There Is No 'Life on Mars'

ABC is on a roll of sorts. The network has just announced the cancellation of "Life on Mars," months after pulling a trio of other scripted series -- "Pushing Daisies," "Dirty Sexy Money," and "Eli Stone." The time-travel-themed "Life on Mars" is still in production, which means that the executive producers, including local boy Scott Rosenberg, will have an opportunity to put together a series finale.

"We felt it was the right thing to do for the producers and the fans and creatively," ABC Entertainment President Steve McPherson told TVWeek about giving the "Life on Mars" story an ending. (Let's see if ABC actually airs the finale; the network has not been as kind to the fans of "DSM" and "Eli Stone," both of which still have unaired final episodes in the bank.) Creating closure for "Life on Mars" will also make a DVD release and a cable-network run more promotable.

Based on a British series, "Life on Mars" never caught on in the ratings, despite good time slots (after "Grey's Anatomy," and then after "Lost") and an impressive cast (including Harvey Keitel, Michael Imperioli, and Jason O'Mara). The most recent episode brought in only 5.5 million viewers. I'm sorry to say goodbye to this police drama with a twist and a great sense of 1970s style.

Are you in mourning?