Here is a nice conspiracy theory for this cool conspiracy theory show too.

Production was cancelled before they could complete a full season of the show. No explanations given except a slight ratings drop. The funny thing about the ratings drop is that the show was well reviewed and started with higher ratings than many shows who went on to become hugely popular. The ratings drop was actually the ratings dropping to normal or slightly higher than normal levels. Ratings drop as an explanation f More..or the shows cancellation doesn't wash really.

Unofficially, the scuttlebutt from writers at sci-fi conventions was that the show was cancelled from the highest levels at corporate headquarters because of it's subject matter which the writers were warned to tone down, but didn't. Unlike the X-files which mostly delved into the paranormal. The subject matter on The Lone Gunmen was about Government sponsored terrorism (As can be seen in the pilot episode here). Overbearing government authority creeping into civil liberties with a surveillance police state, corporate crime and the collusion of large corporations and govt authority. Gun running and the nature of arms dealers too. The higher ups were not happy with the premise of many of the episodes or the development of the shows overall story arc.

It was a very promising show premise. The Lone Gunmen and the show Firefly were cancelled by FOX for the same reason essentially. The content of the show. On Firefly Whedon was mostly unwilling to compromise with corporate about the overall subject matter of the show and how it was developing. Firefly had a very anti-authoritarian streak. In that show corporations of the central systems were depicted as having committed the most heinous atrocities in the name of profit share, and were essentially the bad guys with the governments of the central systems being their puppets.

What's interesting is that even some of the crappiest shows on TV are usually given two or several seasons in order to develop an audience. While other shows that explore certain concepts are wont to come to a nasty and abrupt end, even if they were actually profitable to start.

Also it actually cost FOX more to cancel The Lone Gunmen than to finish production on the rest of the season. There were in total 17 or 18 episodes that were planned for that season. The final 4 or so episodes had been written, the sets built, all pre-production costs had been paid as well as the actors for the full season. All they had to do was film the final few episodes. Which wasn't allowed. I've actually read two of the seasons final episode scripts. Corporations and a couple of acronymed government agencies in particular do not come out looking good at all.

The Lone Gunmen series was actually finished on the X-Files. Where corporate HQ had much tighter control of the writers. And what a bad and messy end it was too. Was sort of like "This is what comes of being nosy do gooders" type of message.
Oops lunchtime is over and I hear the crack of a whip!
*cue X-Files theme music here* Less..

Posted Jul-19-2012 By 

Rikki_Tikki_Tavi (591.30)

Rikki_Tikki_Tavi

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