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ABC has issued cancelations for numerous series ahead of the network’s upfront presentation scheduled for next week. Castle, Nashville, Galavant, The Muppets, Agent Carter and The Family will not return for new seasons.
Castle’s cancelation shouldn’t come as a surprise. The series has been hit with tough negotiations with stars Nathan Fillion, Seamus Dever and Jon Huertas. It didn’t help matters when lead Stana Katic and co-star Tamala Jones were not asked to return for the series’ ninth season. Backstage turmoil is never a good sign for an aging series, despite its ratings stability.
Ratings challenged music soap Nashville, co-produced by Lionsgate TV and ABC Studios, will end after four seasons. Reports indicate the series will be shopped around to other networks.
The Connie Britton and Hayden Panettiere led drama has never drawn tons of viewers, but the growth in DVR viewing has made for solid performances. There were plans to overhaul the series for the next season season, with Marshall Herskovitz and Ed Zwick (My So-Called Life, thirtysomething) tapped as new showrunners.
Galavant, a musical comedy from Dan Fogelman, has been on the bubble, leaning cancelation. Low ratings, behind the scenes exits (creative and performer) and the departure of former ABC head Paul Lee pretty much sealed its fate.
Highly buzzed about freshman series The Family and The Muppets failed to gain traction with viewers, and critical response for both series was less than stellar. The Muppets also suffered from behind the scenes turmoil with the ouster of co-creator Bob Kushell.
Agent Carter, though critically praised was also ratings challenged. Originally conceived as a “gap” show to air during the hiatus of Agents of SHIELD, spy-drama never drew the audience of its predecessor. Star Hayley Atwell is set to lead a new series on ABC, Conviction, which was picked up by the alphabet network today.
ABC renewed 15 series in March including black-ish, Fresh Off the Boat, Grey’s Anatomy, How to Get Away with Murder, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Modern Family, Once Upon a Time, Scandal, Quantico and more.
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