PASADENA, California (AP) -- The Camden family is disappearing from television in May strictly for financial reasons: the WB's top executive said Sunday that the network is losing $16 million this year on "7th Heaven."
The family drama, the most popular program in the network's history, will end its run after 10 years. The decision seems irreversible despite an Internet campaign to save it, even though "7th Heaven" is still the WB's second highest-rated show after "Gilmore Girls." (The WB, like CNN, is a division of Time Warner.)
Production costs tend to jump for television series as they get older, largely because the salaries of actors and others involved grow with success. "7th Heaven," about a family of seven and all their friends, has a large cast.
Reruns of "7th Heaven" were fading in the ratings, too, and that made it tougher for the network to recoup its investment, said Garth Ancier, the WB's top executive.
"As much as we all love the show, we do have to run a business," Ancier said.
Other older WB series, "Smallville" and "Gilmore Girls," don't have the same problem, he said.
Talks about a spinoff to "7th Heaven" have proven inconclusive so far.
The WB has struggled recently as it tries to shed its image as a teen-oriented network and seek out a broader audience. It learned the dangers of going too far when the new series "Just Legal," starring Don Johnson, attracted viewers with the average age of 50 and was swiftly canceled.
As a result, the WB is developing a new comedy about teenagers in a New England boarding school.
The network is also developing series for Ellen DeGeneres, playing the voice of a family dog; music star Brandy; and Nick Lachey, the about-to-be former Mr. Jessica Simpson, as the lead in a romantic comedy
I never watched it, seemed a little too 'Jesusy' for my taste. One time though, right after my childhood dog died, I flipped by it and the dad was telling some old couple about dogs going to heaven, I got a little misty.
After their children grew up...all the extra characters...I couldn't keep track and I lost interest. Also how many fiances, wives girlfriends of the older boy...couldn't keep up.
Couldn't stand it years ago, I doubt I could stand it now.
My mum watched it once while I was out in Australia, and the whole episode was made up of photos and one of the son's talking over the photos, telling the entire story of the show.
After 10 minutes of that crap I left, got a beer and challenged my dad in darts. I lost. Didn't know he was a pro
they should have a spin off about the dog. happy? i dunno. It'll be just as exciting as the show is now.
I used to watch it back in the days. but yeah, all of a sudden one's married one's not, one has a kid, simon is in trouble somehow AGAIN then he gets someone pregnant maybe, maybe not, there's a stranger living in their house, then not, then another one, then he's hooking up with the young one, then she's dating everyone,.....too crazy.
To me it's one of those shows that' been on for years and I don't know anyone that has ever watched it. It just existed on the air for so long because there was nothing else on, like Coach or Wings did. Man did those shows lick ape.
Yes, it is time for this show to come off the air. I don't think there are any more situations, drama, etc that can happen to that family. Everything has definitely been played out.
