Flash Gordon Cancelled

So I just found out that Flash Gordon has been cancelled and will not be returning for a second season.

I'm not especially surprised, though a little disappointed. As I mentioned in my review of the first season, I always felt the show had potential and certainly improved in response to the negative criticism following its launch last Autumn.

It was at Sci Fi's upfront presentation that David Howe (Sci Fi Channel President) lumped Flash Gordon in with the likes of Painkiller Jane and The Dresden Files, both of which were similarly unsuccessful and similarly cancelled. Howe cited failings in the development process and it seems that he'll be seeking to ensure that new shows are more thoroughly developed before being debuted.

This seems sensible as Flash Gordon suffered from a slow start out of the blocks and never really recovered after being pretty universally panned by the critical media.

Howe closed by saying that the channel may try again with Flash Gordon in a few years time. For now, I think its best just to ensure that development of new shows go forward with lessons learned from this particular failure.