Mutant X FAQ: Why was Mutant X cancelled?
Mutant X's Cancellation
In April 2004, Mutant X viewers were feeling triumphant when distribution company Tribune Entertainment announced that Mutant X and its sister show Andromeda had been renewed for a fourth and a fifth season respectively. Then, seemingly out of the blue, actress Karen Cliche (who played Lexa Pierce) posted a message on her official website that the show had been cancelled:
"Just thought I would be the first to let you know before it has been officially announced that 'Mutant X' is canceled. We are all very sad. Don't know when they will make it official, but we have [the cast] been advised that we aren't going [for] another season. We are all now trying to go on with our lives and careers, and who knows? This could be an opening of wonderful opportunities for many people. Always look at the bright side!"
Confusion ensued as the media and anxious fans waited for official news about the future of the show. Just as Karen Cliche had forewarned, owner CanWest Global Communications soon folded its production company Fireworks Entertainment, citing financial reasons. With CanWest out of the picture, Tribune Entertainment consequently backed away from continuing with Mutant X's fourth season.
From The Futon Critic: CanWest Global Communications has announced it is folding the remnants of Fireworks Entertainment, the company behind such series as "Wild Card," "Strange Days at Blake Holesy High", "Mutant X" and "Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda," with production and acquisition of all of its properties being shut down last week. In addition, "Mutant X" cast member Karen Cliche has confirmed the series will not return for a fourth season. The news comes just four months after fellow Canadian studio Alliance Atlantis pulled the plug on its production division, save for its involvement in the "C.S.I." franchise. Both moves are widely understood to be the result of the gradual drying up of the international syndication market. Said developments have hit the Canadian studios the hardest, leaving only a handful of independent companies. As for Fireworks, the company had narrowed its focus to the North American market in recent years however "it has become clear that the steps taken to date have not been sufficient to restore Fireworks to profitability and ensure its long-term viability," the company said in a statement to the press.
Andromeda was subequently picked up by the SciFi Channel, and so was able to go ahead with the production of its next season. But despite various grass-roots fandom efforts, Mutant X was not picked up by the Sci-Fi Channel, and the proposed new season was not produced. Instead, from September 27 2004 to September 19 2005, Tribune aired "The Best of Mutant X", a collection of 52 selected reruns from the first three seasons, calling this "Season 4." At the same time, The Powers That Be floated the possibility of a two-hour television movie that would tie up the loose plot ends left dangling after the third season's cliffhanger. Unfortunately, this project never materialized, and Mutant X quietly ended when the final re-run of " The Assault" aired on September 19.
The episodes which were chosen for the so-called Season 4: "The Best of Mutant X": episodes 101, 102, 104, 105, 107, 112-115, 117, 119-204, 206, 207, 210-301, 303-310, 312-317, and 319-322.
Return to The Mutant X Warehouse
In April 2004, Mutant X viewers were feeling triumphant when distribution company Tribune Entertainment announced that Mutant X and its sister show Andromeda had been renewed for a fourth and a fifth season respectively. Then, seemingly out of the blue, actress Karen Cliche (who played Lexa Pierce) posted a message on her official website that the show had been cancelled:
"Just thought I would be the first to let you know before it has been officially announced that 'Mutant X' is canceled. We are all very sad. Don't know when they will make it official, but we have [the cast] been advised that we aren't going [for] another season. We are all now trying to go on with our lives and careers, and who knows? This could be an opening of wonderful opportunities for many people. Always look at the bright side!"
Confusion ensued as the media and anxious fans waited for official news about the future of the show. Just as Karen Cliche had forewarned, owner CanWest Global Communications soon folded its production company Fireworks Entertainment, citing financial reasons. With CanWest out of the picture, Tribune Entertainment consequently backed away from continuing with Mutant X's fourth season.
From The Futon Critic: CanWest Global Communications has announced it is folding the remnants of Fireworks Entertainment, the company behind such series as "Wild Card," "Strange Days at Blake Holesy High", "Mutant X" and "Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda," with production and acquisition of all of its properties being shut down last week. In addition, "Mutant X" cast member Karen Cliche has confirmed the series will not return for a fourth season. The news comes just four months after fellow Canadian studio Alliance Atlantis pulled the plug on its production division, save for its involvement in the "C.S.I." franchise. Both moves are widely understood to be the result of the gradual drying up of the international syndication market. Said developments have hit the Canadian studios the hardest, leaving only a handful of independent companies. As for Fireworks, the company had narrowed its focus to the North American market in recent years however "it has become clear that the steps taken to date have not been sufficient to restore Fireworks to profitability and ensure its long-term viability," the company said in a statement to the press.
Andromeda was subequently picked up by the SciFi Channel, and so was able to go ahead with the production of its next season. But despite various grass-roots fandom efforts, Mutant X was not picked up by the Sci-Fi Channel, and the proposed new season was not produced. Instead, from September 27 2004 to September 19 2005, Tribune aired "The Best of Mutant X", a collection of 52 selected reruns from the first three seasons, calling this "Season 4." At the same time, The Powers That Be floated the possibility of a two-hour television movie that would tie up the loose plot ends left dangling after the third season's cliffhanger. Unfortunately, this project never materialized, and Mutant X quietly ended when the final re-run of " The Assault" aired on September 19.
The episodes which were chosen for the so-called Season 4: "The Best of Mutant X": episodes 101, 102, 104, 105, 107, 112-115, 117, 119-204, 206, 207, 210-301, 303-310, 312-317, and 319-322.
Return to The Mutant X Warehouse