The 2000s was a decade that was home to a number of popular shows, but there is simply no way of looking at the decade's biggest hits without noticing that many popular shows were in the teen genre. Gilmore Girls and Gossip Girl are jus two examples of the popular teen shows from the decade.
Veronica Mars was a hit when it was on the air, but it eventually reached what fans felt was a premature conclusion. To make things worse, it was replaced by a completely forgettable reality show that wound up being pointless in the long run.
Let's take a closer look at Veronica Mars and see which reality show replaced it.
'Veronica Mars' Was A Hit
In September of 2004, Veronica Mars made its debut on television, and UPN fans were ready for something fresh at the time. Thankfully, the network delivered a series that fans thoroughly enjoyed, and the show was able to last for several seasons thanks to the fans tuning in each week.
Starring Kristen Bell, Veronica Mars was a fantastic mystery show that added something fresh to the lineup of teen shows that were on the air during the time. Bell was a perfect fit to play the titular character, and even when the network became The CW, Veronica Mars still kept its fans around.
When speaking on the character, Kristen Bell said, "Rob calls her a superhero without a cape, which is really a great way to describe her. And Veronica's superpower is that she does not care what anyone else thinks about her. She cares what she thinks about her, which I think is a really healthy way to live."
As great as things were going for the show over on The CW, it inevitably reached its conclusion, much to the dismay of fans everywhere.
It Came To An End In 2007
Despite fans genuinely loving Veronica Mars, the show was only able to last on the air for three seasons before the network pulled the plug. The truth of the matter is that the show didn't have super high ratings, and this played a major part in it being yanked from the network.
Incredibly, after being off of the air for 7 years, Veronica Mars made a comeback for another season. This was all thanks to a funding campaign driven by fans of the original series, and it was something that came as a surprise to all involved.
Series creator Rob Thomas talked about this, saying, "It's strange how much momentum there was being off the air for seven years. We were never on the cover of magazines when we were on the air...seven years later, we're on the cover of Entertainment Weekly. It made my head spin."
The comeback only lasted for one season, but fans eventually got a movie, as well. This was a bit of redemption for what happened all those years ago when the original show was cancelled. To make things worse, the show that replaced Veronica Mars was an absolute dud.
It was Replaced By 'Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search For The Next Doll'
So, which show was the one to replace Veronica Mars on the small screen? Surely, it was something that was a massive hit, right? Unfortunately, the network decided to roll the dice with Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search for the Next Doll. Don't remember it? Yeah, neither does anyone else.
The competition reality show focused on, you guessed it, finding a new member for the Pussycat Dolls. They were still popular around this time, but building an entire show around the search for a member was something that was obviously not meant to last. Lo and behold, the show ran for 8 episodes before crowning its winner and never returning to the small screen.
Asia Nitollano was the lucky winner of the show, which was intended to give her a major break in the music industry. Unbelievably, Nitollano would never become a member of the group, opting to go solo instead. Turns out, she was never contractually obligated to be part of the group, and she went her own way. All these years later, and no one has heard a single hit from her. Ouch.
As we mentioned already, Veronica Mars would have the chance to return years later, but it just wasn't the same. It's a good thing the network canned the show in favor of a reality show that literally amounted to nothing for the group involved.
