On March 15, my heart broke. E! Online reported that ‘Veronica Mars’ had been canceled.

The next day, the rumor flew across the Internet but was eventually debunked by series creator Rob Thomas. No official decision has been made by the network, but many insiders are predicting the worst.

Set in the fictional town of Neptune, ‘Veronica Mars’ follows the life of sassy amateur sleuth Veronica Mars (Kristen Bell) and her hobby of solving the unsolvable. She’s solved the death of her best friend, figured out who blew up a busload of classmates and caught the campus rapist, but can she solve the biggest mystery of her career: where are the viewers?

‘Veronica Mars’ is one of the best dramas on television ‘ both in my humble opinion and that of critics and experts in the biz. Over the past three seasons its praises have been sung by critics and famous fans, including Kevin Smith and Stephen King. ‘Buffy’ creator Joss Whedon called it the ‘Best. Show. Ever,’ and even made a cameo appearance during the second season. Time magazine named the show one of the best six dramas on television, and TV Guide called it the ‘best show you’re not watching.’

The show has steadily lost viewers over this past season, and the verdict on whether there will be a season four is still undecided. It will either be canceled or return set four years in the future with Veronica as a full-fledged FBI agent. There’s a slim chance it will return with Veronica in her sophomore year of college, but let’s face it, that backdrop is not working for the character.

‘Veronica Mars’ has elements to make great television. Mystery, intrigue, beautiful and talented actors, and fantastic writing can all be found in the show. But apparently that’s not enough for The CW ‘ they want more viewers. They’ve taken steps to try and let the occasional viewer into ‘Veronica,’ reducing season-long mystery arcs to a handful of episodes and converting the final five episodes of this season into self-contained mysteries.

Please, if you love snarky blond detectives, witty characters and/or mysteries, take an hour out of your life and give Veronica and company a chance when they return May 1 at 9 p.m. on The CW (channel 28 on campus).

Whatever format it comes back in ‘ if it comes back ‘ for season four, I’ll be watching ‘ will you?