Last season, NBC introduced viewers to Dan Vasser, a newspaper reporter who was mysteriously travelling through time, in the series “Journeyman.” While many readers and listeners of Slice of SciFi became passionate fans for the show, the show didn’t catch on with the larger viewing public and was cancelled after 13 episodes.
And while those 13 episodes did offer closure for fans, the series had just begun to scratch the surface of where it wanted and could have gone had it been allowed to continue its story.
Now with the series gone for good, creator Kevin Falls spoke with the readers of Ain’t It Cool News, offering answers to some of the burning questions left open by the series cancellation and offered a glimpse of just where “Journeyman” could have gone had NBC renewed it or another network picked up the series and allowed the story to continue.
One of the bigger unanswered questions behind the series was who or what was behind Dan’s ability to travel through time.
“Let’s just say it was too specific and grand to be science or government,” said Falls. And while the series may not have spelled out specifically the powers behind Dan’s movement through time, it would have “led you to the water’s edge and let you figure it out.”
“The later conflict of the show was going to lie with those people who were trying to find the cadre of travelers. Would they try to manipulate them for their own self interests? [Recurring FBI agent] Richard Garrity was coming back for sure,” Falls explained.
If the season had progressed, we would have found out more about fellow time traveller, Lydia’s life in the past and would have meet her in the current time-frame. In addition, it may have been revealed that Lydia’s goal in time travelling was to help Dan and his wife, Katie, get together to bring about the birth of their son, who showed a potential to travel like Dan in several episodes.
Falls said that another potential plotline would have seen Dan working to erase the government’s knowledge of his ability to travel in time.
One of the initial end points for the season would have involved a plague of some kind, that Dan would have to work to avert. This plan was scrapped early when “Heroes” developed it’s own plague storyline.
Fall went on to offer some fascinating details of the plan for the rest of season one, as mapped out by he and the writing staff.
“Katie and Dan were going to split up for a while. [Dan’s brother] Jack and Dan were going to live together and then Dan and Katie would get back together. Livia was going to die in episode 20. Dan was going to save her in 21,” he said. “And in 22, Dan would come back to his house in the present like he did in the pilot and someone else would be living there. Katie and Zack would be gone and this time Dan would have no idea how to get his family back.”
“And then we’d start season two. I’m getting depressed thinking about it. This staff was so f—–g smart. We would have just gotten better,”said Falls.
As for the fate of the series, Falls said the blame doesn’t necessarily ride with NBC for the failure of the show.
“You know, I’m not bitter toward NBC as much as I am the mainstream critics who collectively dismissed us without giving us a second look. I think when we went out we were doing some of the best TV out there. And I’m so grateful that the on-line community embraced this show, actually got the show and ended up being the wind in our sails for the second half of the season,” said Falls.
Hearing these potential storylines for the show, it only reinforces the sense of regret that such a wonderful show was cut short, before it was allowed to reach its full potential. But hopefully these answers will give some fans the closure they need and encourage those who didn’t see the series to seek it out whenever its released on DVD.
I admit I originally dismissed this show as another Quantum Leap show but I was proven wrong. I LOVE this show and miss it so much. I hope we get at least some TV or direct to DVD movies in the future.
This show was SOOO good. It had great potential. I am really sad to hear the great places they were going to take the show, and now not get to have experienced it. I agree. The writers were “f____g” great.
The critics really hurt did sink this show without giving it a chance. Quantum Leap-like or not…it was really good.
I also enjoyed the series but i’m not sorry it was canceled. It seems now the writers and producers start a series by deciding what’s the pilot and series final. and then fill up the rest of the episodes. Many series have been doing that, saving the best for later and this is the result. As long as they keep doing this more and more good shows will be canceled.
Pimenta…
You must not be a writer. That’s the only way most writers can work. You have to have some idea where the story is going or you are not writing to the plot, you are just making it up as you go. Granted, that can work in novel or short story format, but not on a TV show, where you are forced to start down a path and then find that the plat is going nowhere.
Free writing has no place in episodic story telling.
That’s not what i meant. I just think they need to come up with more good ideas in a single season. Not just the pilot and final episode. In Firefly, for example, they were supposed to discover the Miranda planet only in the end of season two. 20 more episodes to achieve what they did in a single movie. That’s not the way to hold and attract new public, in my small opinion.
I loved this show and was sad to see it get cancelled. I think it just didn’t connect with mainstream America – not enough flash and sizzle. Great acting and writing…
To Pimenta’s point, the writers have to strike a balance of telling enough story to get people hooked, but save enough to hook people for the long haul if the show takes off. I thought they successfully accomplished that, but not enough people agreed or found it, to keep the show alive.
I miss Journeyman. Good story, good cast. And to read about those things they thought about doing… Too bad it’s gone for good 🙁
I loved this show and was hoping it would make it past the Writer’s Strike.
I got my tickets for BT Airlines and will have my own little DVD boxed set by the end of the weekend!
If NBC/Universal/Whoever decides to drop a DVD of the Complete Series, then I’ll gladly buy it.
If they don’t? Then screw ’em.
MAN! I am really gonna miss that show, I was totally hooked =( Thanks for this story, though, it helps to get a little more of the story.
I miss Journeyman…weird, I feel a sort of melancholy when I think about the show. it was SO good. I mean there are SOOOO many new shows, I just can’t believe there was no home for Journeyman when that show was SOOOOO far superior in production value than MOST of the shows out there, COME ON!!! It is strange, really, really strange! In the meantime….I MISS the story and I’m dying to know MORE about Livia, Dan and the reason.
🙁
Is it weird that it’s December 2008, almost a year after Journeyman was cancelled, and I still ache for it. I still miss it. Every time I sit through an episode of Heroes or Greys I think to myself.. “And this is what they think is better?” Wow. Whatever happened to the mystery that America loved to watch so much? I guess everyone just likes obvious flirtation, sex, and street fighting, with heroes with obvious powers that they can control. I must be a freak to still be mourning the loss of Dan, Katie, Jack, Lyvia, and Zack. RIP.. I’m going to fancast.com to watch all 13 episodes.. with lots of popcorn and chocolate.
It’s just too bad that Sci Fi or maybe USA (it would’ve been a GREAT replacement for the Dead Zone) didn’t pick it up.