now. The network could be putting in someone else who could potentially gut the schedule but with all the Covid-19 stuff going on right now, that may not happen until next year for both the permanent replacement and the gutting. I've also read where there might be a writer's strike on the horizon too.

However, the bottom line is that Alex O'Loughlin is not physically able to continue: at least not at the pace he's been going (based what I've read). At some point, one has to make a choice and I believe he chose his health over continuing. I wish him well in the rest of his life and whatever future endeavors he undertakes. That goes for the rest of the cast as well.

I just hope the final episode is one that fans will like but I have a gut feeling it may be more along the lines of "Woe To Wo Fat": ending the show on a whimper rather than something more worthwhile.

I hope so, too.

I agree with your thoughts. This is an old show, the two leads would need new deals and the show is a holdover from the Moonves era. CBS undoubtedly saw this as opportunity to get some new stuff on the schedule. Kind of interesting that they didn't cancel Blue Bloods but I think that's doing better in syndication than Five-0.

[Bobbi]

. I agree with your thoughts. This is an old show, the two leads would need new deals and the show is a holdover from the Moonves era. CBS undoubtedly saw this as opportunity to get some new stuff on the schedule. Kind of interesting that they didn't cancel Blue Bloods but I think that's doing better in syndication than Five-0.

I know "Blue Bloods" has been running on Ion Television for a few years now and they were on late night on our NBC affiliate here in Anchorage, so you could be right on the syndication part. I think "Blue Bloods" will end when Selleck pulls the plug there and I actually expect that within a year or two.

An interesting note about the Five-0 finale: it will air two days shy of the 40th Anniversary of "Woe To Wo Fat" which aired April 5, 1980.

[Todd]

. I agree with your thoughts. This is an old show, the two leads would need new deals and the show is a holdover from the Moonves era. CBS undoubtedly saw this as opportunity to get some new stuff on the schedule. Kind of interesting that they didn't cancel Blue Bloods but I think that's doing better in syndication than Five-0.

I know "Blue Bloods" has been running on Ion Television for a few years now and they were on late night on our NBC affiliate here in Anchorage, so you could be right on the syndication part. I think "Blue Bloods" will end when Selleck pulls the plug there and I actually expect that within a year or two.

An interesting note about the Five-0 finale: it will air two days shy of the 40th Anniversary of "Woe To Wo Fat" which aired April 5, 1980.

Too bad they can't do it on the exact 40th, but that pushes it off of Friday, so that was a no-go.

Blue Bloods was probably indirectly keeping Five-Zero around for a few extra years. It attracted the same demographic -- older viewers. Blue Bloods actually has the oldest average audience on network TV (I heard 70!), but Five-Zero is up there, too.

That's why the series had a lot of patriotic and pro-military undertones. The older crowd doesn't want to watch a protest piece about America being bad and its military being evil (and to be honest, I don't want to see that, either).

This is also why Five-Zero didn't push the envelope with any of its main characters doing anything particularly edgy or controversial. For example, notice none of them had any kinds of gay flings or romances (well, unless you count McGarrett and Danno!) Again, they don't want to upset the old people.

I also fear that the finale will be mediocre. I'm afraid it will be too focused upon wrapping things up with everyone and everything, and not enough focused on actually sending off the series with a great final episode.

Lenkov's "I've had the idea for this for a long time" line scares me. Reminds me too much of a short-lived (one season) series I really enjoyed called "Life On Mars" (the US version). It was a fascinating series about a 2008 NY cop who woke up in 1973, and the series mixed in regular police procedural stuff with a sci-fi element, where the main character kept getting little clues as to why he was in in 1973 and how to get back "home" to his own time. Then the series went on hiatus and lost its momentum, so they had to hastily put together a series finale. It ended up terrible, and basically took a really lame "it was all just a dream" explanation for the whole thing. Lame!! I was so disappointed. In that series, the showrunner also claimed that this was his idea for resolution all along. I guess I'm glad they only took one season to get to that awfulness!

I guess we will see.

[Todd]

Regarding why CBS axed it, I think the show's time had just come.

It was probably too expensive to justify continuing. Ten years is a good run. They can already make good money in syndication and DVD sales.

I'm guessing that they bent over backward to get Alex to return for the past two seasons, and for Scott to return half-time (which is what he did). It probably wasn't worth it to them anymore to continue to push for this.

[Todd]

Oh, and even if it were renewed, it's unclear if they could have gone forward with the show anyway, given that the coronavirus has shut down production everywhere, and will for the foreseeable future.

In fact, they just got this finale in the can somewhat under the wire. They're lucky they were able to finish it.

[mach440]

Appreciate the conversation everybody, especially in light of the weird pandemic-y times we're currently experiencing (Three dead cows at Wuhan??)

Yeah it's a somewhat bittersweet feeling with Five-Zero drawing to a close tonight. I really loved the pilot episode and even with some obvious shortcomings felt the first season or two were worthy of "Five-O canon" status. The Season 1 finale/ Season 2 opener cliffhangers are still rated as 2 of the top 3 episodes of the entire run on IMDB, the other being the phenominal "Pearl Harbor" episode. While usually not equal to the high points of the original series, I think there was a genuine effort and energy present that was obviously missing in that wretched other pilot done back in '96 or whenever with Garey Busey.

But things drifted downward and went quickly off the cliff (or "jumped the shark," if you will, in the precisely correct usage of that term) once "McGarrett's Mom" and the other idiocies started piling up. Ironically I eventually became a far bigger fan of Blue Bloods and now have only watched a handful of the Five-Zeros over the past several seasons.

Overall I think Bobbi is absolutely correct though that the BIG problem was at the top: Lenkov -- and I would include his associates Alex Kurtzman, Orosi, JJ Abrams et al and that whole group of collaborators. They've been very prominent in TV and movies over the past decade (Star Wars, Star Trek, MacGuyver, Magnum, Five-Zero, Picard) and you nailed it Bobbi: not really a single meaningful original (intelligent) idea in that entire list. Their M.O. is they seem to get the surface "look" and "feel" of the originals and "try" to pay homage to the classic versions, but stupidly substitute busy movement and "modern" appearances for intelligent thought and almost never come up with a noteworthy original idea. (If you think Five-Zero got wrecked; they've absolutely butchered Star Trek: Picard --- which my lifelong Trek-fan daughter and I were so excited to begin and now we've already quit in disgust before the 9th episode -- as Mad magazine used to say, "Bleeeeaaeeeck!")

On the other hand Alex O'Laughlin is a good actor and likeable guy and he "kept the flame burning" or something --- we got to see some very entertaining episodes, and I'm grateful for the economic boost and pride that the reboot brought to the island. And the truly cool "Sunsets on the Beach" and Hawaiian blessings of the set each summer over the past decade. The reboot brought all this and more as well as renewing lots of interest around the world and the internet (especially at a little website belonging to Mr. Mike! and this one too, thanks Todd). I also have seen widespread recognition of the significance of the original Five-O in our society's history.

So it's Aloha for now to McDanno and Co. --- I'm putting on my "50th Anniversary of Five-0" t-shirt we got at the ABC Store on Kalakoua Avenue to watch the finale ... see you all for the next reboot in 2052!

[Mr. Mike]

I was just updating my ratings page for the reboot, and the current (10th) season is so far third after the first and second seasons, though it just squeaked by the ninth (these stats are not reflected in what's on the rating page right now, will be done very soon).

The number in brackets is the number of episodes for that season.

1 - 2.77 (24)
2 - 2.67 (24)
3 - 2.13 (24)
4 - 2.32 (22)
5 - 2.36 (25)
6 - 2.07 (25)
7 - 1.81 (25)
8 - 2.12 (25)
9 - 2.35 (25)
10 - 2.38 (so far - 22 in total)

[vrinda]

I have more to say on this, but will say this for now, and post more later. It is a bit sad that the new show is ending, because it gave us something to talk about. A lot of people liked it and didn't want it to end, evident in the comments section on article Will posted. I won't give away the plot of the finale since many may not have seen it, but it reads like a typical episode of the new H50 in terms of structure, and the ending of the main storyline was a little too abrupt.

[Bobbi]

Overall I think Bobbi is absolutely correct though that the BIG problem was at the top: Lenkov -- and I would include his associates Alex Kurtzman, Orosi, JJ Abrams et al and that whole group of collaborators. They've been very prominent in TV and movies over the past decade (Star Wars, Star Trek, MacGuyver, Magnum, Five-Zero, Picard) and you nailed it Bobbi: not really a single meaningful original (intelligent) idea in that entire list. Their M.O. is they seem to get the surface "look" and "feel" of the originals and "try" to pay homage to the classic versions, but stupidly substitute busy movement and "modern" appearances for intelligent thought and almost never come up with a noteworthy original idea. (If you think Five-Zero got wrecked; they've absolutely butchered Star Trek: Picard --- which my lifelong Trek-fan daughter and I were so excited to begin and now we've already quit in disgust before the 9th episode -- as Mad magazine used to say, "Bleeeeaaeeeck!")

I get it, I've heard a lot of that from various sources. What I don't get is that I actually like the Star Trek movie reboots, I really like the cast (and yes, I'm an odd duck). Now I don't know if it's because Star Trek is more flexible in its construct than the others or what. I was actually excited about Five-Zero because of the writers worked on the Star Trek movie reboots, but it all fell flat. At least to me.

I haven't watched Picard yet and you're the second one I've seen that gives it a thumbs down. I'm going to take advantage of CBS All Access giving a 30 day free trial. I think it's good to sign up through April 23rd.

Anyway, after watching "Aloha" and not to give anything away: I chalk it up as being more like "Woe To Wo Fat" than not. I don't think the fans are going to like it. I will agree with vrinda in that the ending was too pat.

[Mr. Mike]

I think they did a good job given only 42 minutes. I'm surprised that Lenkov didn't go to CBS and convince them to give him two hours just for the last episode. There was a huge gap at the end of the show when McG finally makes up his mind to leave. They could have had him looking at Danny in the hospital a bit more. (By the way, was the chapel in this show the same one as seen in the episode with zombie Jack Lord?) I had a huge "HUH?" at the fact that Danno was out of the hospital after only one week. Poor Danno at the end, it reminded me of the expression "And we left him sitting there [fill in your own ending here]..."

[JeffH]

I think they did a nice job with the finale, focusing on characters rather than absurd plot mechanics and such. I think the key to the show’s success was Alex O’ Loughlin. Rather than trying to imitate Jack Lord’s classic performance, which would be foolish, he made the character his own, and had a good set of acting chops, no matter how ridiculous the plots were at times.
I think this version had a better finale than the original, with proper closure that tied it back to the pilot episode when McGarrett arrived on the island. Of course, that’s largely a function of how tv shows are written in the modern era. The original should probably have called it quits after season 10 or 11.
It will be interesting to see how many of the show’s characters appear on the Magnum remake, which is a series that I’ve tried to watch a few times and just can’t get into it.
Finally, I think the new H50 helped keep the original series in the spotlight and cultural zeitgeist more these last 10 years than had it not been on the air at all. The two shows have been very profitable for CBS, and I have no doubt they will revive it again some day, in some form.
And a tip of the hat to MJQ for diligently sticking with his entertaining reviews of the show each week, through the highs and the many many lows.....thank you Mike!!

[Mr. Mike]

Seriously, I thought Hesse, McGarrett's father and Wo Fat were going to be like these 3 guys.

[Bobbi]

Oh my gosh Mr. Mike, that's funny!

I thought the exact same thing in the chapel scene and I was cringing (please don't do that weird CGI again, leave Jack alone!). I was relieved when they didn't but it looked like the same chapel to me. (I watched the scene awhile back just to see it. It was weird!).

[Mr. Mike]

Not the same chapel as far as I can determine. In the earlier show (S07E01), we don't see a stained-glass window at the back of the chapel, but we do see (behind zombie Jack Lord) the side windows have these vertical bars in them...

[Mr. Mike]

My ratings for #H50 seasons updated, in order from best to worst. 10th season was #3!!

1 - 2.77 (24)
2 - 2.67 (24)
10 - 2.43 (22)
5 - 2.36 (25)
9 - 2.35 (25)
4 - 2.32 (22)
3 - 2.13 (24)
8 - 2.12 (25)
6 - 2.07 (25)
7 - 1.81 (25)

http://fiveohomepage.com/ratings/Fiv...%20Ratings.htm

[Bobbi]

Overall I think Bobbi is absolutely correct though that the BIG problem was at the top: Lenkov -- and I would include his associates Alex Kurtzman, Orosi, JJ Abrams et al and that whole group of collaborators. They've been very prominent in TV and movies over the past decade (Star Wars, Star Trek, MacGuyver, Magnum, Five-Zero, Picard) and you nailed it Bobbi: not really a single meaningful original (intelligent) idea in that entire list. Their M.O. is they seem to get the surface "look" and "feel" of the originals and "try" to pay homage to the classic versions, but stupidly substitute busy movement and "modern" appearances for intelligent thought and almost never come up with a noteworthy original idea. (If you think Five-Zero got wrecked; they've absolutely butchered Star Trek: Picard --- which my lifelong Trek-fan daughter and I were so excited to begin and now we've already quit in disgust before the 9th episode -- as Mad magazine used to say, "Bleeeeaaeeeck!")

I know this is off-topic **WITH SPOILERS** but wanted to let mach440 know I gave "Star Trek: Picard" a chance but they gave me characters I couldn't care less about and there were too many of them. I did find a solution though, I only got partway through episode 4 before quitting. I skipped to the one with Riker and Deanna and then went straight to the final episode of Season 1. I will not be going back. It's sad.

[Mr. Mike]

Emme Tomimbang did a retrospective-type show about Classic H50 which was broadcast around the time of the 1996 convention in October 1996 in Honolulu. This appeared on the 7th disc of the season one DVD box set. There were some minor edits in the show on the DVDs as compared to the original broadcast (I don't recall specifically what they are).

Emme did another retrospective more recently, focusing on the H50 reboot, which featured Mark Dacascos, who played Wo Fat, but also had appearances from some actors who had appeared on both shows like Al Harrington and Jimmy Borges. At the very end of this show, Lenkov was asked if the show would reach 12 seasons. He sort of hesitated, and then said "Touch wood."

Emme was listed in the cast for one of the last two reboot shows as a woman with groceries, but did not appear in the show, as far as I remember. No doubt she will be in the deleted scenes on the Season 10 DVD set which reportedly will be released early in July rather than the usual September.

[mach440]

Overall I think Bobbi is absolutely correct though that the BIG problem was at the top: Lenkov -- and I would include his associates Alex Kurtzman, Orosi, JJ Abrams et al and that whole group of collaborators. They've been very prominent in TV and movies over the past decade (Star Wars, Star Trek, MacGuyver, Magnum, Five-Zero, Picard) and you nailed it Bobbi: not really a single meaningful original (intelligent) idea in that entire list. Their M.O. is they seem to get the surface "look" and "feel" of the originals and "try" to pay homage to the classic versions, but stupidly substitute busy movement and "modern" appearances for intelligent thought and almost never come up with a noteworthy original idea. (If you think Five-Zero got wrecked; they've absolutely butchered Star Trek: Picard --- which my lifelong Trek-fan daughter and I were so excited to begin and now we've already quit in disgust before the 9th episode -- as Mad magazine used to say, "Bleeeeaaeeeck!")

I know this is off-topic **WITH SPOILERS** but wanted to let mach440 know I gave "Star Trek: Picard" a chance but they gave me characters I couldn't care less about and there were too many of them. I did find a solution though, I only got partway through episode 4 before quitting. I skipped to the one with Riker and Deanna and then went straight to the final episode of Season 1. I will not be going back. It's sad.

Unfortunately, "sad" is a good description, Bobbi! Neither my daughter nor I wanted to be the one to come out and say it, but we both independently came to the same conclusion as the other (and as you did). Combined with the general "downer" of this danged worldwide pandemic thing, we couldn't bring ourselves to watch any more of this negative dreck for several weeks. Finally as things now *seem* to be improving and summer-like weather has returned to SoCal, we geared up for a binge of the final several episodes last weekend.

And you're right --- it was great to see Riker, Deanna, Data and Seven again, but otherwise: way too many characters, most of whom were supremely annoying (a la, Carguments? McG's Mom?). Plus the cliched, wanna-be Star Wars-type motley band of rejects "thrown together for the big mission", idiotic plot twists leading nowhere, killing off well-loved ST-TNG characters with no purpose, a complete dismantling of any semblance of the once-noble Federation (now apparently reduced to a corrupt, inept, bigoted bureaucracy run by foul-mouthed silver-haired women of ill comportment), shockingly sudden gory and violent imagery pictured without warning ... sensing any Kurtzman & Co. patterns here?

The shame needs to be shared, however --- "Sir Patrick" is front and center among those to be blamed for this debacle. He made it very apparent in all the lead-up hype to the premiere that he was injecting lots of his personal views and politics into this project as well, resulting in a nearly complete on-screen betrayal of everything that Star Trek in general and Next Gen in particular had built up over the decades of series, movies and spin-offs. What idiots!

As an antidote to wash the bad taste away, we immediately dove back into watching our TNG season 5 DVDs --- what a breath of fresh air, and truly thoughtful, entertaining sci-fi creativity! (well, at least once they jettisoned Wesley! )