Cancelled.

Yet again, another television network broke my heart.

I was just getting my life back together after NBC cancelled ER (and yes, I know it was time, but I still miss Dr. Kovach!), when ABC cancelled Ugly Betty.  Rip my heart out and stomp on it!!! And now, TNT cancelled Saving Grace.  Just kick me while I'm down, Hollywood!

I really liked this show!  And according to a straw poll of my students, one in seven liked the show too.  So, did it really need to be cancelled?  I think not.  However, I do not run a television network (but maybe I could do a better job) and do not know what types of budget constraints they face, and I really have no idea what the ratings for the show were.

The main reason I loved the show so much was that it was set in my motherland of Oklahoma. They go places in The City (Oklahoma City for you backward, non-Okies) that I'm familiar with, they eat at Johnnie's Grill all the time (for you non-Okies, this restaurant is a must-try), and it was simply a really great story.  I don't get back to Oklahoma as often as I would like, so this show made me feel a little closer to home.  My biggest complaint about the show was that they made everyone out to be an ou fan.  NOT EVERY OKLAHOMAN IS A SOONER FAN.

The show is about the life of Grace Hanadarko (which is spelled wrong, it should be Anadarko) and her quest to find God again through the help of her angel, Earl.  Grace was raised in a strong Catholic family--her brother is even a priest.  But Grace has issues with God.  Her sister was killed in the Murrow Building bombing, and she spent most of the last 15 years being mad at God, and sometimes doubting God's presence at all.  In the final episode, Grace finally accepts God, but then TNT ruined what could have been a happy ending by canceling the show.  I did not like the way the show ended.  You can see the final episode here.  I won't tell you how it ends, but I really, really want to.  It's really bothering me to not tell.

I do want to point out the character names and why this show makes me laugh...and probably in a way that the writers of the show did not intend:

• Grace Anadarko--Anadarko is a small town in west-central Oklahoma. So small, it's a Class B school, although they used to be good in basketball, circa 1994
• Kate Perry--Perry is in northern Oklahoma on I-35 near Stillwater.  It's where the authorities caught Timothy McVeigh.  It is also the world headquarters of Ditch Witch
• Butch Ada--Ada is in southeast Oklahoma and is home to East Central University, Bob's Barbecue and Polo's Mexican Grill--yum!
• Ham Dewey--Dewey is a very small town in northeast Oklahoma.  There is also a Dewey County in western Oklahoma.  Taloga is its county seat.  We would occasionally play Taloga in basketball.  They, of course, beat us.  My friend Jill grew up there
• Bobby Stillwater--really?  I think the show's writers were stretching for names.  Bobby Stillwater is the lone OSU fan on the show.  The show did not do a good job of representing my alma mater, but I'll look past that

So farewell, Saving Grace.  I'm going to go sulk a while, or at least until Glee comes back in the fall.  If TNT cancels The Closer, I think I might eat an entire half gallon of Braum's chocolate ice cream and sob.