ABC the "already been cancelled " channel has done it again. I knew I shouldn't have watched this show because itt was on ABC. And if I liked it & the show didn't make it's numbers, it would be cut. But the writing was excellant, intelligent with an original premise. The acting was outstanding & I loved the lead actress, even the music score was great. I learned to understand a little of what having mental illness in your family can do. Probable not enough, but I was willing to try. Please DO NOT CANCEL BLACK BOX. keep it on & use it to educate the PUBLIC about MENTAL ILLNESS. We love this show!!!

The acting on this show was atrocious! I'm all about bringing more awareness to mental illness and was really excited about the concept of this show but the acting by Kelly Reilly was absolutely terrible. Good riddance!

I loved this show. Please don't cancel.

@Andy.... THANK YOU for your posting. I like that you can write a ton like me!! LMAO I was diagnosed in '98, and YES it took me a whole year and numerous medication partnerships to figure out what my body would accept and work. I called myself a walking ZOMBIE and almost stopped it all out of frustration. Luckily I hug in there and the finale of what I needed was humorous. 1/2 dose of one thing and 1 other med once a day. What I want others to know, be a part of your medication process. In my MD's mind, since I was in my early 30's at that time, they ASSumed I was the average kid and tried drugs and drank. I never had a drink until after I was diagnosed. As a kid I was scared to death of anything that might make me unable to keep my "dragon", as I call my behavior, so I ran from substances. With that in mind the MD's had me drugged WAY too much. I just happened to tell my story to my MD and he was shocked and backed WAY OFF on the dosages and brands of meds I was given. Think inside, outside and all around the box, my friends, if you ever have a medication problem. I was probably the only person who hadn't experimented!!!
Andy, now that you are diagnosed and medicated, aren't those who left coming back and apologizing for leaving you?? If not, I am sorry, but I commend you and will tell you that people who are REAL and OPEN MINDED to these illnesses are the ones you need in your life. Once they get educated they can be a huge help and see symptoms that you may never realize you are having. "Ex" who knew nothing before my diagnosis, had me pegged each time I started to "morph". Of course, I fought him, got mad at him, etc. for the suggestions, but later I realize he probably saved my life on a few occasions. Just the thought that someone could possibly see my "Dragon" made me inventory myself quickly and change back. Funny now, but not back then, all someone would have to say is "are you OK", "if you don't talk to me I will call the police because I am scared for you", etc. and I would snap right back into the happy me. By the time I was 32, unknowingly I was a master at hiding my symptoms. Then at 32, a situation pushed me far past my limits and the "dragon" flew out and I could not reel it back in. I had a full fledged breakdown and today I am thankful for the horror and injuries I sustained that evening. I am alive today, I am an advocate for depressive illnesses and have co-chaired support groups. The "ex" was the one to upset me that evening, and he didn't understand how strong my "dragon" was. Trying to restrain me, he got hurt and he's built like a linebacker and I am barely 5' tall. Yes, I was hospitalized and in an outpatient program for 9 months. BiPolars are typically very successful people who are creator, inventors, artists, etc. MANY famous people are BiPolar and the illness is what has made us "great". I knew from about 6th grade on that I was different, but no MD or my family would listen when I tried to explain, so I was on my own. I was a manager of an International Moving Co. by 18, went back to school for a Medical Office Management Diploma, was sought out by Apple Computer, Inc. headquarters in CA and worked in their Finance Dept under John Scully, then moved on to another major Software Company and opened a new office with my "ex" and was doing great. Once the diagnosis and meds came into my life, bye bye Corporate Administrator of 20 years. I was forced to retire and go on Disability due to the meds. That was awful. Can't 100% say I hate myself now, but I sorta do because I have also lost everything. I live a good life, but traffic and city life drove me nuts, so we moved to a VERY small (less than 1000 people) town in TX where we had land to retire to. I love the quiet, all the nature around me and not having neighbors. I need quiet cuz I am one of those who hears all noises around me together, and it's very confusing and upsetting to my head. With that, I left my family and life long friends, so that sucks. No more socializing and the nearest movies or shopping centers are 45 min-2 hours away... BUT I am healthy, and lonely!!!
Lastly a recommendation for suffers and family members... There is a book called "An Unquiet Mind" by Kay Redfield Jamison. It is the BEST book I ever come across on the subject. It's the memoir Kay wrote about her life and all she went thru in the years way before BiPolar was ever an acknowledged Illness. She too is a VERY successful MD, Author, Wife and Mother. She used examples of Manic (Tigger from Winnie the Pooh) and Depression (Eeyore) which kept it humorous and lite-hearted. It's a very joyful and touching read while being very educating and soothing to us. WE ARE NOT ALONE!
THANK YOU again Andy for your posting, and I SOOOOO hope Black Box will be brought back or picked up by another station.

Still hoping the last 9 episodes will br shown. The Black Box was an extraordinary show - content, characters & subject matter all top rate. I guess just too good for network television. Have you tried to sell the show to cable??????

I browse through this sight once in a while to check on shows I like, cancellations & renewals. WOW! 10 pages of comments. I was impressed to see how many people felt a little more educated, aware & understanding of people with a mental illness. I was diagnosed with BiPolar in 2000 after many years of severe manic episodes & depression. It was a friend in the mental health field that tried to get me to see that what I was doing wasn't "normal" & suspected I had BiPolar. After more weeks of drinking & drugging to try & control my mood swings, she got me to go to the hospital.
I was extremely manic at the time. It's important to know that a person doesn't tend to go to the hospital when they're manic. (unless their behavior has gotten them in trouble with the law).
It's usually when you've become so severely depressed & suicidal that you go to the ER to keep from dying. When the Dr's see you like this...they don't always suspect BiPolar. Unfortunately, they just put you on anti-depressants which can actually trigger a manic episode.
Dr's are getting much better at asking the right questions & taking the time to get a better history to find out if there's been any mania.
At 1st, they put me on so many meds that I didn't know if I was coming or going. Mental illnesses are just like physical illnesses, sometimes it's trial & error trying to get just the right combination of meds to work. There were some stable times, manic, depressed & what I call "LIMBO" times. That's when you don't really feel anything & a major reason people go off meds. They just want to feel something...anything. Still, I kept trying.
I've had more stable times. What I've also learned is that you need to find the right Dr. & nurses.I have that now. It's taken trust on both ends for me to be where I"m at now. It was important for me to be part of the "team", to have a say in my treatment.
I've read comments about people just wanting to be themselves. I have accepted that I am no longer the person I was before & I have lost friends, family, the love of my life & my career. There were people who couldn't deal with me when I was symptomatic. They told me to just "snap out of it". Others would preach to me about making sure I was taking my meds. I understand now that some people did this because they were afraid I'd get sick again or even lose me. They would have a lot of anxiety if they saw some behavior that worried them.
Black Box seemed a little "shaky" to me because it was a "show", 1 hour a week & not enough time to really show in depth the shapes & sizes that BiPolar comes in. But it did at least offer some education & awareness as well as understanding & compassion.
"Perception" is a really good show on TNT that helps to shed some light on people dealing with schizophrenia which also comes in different shapes & sizes as well. It's also better written than Black Box. I can't seem to find the right word for "Perception." It has a more solid baseline to work from & the writers do a very good job helping you to see what the world looks like through his eyes. If you get the chance, check it out, even if it's just 2-3 episodes.
Documentaries are o.k. & helpful. They can tell you about symptoms, behavior & treatment, but if you can get a good show on that helps you get close to the character & what they go through everyday...to give you a glimpse of their world, then that's a good thing. Documentaries can sometimes be lacking in feelings & emotions(black&white). A good show dealing with these issues gets you involved, invested & maybe even a little committed to a good piece of education. But more importantly it might teach us all to have more compassion for those who suffer from a mental illness. Don't forget...there but for the grace of God go I...

ABC would rather keep Wipeout rather than keep Black Box. I am so tired of ABC doing this. There have been many shows canceled by them that I have absolutely loved. I try not to get too attached to any show on ABC because they can be gone in a blink of an eye.

Such a shame that the show was cancelled. Loved the multidimensional aspect: career woman, mental illness struggles, love interests, shame and secrecy of mental illness as well as the effort to manage it. So many people truly SUFFER in our society, just look next door in your neighborhood and you'll see! It's still so misunderstood and this show helped people to understand the suffering that the patient endures, on a lifelong basis. It was a somewhat intelligent yet entertaining show.

That was the most ignorant thing for ABC to do, by cancelling Black Box. That was one of the best shows of the summer season. I hope that ABC goes down in their ratings, and that NBC and CBS take over and ABC goes down the drain. Stupid, Stupid move on their part. Idiots.

I must say that the main character's behavior was frustrating and sometimes even infuriating to watch. BUT...don't these reactions and emotions mirror those who are ill as well as their families? Isn't obtaining a glimpse of what they're experiencing--their pain, fears, and confusion--the least we can do to obtain insight into their plight ? This program provided the fortunate, who have never faced such challenges and difficulties, a view into those who live it daily. If nothing else, this program generated understanding of mental illness and sensitivity to the plight of the afflicted and their families.