Last year, my friend Amy told me she was moving from writing Leverage to writing Eureka. She asked me if I was interested in playing a scientist who was kind of a jerk. I said "yes" as fast as I could, and ended up playing Doctor Isaac Parrish for seven of the ten episodes in season 4.5. When season 5 was announced, I was invited back for more, and I said "yes" even faster this time, violating several laws of physics that I made up for the occasion.
Late last night, my Twitter exploded with people who were furious at the network formerly known as Sci-Fi for canceling Eureka. I figured that these people were talking about the news from last week, where we thought the show would have a six episode sixth season (that we would film in October), to end its run … but it was unlikely that dozens and then hundreds of people would be spontaneously upset about news that was a week old all in the same few minutes, so I did a little digging on the googles.
It turns out that the network formerly-known as Sci-Fi changed its mind, and took back the six episode sixth season. Eureka will have to wrap up season five and the entire series with the episode that starts filming on Thursday. I know they'll have to do some rewriting, so I'm hopeful that Bob Newhart is available.*
At this point, I know as much as you do, because I found out the same way you did. I'm trying really hard not to be upset with the network for issuing a statement to the press before the cast knew, so we wouldn't have to find out the way we did; as you can imagine, it isn't exactly easy.
Jaime and Bruce (the show's executive producers) called me shortly after the news broke, to thank me for being part of the show, and tell me how sad they were that it was over. I could tell that they were as shell-shocked as I was. I feel comfortable telling the public what I told them: I'm proud of Eureka. I think it's an incredible show, and while I'm sad for them to lose something they've been working on for so long, I'm selfishly sad that I won't get to work with this cast and crew any more. Eureka is a tremendously fun show to make, and from the very first time I set foot on the set, the cast and crew made me feel like I was part of their family. To have that taken away so soon after it began makes me profoundly sad; I can feel the loss in my heart and what would be my soul if I had one and wasn't made of pure beardstuff from the sixth dimension.
At the same time, I'm grateful that I'm sad, because if I wasn't, that would mean I never had any good times working on the show. You know that thing they say about loving what you do means it isn't really work? Well, I've been lucky enough to feel that way on four different shows for the last several years, and Eureka is the one I've been able to call home the longest.
Please join me in thanking Amy Berg, Jaime Paglia, Bruce Miller, Matt Hastings, Todd Sharp, all the Eureka Writers, and especially the cast and crew for letting me visit their town and work for GD, even if it was only for a short time. I've had a wonderful time, bringing a great character to life with actors I love and respect. I've made friendships that will last the rest of my life, and done work that makes me genuinely proud.
Goodbye, Eureka. I have been, and always will be #TeamParrish.
*Kids, ask your parents.
It was heartbreaking to watch the whole Eureka crew find out the same way we did. So sorry it happened that way, but I have faith that the staff can give the show the finale it deserves (albeit a bit too soon).
This makes me sad on purely a selfish level, since I can’t think of another show that’s as funny, or warm, as Eureka (also, the exteriors were shot down the way from my Mom’s house, so there’s that).
Thanks for sharing that with us viewers.
On one hand I’m disappointed to see the show go, but on the other hand it was the last show I still watched on Siffy so now I can commence ignoring that whole network.
So sad to hear about the cancellation of Eureka, especially since I’m a newcomer to the series (found the first 3 seasons on Netflix). Seems like the evil landlord of a network changed the locks on your place just because they’d rather rent the space to a pro wrestler than a bunch of hilarious science nerds. For shame, network formerly-known as Sci-Fi, for shame.
The same thing happened to the SG:U cast. I’m not sure why they do it this way, but I don’t work in television.
On the plus side, there’s still time for a proper, intended finale and a decent wrap-up. While cancellation is rarely a happy thing, Eureka has been a great show with an excellent run. 5 seasons is nothing to scoff at and I think is a great number for any series.
You’ve been a great addition to the cast Wil, and I’m looking forward to the rest of s4.5 and s5.
Let me guess, Syfy are going to use the budget they would have used on Eureka on a new series about Vampires and their emotional battles with modern life, blah, blah, recycled blah.
Seriously who is making these decisions?
Darn it! I was really enjoying how Doctor Isaac Parrish was fitting right in in Eureka and I was happy to see you doing so well with it. The show is great, I’m tired of getting slapped in the face by shows being cancelled but I’ll keep searching out the quality TV. Hope you find your way to another show soon Wil.
Ugh. We had a chance to talk with Jamie at length about Mantecoza a few months back, and I’m sure he has all sorts of stuff in the hopper. And now that you are once again a hot commodity, I see great things happening. But… ugh.
Thank you (Amy Berg, Jaime Paglia, Bruce Miller, Matt Hastings, Todd Sharp, all the Eureka Writers, and especially the cast and crew) all indeed!! I love this show and am very sad to see it go. I feel like there are still many, many stories left for Eureka to tell and I’m sad we won’t get to see them.
I wish Sci-Fi would have at least honored their commitment to the last six episodes so that a proper ending could take place. Now episodes already written have to be re-written into an ending which means we are missing out on good stories! A sad Christmas all around.
I only really just started to watch this show, starting with Season 1. It’s great, and I haven’t even gotten to the parts with you and Felicia Day as guest stars. I hate how all my favourite shows get canceled, sometimes before I even realized they were becoming favourite shows…
*Fargo wakes up in bed with Bob Newhart in a hotel in Vermont?
Coool.
I will miss the show. You guys all did an excellent job.
In general, when I watch a SF/F movie or TV show, my daughter says “What’s that?” and my wife replies “Oh, that’s a daddy show, you probably won’t like it.”
There have been only two shows this has not been true for: The first was Dr. Who (and oddly, enough, what captured my daughter, then my wife, initially were the classic B&W episodes proving you don’t need 3D, color, SFX to interest somebody…but a good story helps!). The second show? Eureka. The only show that got all three of us watching without any prompting from me.
SyFy, you don’t know what you are doing. Alas.
Thanks to Wil and everyone involved for contributing to a show that made turning to that channel worthwhile. After you wrap the last episode, you might as well attach a giant flush handle to that network and have the last person give it a pull on the way out the door.
Wil, I was so bummed to hear this news and immediately thought of you. I’m an actor as well, and reading your accounts of working on this show helped keep the brass ring in sight. The things you’ve shared with us are the exact reasons I keep pursuing this in the face of every sort of logic known to man. I’m sorry you won’t get to work on this show any more, but you can take comfort in the fact that you have a ton of fans who are very excited to see what you work on next.
Such a shame. Eureka was pretty much the only thing left on that network I gave a damn about.
So now we’ll get another wrestling show or another stupid movie like “Giant Gator VS. Gay Hamster” or whatever the hell they wanna come up with for that week’s shit sandwich of a movie to replace Eureka. Lovely.
That’s shitty. But hey, let’s make another stupid reality show that showcases stupid people!
I hate the half seasons that networks are putting out now, I hate that as soon as I’m in the groove of a new season they take a break for months on end, I hate that a “season” is 12-16 episodes instead of the 24 it used to be, I hate that I don’t know whether I’m coming or going with what is happening with my favorite shows.
I love Eureka, and I’m beginning to despise SyFy. Thank you to all the actors and producers and everyone behind the scenes. You all did a great job and I will miss the show.
Do you think they could have Nathan come back for the finale?
I am so sad about this! I love this show so much!
As most of the fans I’m angry at SyFy for playing with us like they did… Announce something one week and then a few days later “PSYCH!! No Season 6 for you!”. And I doubt they’ll ever give us a decent explanation as to why they are doing this.
And now to read here that they have only 1 episode left to shot and a couple of days to re-write? That just sucks.
But I’d like to add my thanks to Jaime Paglia, all the Eureka Writers, cast and crew! The show brings me joy and I’ll miss it. =/
Yay social networking. Like how I found out that my aunt had passed away, from my uncle on facebook, before his own brother (my Dad) had been able to get the phone message. Disrespect.
I’m so sorry, but this was a GREAT show. It is well known and will be remembered as such. You got to be part of it, which is awesome. I’m jealous! Best thing yet is how people know you through so many different outlets. You’re back in the game, baby! Now you get to be part of even more great projects to come.
I’ll add this from my sister-in-law, Sandi from G+ :
“Syfy blows giant, sweaty, hairy donkey balls! To say 6 more episodes of Eureka next year and then pull it within a couple days?! That’s even douchy-ier than Fox!”
Hehe, I love her.
I’ve been lucky enough to feel that way on four different shows for the last several years.
Eureka, The Guild, Criminal Minds, and … I’m drawing a blank on the last one! Numb3rs?
Wil, my condolences on the Eureka cancellation. I’m still in shock myself. I honestly only got into the show because I heard you were going to be in it last year. And now that I’ve fallen in love with it, it’s going to end. At least I still have 13 S5 episodes to look forward to (not to mention the rest of S4.5!)!
Well, this really marks the end of an era. The last actual science fiction show on the network has now been eliminated. Once Eureka’s season 5 ends, I won’t have any reason to watch that channel any more.
Wil, you and everyone on Eureka have done a great job creating a rare show: one that celebrates intellectual badasses and doesn’t demean it’s audience in the process. Thanks!
They don’t have time for a proper, intended finale. Wil just said they’ll have to “wrap up season five and the entire series with the episode that starts filming on Thursday.” … So what, 2 days to rewrite and make an episode that was meant to be a season finale into a series finale? I’m sure they’ll do the best they can, but no way that’ll be a proper finale.
Wow. I am SO disappointed in the network formally known as Sci-Fi. I don’t know how they could do this? They seem to like giving us fantastic shows and then just pulling them away for no good reason. I’m sorry…I don’t care what the reason is. It wont be good. Eureka has been one of my favorite shows for SO long. Now I’m really worried about Warehouse 13. I’m going to go tweet y’all who I follow now. I don’t follow everyone because I don’t know their tweet names. But this is a sad sad day.
And Siffy is now cancelling the last of their good shows. At least it’s got Farscape, all the Stargates, and Battlestar Galactica to keep it company.
Congratulations, NBC. You’ve succeeded in bringing a once-great network down to the level of all of your other “ALL LAW AND ORDER! 24/7/365!” crap.
I understand that you might not be able to say much since the flagrant violators of Wheaton’s Law who cancelled Eureka can also screw with your livelihood, but why did this happen? Ratings are decent and its not like they have a lot on tap to take its place. I get the impression that its not a matter of profit, but ENOUGH profit.
My Mistake, I had misread it.
Eureka was/is my favorite show on TV. It seems like every time I get invested in a show it gets cancelled before it’s time. Bummed, truly bummed. But, 5 Seasons is a good run…
NO NO NO, crap, my son (he is 12) is going to be devastated when he hears, he loves that show (and so do I) we watch it together. Why is it that intelligent shows get canceled but yet we have all the “lovely” reality drivel?
Actually they do. The shooting doesn’t wrap until August 31st so the shooting schedule on the last one is pretty long.
I wish SyFy would actually commit to producing quality shows like Eureka. I’m bummed it is no more, but we did have a good run. And at least it’s going out on top, and we don’t have another 6th season Night Court on our hands.
How come all the good shows are only on for a short amount of time. Frack SyFy and hope USA picks it up! Then again they’re both owned by NBC(FRACK! FRACKITY! FRACK! FARCK! FRACK!!!!)
*Know him from The Librarian
uhm… is still only one episode right?
Gah, I wish SyFy would at least make this things clear for us. =/
Crap! I’m just going to give up on tv altogether. The killed my favorite soap (“All My Children”) and now this. I hope another station picks up Eureka…
*hugs*
Maybe USA or another network will pick it up. Is that even possible?
Just another example that the network FORMERLY known as Sci-Fi really no longer cares about the people who made it a successful network in the first place. They would rather continue programming like wrestling and other ridiculous things that have nothing to do with Sci-Fi. I have just about had it with the network. I think once Eureka is over, I won’t be watching any more shows on that retarded channel.
Shame to see Eureka go like all good Sci-fi( still fuming over Atlantis). Space our Sci fi Network is behind in the seasons, so I can not wait to see you in the show.
I was really sad to hear this news. I feel like Eureka is ending before it even started. I heard about both you and Felicia Day being cast in it, I have loved you both for a while now, so I was excited to watch you together in a full-length show. I was hoping to catch up on past seasons and get a feel for the story before jumping in where the two of you make your appearance, so I hadn’t tuned in, and now I feel like it’s my fault you’ve lost the show. Like maybe if I had just tuned in or told people about it or something you would have had enough viewers for the network to justify keeping it on the air. I still look forward to catching up, just wish I wasn’t watching it with the end in sight.
I am so sorry to hear this as well. I have enjoyed this show tremendously. I will hope that they change their mind but if not, I will watch the final episodes with excitement and joy. I know all the actors and creators of the show will continue to go on to do awesome work and I will be there to see what they do next. Thanks to all for a great show!
UNBELIEVABLE! Why is it this network gets all the great shows only to ax them in their prime!?
Sorry to see yet another great show end too soon. Hopefully another network will see it’s potential and take it over. *crossing fingers*
So I take it that the ending will be you waking up from a bad dream Wil? LOL
Ratings were indeed decent, but it consistently came in last in the Monday night race (WH13, Alphas, and Eureka). I still have no idea why they would cancel it so far in advance of airing the 5th season though. Also, I haven’t heard of anything in the pipeline for later, so this really was a surprise. (USA, on the other hand, has to cancel at least one of their shows… they just picked up another courtroom drama.)
Wil:
My email to Syfy: ([email protected])
I have been watching Eureka since the first episode of Season 4, and have since gone back and watched the entire run from Season 1, episode 1.
Eureka is a great show!
What in hell were you thinking when you cancelled it?
Not only that, you cancelled the final 6 episodes that would have allowed the cast and crew a proper wrap up of the show.
Please, do Eureka’s fans a favor – give them back the 6 episodes!
Better yet, keep the show on the air for several more seasons!
I await your reasons for ending this intelligent and entertaining show.
Thank you.
July 11 couldn’t seem to come fast enough so that Season 4.5 would start. Having watched by myself in the past I was now watching with my husband and mother-in-law, and I’d gotten other friends to start watching in the last year as well.
The show is smart, funny, creative, and I have tremendous respect and admiration for everyone involved in the show.
It comes together in such a cohesive package each episode, and it is evident to see in the end result what Wil describes as a work family.
Sigh. Feeling as depressed as I do, I can only begin to imagine how the cast and crew are feeling about the news.
I said this jokingly when the news about the sixth season thing broke, but I say it in all seriousness now: WHERE are the rich geeks with the power to have a PROPER SciFi channel and put that horrible not-even-good-enough-to-be-a-zombie network out of its (and our) misery?
(Not you, Wil. I know you would if you could.)
Argh. Double Argh. TRIPLE Argh.
Leverage.
Re: Oliefan37 and others who brought up the USA thing: While I didn’t watch the show but on DVR (I guess that makes me part of the problem :-/) there is one thing I can say; There’s a pretty big difference between SyFy and USA – SyFy has a history of bad decisions like this (making their fanbase angry) and USA doesn’t. There’s hope for it to be picked up but I’m unsure when it comes to situations like this.
Weird things can happen… and who knows how much fan action will be taken over this decision. Hopefully, there will be a lot so someone out there can make it happen.
Can I hope that another channel buys it and keeps it on the air? It’s my favorite show of those currently on the air and one of only two I watch on SyFy. *spits* It used to be my favorite channel back when it was called SciFi and aired stuff that was scifi.
I’m sorry the crew had to find out about it like they did.
You should really wear more sweaters.
I saw Colin’s post on Twitter last night (“BOOM.”) and froze. Oh no. Oh no no no. But yes. Google confirmed the tragedy. And it is a tragedy. Eureka is the only good thing that channel had going for it. And it’s ending well before its time.
I’m glad you got to be a part of it. Its a wonderful show. It will be greatly missed.
And it’s a crime the way they informed the cast.
Well said. And with the continuing rising costs of cable TV these days, it’s enough to consider disconnecting from broadcast television altogether and wait for the DVDs.
Yeah, that’ll teach ’em. *snicker*
If it’s worth anything for those wondering, Amy Berg tweeted this today:
“Everyone is asking why. It’s simple, really. We are the network’s golden child in every way, except profit margins. Fact is, Eureka is an expensive show to make. And we could not maintain the quality of our show with the cuts it would take to make us profitable for Syfy’s new parent company. Our creative execs at Syfy fought hard to keep us. Trust me, they LOVE us. We just couldn’t make the numbers work.”
You will be missed, Eureka– what a fantastic, unique show. ♥