Upfronts: James Woods says goodbye to TV

They say it helps to have friends in high places, but sometimes, not so much.

When CBS announces its lineup Wednesday, "Shark" will not be on it. It doesn't matter, apparently, that actor James Woods and CBS Chief Executive Leslie Moonves have been friends for many years. Woods' first TV series is gone. (An earlier version of this post said Moonves was CBS' chairman. He is the network's chief executive.)

But the highly energetic actor isn't taking it too hard, though he admits he'd like a better understanding of why CBS broke up with him.

"We're a little baffled by the decision but we’re very supportive," Woods said Tuesday. "None of us can figure out quite why.  But we have no bad feelings. This show did an enormous amount for me personally. We all won doing the show."

Woods said he and the cast and crew were "very saddened" that the show didn't continue but they were trying to be positive.

"I think probably the strike was as devastating to our future as it was to many other shows," he said.  "It seems, in retrospect, not to be a very fruitful endeavor for a lot of people to be on strike. But particularly on us because our time slot had been moved against football for the first half of the season. And then we should have emerged and shown our strength in the second half of the season when the strike happened, some never got a chance to prove our mettle."

As in all breakups, the key is acceptance and moving on. Woods is ready.

"I've been offered a couple of movies and I'm very excited about that," he said.

-- Maria Elena Fernandez

Comments

[LisaMarie]

Huge disappointment on the cancelling of Shark. I loved it and wouldnt miss an episode. I hope another network picks it up.

[Michael]

Well, there you are what a season eh? First they move Shark to the Deathwatch slot of Network TV, Sunday at 10. No decent series has EVER survived that slot for any length of time. Then, just as Moonlight picked up momentum some bean counter in the accounting pool decided it was cheaper to support worn out reality shows featuring unknown actors pretending to be contestants, and goodbye Moonlight. Memo to viewers, when a reality show does a close up and catches a special moment, how do you think they we're able to do a three shot pan, with perfect audio? Notice how they never use foul language either. When you see a 3 shot pull there are at least 8 people within proximity, and did you really think those people who are extremely articulate on TV, just happened to get lucky and make the show? Or did they inverview 2000 wanna be actors finding just the right person to "ad lib" his lines on cue. Anyway, I'm not sure what CBS has in mind, but how many years do they think they can bring back those three tired CSIs? Most of the actors on those shows are pushing 50 now, the last time I checked the demographic they look for is 20 years under that. At least with Shark we had World Class lead actor with a strong cast. How many of those once pretty CSI scene fillers could even work in daytime Soaps and pay their bills in their mid forties? How many of them will be broke 6 months after their show is cancelled, next year? Be honest, other than Gary and William, you'll never see any of those other actors in anything other than Community Theatre, once their CSI bubble bursts [seriously, I give them 1 more season with a little luck]. In the end, I have to admit the biggest disappointment for me this season, was New Amsterdam on Fox. It never had a chance. Nice job, it had been setting a year in the can. When they finally actually aired the pilot it fared pretty darn well. In fact there was a nice following when that last episode was aired, 18 months after they fired the cast and had already rebuilt the sets, which they used on another lousy show that has already been cancelled.

[Pip]

I wondered why no Season 3 was being announced. I, for one, am truly upset with the decision to cancel Shark, and I hope that either the network reconsiders or another one takes the show up. It's such a waste of talent and excellent work!

I hope that CBS really regrets their decision to cancel the show. TV suddenly looks so much trashier.

[william spencer hamilton]

in cancelling tv show Shark, CBS made the right decision.
Excellent actor James Woods deserves better, Shark' Cast not good enough for the show, boring bublles psycho-story of daughter Julie nobody could believe in...
heavy orange make-up of actor Woods : a drag-queen, or what ? too bad.

william

[Linda Marie]

I cannot believe that Shark is being cancelled - surely the people at CBS have lost their minds. I've looked at the ratings and Shark was doing better than some shows they are keeping. CBS sabotaged "Shark" but putting it on Sunday's late after football and competing with other stations with football. Viewers had to work hard to find out when it was going to be one and many of us did.
CBS needs to read all the web sites from the fans -- big mistake to cancel Shark. Well, I for one will not be watching CBS any longer. I live and work in a retirement home with 51 other people and CBS will not be watched in our center. We have satellite and we'll be watching movies from now one.

[GINA]

JERHICO, LAS VEGAS (TOM SELLECK WAS COMINING INTO HIS OWN AT THE END) CANE AND NOW SHARK!!! WHAT THE THE PEOPLE IN THEIR 30'S AND40'S WATCH -- LET ME TELL YOU, CERTAINLY NOT DANCING WITH THE STARS (MAYBE AT 60) SURVIVOR, AFTER THE FIRST SEASON, ANYONE WITHI INTELLIGENCE, THAT GETS BORING, AND THE AMAZING RACE - OVER CANE AND SHARK!!
I'M BOYCOTTING CBS ALL TOGETHER, AND I HOPE A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE DO TO,
SOME NUT UP THERE IS NOT LISTENING TO THE PUBLICE, AND I WISH WHERE WERE A WAY TO GET MESSAGES TO HIM.

[Diane Peters]

I was very disappointed to hear that CBS is cancelling Shark. I enjoyed watching it immensely. I guess reality shows are the wave of the future, huh? NOT FOR ME.

[Carol]

Why cancel Shark? It was one of the best shows on TV? It deserves more than one season. The networks want you to watch their shows but when you do, pretty soon it is cancelled. Come on - give this show another chance - everybody on this show is terrific!

[Syl]

I watched the last episode of Shark a couple of weeks ago and decided I'd have a quick look on the Internet to see if any information about when Season 3 would air had been posted... I'm so disappointed to hear the news that it's been cancelled! In the last half a year or so everything I like on US TV has been cancelled or modified beyond recognision in some way- my favourite channel was dropped entirely, the news programme I like has been dumbed down to the point where I feel ashamed to support it by watching it and therefore don't... and now Shark- the first programme I have ever gone out of my way to watch on CBS (and I DO mean "out of my way"- I had a hard time trying to work out when it was on- or even if it was on at all; which I found out later was due to the rather erratic scheduling and strike problems)... is cancelled. :( :( :(

I really, *truly* hope that another network picks it up also. Shark has such a pleasing angle to it... James Woods is naturally very cool as Stark; outside of the engaging legal battles, a real highlight of the series has been his scenes with Danielle Panabaker as Julie- both actors really do a great job of portraying the often awkward yet always sweet father-daughter relationship their characters share, and the ongoing resolution flows nicely throughout the series. Providing balance also are the rest of the cast- although at first it seemed like they were just going to be the random people surrounding the main star, I feel like they very quickly grew into a group of likeable and interesting characters; they got decent development, and while they were always superstar lawyer Stark's 'underlings', they did not feel like disposable extra parts either. I liked Raina's honest and obvious compassion, Martin's quiet but unyielding sense of justice... And the Stark/Jessica dynamic was pretty interesting to watch, too.

Of course I am happy that James Woods will continue to be in films, but I really thought this TV series worked so well with him and I'll be sad not to see him with the rest of the cast and the excellent relationships and dynamic they had built together on screen. Above all, if Shark is gone I am sooo going to miss all that fast-paced and fun dialogue! Shark definately had at least another season and a half in it, so please- someone out there be a star and make "Shark season 3" happen... do it for a cute little 24-yr-old and all these other excellent fans! (millions of viewers can't be too bad, right?)

[kpo]

Leslie Moonves. nuff said.

[Mystical]

Just learned Shark was cancelled. DEVASTATED!!!! I now officially HATE CBS after being a loyal viewer for many years. Moonlight, Close to Home...what's next...all the CSI's???? I'm going to cable. Missed the last episodes of Shark since I could not find it.... So unfair to the fans....

[Nancy Baker]

Woods and company should approach USA cable. Shark is quality TV that this chasnnel needs. CBS is nuts! Now there are reaklly no shows for me to watch on the networkis channels. James Woiods has loads of fans in Texas, and he is hands down the top American living actor joining the likes of Gene Hackman and a hand full of American greats. USA cable has picked up a number of Law and Order new episodes. What really kills me is that CBS replaced Shark with a serial ki8ller hero series! Oh, please, CBS how dumb do you think we viewers are! A word to woods' agency--get him back on TV fast!

Nancy Baker in Texas

[sue saldivar]

I hate how they just drop these tv shows with no warning. What a croc!! They'd rather drop shows like Shark and Vegas and keep all the reality shows on. Doesn't anyone have an original idea anymore. I'd rather watch reruns of shows that have been dropped than watch any of the reality shows. Why don't they give the shows a chance and quit changing them around to different nights and time slots. How about they give people a chance to actually watch the show!!!

[writeon]

i agree ............shark rocks and its a disgrace its being taken off.............i live in scotland and some of the crap we have to watch ........reality tv etc...............shark is a diamond in the dust .shame on you........................oh yeah woods rocks..........the cast rocks ...........what the hell ...everything about it rocks...............................

[Chris]

Dissenting voice here maybe but I thought series 2 was definitely weaker than series 1, which was brilliant. Series 2 was all flash dialogue, quick edits, and grandstanding with little of the believabilty that made series 1 so good. Whichever series though, James Woods is just the king of snap dialog and really does need to be attracted back to a good procedural on TV again.

[Alison]

I'm from the UK and I agree that cancelling Shark is an unbelievable stupid decision. Unfortunately, reality shows are taking over, they're cheaper to do obviously - but so boring and not anything that an intelligent person wants to watch. CBS need to remember that it is not just under 25's watching TV (in fact they probably watch it less that any other age group) and maybe, just maybe, give the public what they want.

[Justin]

I'm from england, and the wife and I loved Shark, and I was shocked to learn it was cancelled, why, why, why? It seems that big TV networks just don't know a good thing when they see it. Jericho, Close to Home, will the suits ever learn that the customer is always right? What would make my day now would be to hear another network is picking up Shark...

[Barbara]

I am disappointed that SHARK was cancelled. It was the best! CBS NEEDS TO LET THE FANS KNOW WHY THE SHOW WAS CANCELLED OR BETTER YET BRING IT BACK. I LOVED THE SHOW.

[Diane G]

Shark, I loved the show. I just hope NBC,or ABC well any station just pick that show up and carry it on where it left off. PLEASE SOMEONE PICK UP THE SHOW.
DIANE,

[Dawn-Marie]

Absolutely horrible! Do the execs ever think about those of us who enjoy shows such as Shark and are not into the reality shows? Probably never even gave it thought! What happened to the shows and the network execs who provided us with some intellect. Take a vote execs, find out how popular the show was without the Nielson Ratings, we all are not fortunate enough to be part of the family!