Wednesday, April 19

Alias, yet again

From MediaLife:

"Alias" is the type of show that might never have survived five seasons if ABC hadn't been in such bad shape when it premiered. Never a ratings powerhouse, or even really a hit, it was beloved by critics and a small but devoted group of fans who championed the J.J. Abrams series every year when it was on the bubble heading into the upfront.
This year ABC made the decision early, with some help from Abrams and series star Jennifer Garner, who agreed that the fifth season of the show, which had gone into a steep ratings decline after moving to Thursdays last fall, would be its last. It returns to the air tonight for its final eight episodes after a four-month hiatus.

Say what you will about the past few seasons, which have left fans staunchly divided as to their quality. "Alias" will leave quite a legacy. It, along with Fox's "24" and the WB/UPN's "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," was one of the first truly clever action TV shows that combined wit and weapons with edge-of-your-seat mystery. It paved the way for "Lost" and "Battlestar Galactica," and it even spawned one of the tabloids' greatest stories, Garner and her many loves.

The show that made Garner into a star will get an appropriately grandiose sendoff. In a two-hour return tonight at 8 p.m., a parade of long-lost guest stars from seasons past begin to filter back and fans may finally find out if Agent Vaughn, or whatever his name is, is really dead.

Though it probably won't draw huge ratings, it may do better than ABC has been doing in the 8 p.m. slot with "Freddie" and "George Lopez," which combined for a 2.7 rating in adults 18-49. Airing on Thursdays against much tougher competition earlier this season, "Alias" averaged a 2.3 in the demo, ranking No. 110 on broadcast.

On tonight’s return, pregnant and distressed Sydney gives dad Jack a call, forcing him to orchestrate a search and rescue mission with Weiss. Meanwhile, Devlin’s suspicious that APO has been infiltrated.

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