Why was season 3 canceled and what replaced it?
The Dark Angel sci-fi series created by James Cameron and Charles H. Eglee made a promising debut in 2000, directed by JamesCameron. But the series was canceled after the second season.
There were several theories as to why the series was not continued. For example, according to promotions online news, the terrorist attack of September 11 was the reason for the termination of the series. Apart from them, however, according to The Encyclopedia of Superheroes on Film and Television, the series’ revenues drop drastically during the second season.
This statement is proved by the fact that the premiere was watched by more than 17 million people, however, already during the first season, the viewership dropped to around 10 million, and almost halfway through the second season, it dropped to around 6 million during the second season.
The first – two episode cost Fox about $10 million, including hefty marketing costs, and the second season was also $1.3 million per episode.
Eglee told the Sun Journal in 2001 that the first season was “routinely overspent”. When quoted by the same article, Cameron claimed that these issues were not a major concern for the studio, adding that the final seven episodes of season 1 were under budget.
After the cancellation of Dark Angel was finalized, Cameron alluded to the series’ financial problems; claiming that Fox was canceling the show due to declining advertising revenue.
“They cut their total annual revenue to two-thirds of what it was. They didn’t know how to cope. It’s not like they took us away and put a cheaper show in our place. It was just a knee-jerk, ‘Try anything!'” Cameron was quoted in the book Science Fiction Television Series: 1990-2004: Histories, Casts, And Credits for 58 Shows.
The first season was shown on Tuesday evenings starting at 9:00 p.m., but the second season was moved by the TV to 8:00 p.m. on Fridays, which is a “death time slot” because advertisers believe that the 18-50 age group spends the weekend outside the house.
The Friday night 8 o’clock broadcast usually produces low ratings and most shows are canceled after the Friday night shift.
Cameron wanted to continue the series at all costs. However, Fox ultimately decided to pull the plug on a potential third season. Story ideas for the planned Season 3 eventually found their way to After The Dark, the third book in the Dark Angel novel series.
Three Dark Angel novels were published in 2002-2003, Before the Dawn, Skin Game, and After The Dark was the last book to explore the story that would make up Dark Angel Season 3. After Dark Angel, Cameron made another billion dollar blockbuster with Avatar, Jessica Alba became a movie star, and in 2011 she founded the Honest Company, which became a billion dollar company.