Cable cancellations (and renewals) have been coming fast and furious

It’s been an interesting few week for pickups and cancellations.

Why interesting? Because it comes at the same time that the big five networks are premiering their new slate of shows.

First up, what’s been cancelled? TNT announced that King & Maxwell would not be getting another season (and Franklin & Bash’s future is up in the air), while AMC axed The Killing (again), and HBO announced that the upcoming seventh season would be the final one for True Blood.

This was all before Lifetime announced the axing of Army Wives (after seven seasons) on Tuesday.

I can’t muster a lot of anything about the King & Maxwell news. I’m still mad at TNT for axing Leverage – and the only episode I saw of King & Maxwell was the Christian Kane episode. The vindictive part of me wants every show that TNT tries to replace Leverage with to fail.

The honest side of me, though, admits I still watch Falling Skies and Dallas. Still, the vindictive side Leverage -- and I hope they learn it the hard way.

of me is going to win: I hope TNT learns a lesson from cancelling

As for The Killing? I can’t say I’m surprised. The fact that the show was saved after the second season cancellation was a miracle. Am I disappointed? I would have said yes after the second to last episode of this superior third season. Since I saw the final episode, though, and saw the corner they wrote Linden in (and the ripoff of the movie Seven) I can’t say that I am.

I’ll miss the talent involved, but the show lost with the season three finale.

As for HBO’s True Blood, I have to say that the cancellation is actually a relief.  Even fans of the show have to admit that the quality in the writing has went systematically down each season. This last season was almost impossible to watch.

I’m not joking, the only characters I could tolerate for the bulk of the season were Jason and Pam. Although, if I’m being fair, Steve Newlin’s demise (and his hilarious utterance at the end) were a series highlight.

That brings us to Army Wives. The show started out great. It was interesting, giving fans a glimpse of army life, and it was well-acted. It was the simple things that were interesting about the show, including the struggle for money and the inherent loneliness associated with having a spouse overseas.

Then the show started going the ultra-ridiculous route. I mean, consider the Pamela Joy character: her daughter was blown up, she was almost raped, she was held hostage at gunpoint, she got diabetes, she almost died in a car wreck, she ultimately died of heart failure in a hotel. It was just too much.

And, while in my head I know that it’s realistic for military families to move, the show started losing

me when it started shedding original cast members. Losing Pamela was bad enough, but losing Roxy was the final straw.

This is a cancellation that was really overdue. At least fans are getting a two-hour wrap-up from the network. Fans of The Killing will never know what Linden’s punishment was.

Also cancelled were ABC Family’s Bunheads and The Lying Game; A&E’s The Glades; BBC America’s Copper; Showtime’s The Borgias; Starz’s Magic City; and TNT’s Southland.

And what’s been picked up? USA has ordered another season of the gritty Graceland; Lifetime wants more Devious Maids;  and HBO wants more of The Newsroom. These are three shows that I can’t muster the energy to watch, so I really have no comment.

What do you think? Are you upset at the flurry of cancellations over the past few weeks?