Cancelled Too Soon?

"Wow. Battle Creek has changed you, Milt. Before you know if you're going to be a bitter, cynical guy. You better get out while you still can." — Russ, "Battle Creek"

It's been a rough Spring for new shows. When the networks announced their new fall schedules earlier this month, most of the new shows from the 2014-2015 season had been shed like an unwanted sweater. The truth is, I think it's harder to get a new show to stick than it was in year's past.

Think about it. "Seinfeld" is considered, by many, the greatest sitcom of all time. But it didn't really find an audience until its third season. I can't help but wonder how many potential "Seinfelds" have been cancelled before they even get to 10 episodes.

Each year there are cancelled shows that I find justified, and some that are a bummer. One of those for this season is "Battle Creek," the CBS drama that wrapped up its first and only season on Sunday night. The show started with promise a year ago at the CBS Upfront presentation. It was a new drama from the creators of "Breaking Bad" and "House." That seemed like a winning combination.

But CBS waited until March, then dumped the show on Sunday nights at 10 p.m., not a slot known for producing hits. And that's what happened. "Battle Creek" premiered to middling ratings and they didn't get any better. It wasn't properly paired with "The Good Wife," and it didn't have a chance to build an audience.

At first I thought the show was good, but I wasn't sold. However, after watching the whole season, I grew fond of the world, the stories, and the characters. Particularly good were Dean Winters and Josh Duhamel in the lead roles. And, better yet, I felt like the show kept getting better.

Sadly, that wasn't enough. Sunday's finale is the final episode of the show. Hopefully some people will find it on DVD or streaming sites. For now, we can just imagine what might have been.