US network ABC had its axe out this afternoon as they announced comedy ‘Not Dead Yet‘ is actually now dead after 2 Seasons, and ‘The Conners‘ will return, but for a shortened 7th and final season.
From creators David Windsor and Casey Johnson and starring Gina Rodriguez, ‘Not Dead Yet’ followed Nell Serrano, a self-described disaster, who writes obituaries at her local newspaper while navigating relationships in her personal and professional life. The twist?.. She can see the dead people she’s tasked with writing about, and they don’t hesitate to give her life advice. The series is adapted from the book “Confessions of a 40-something F**k Up” by Alexandra Potter.
The cancellation doesn’t come as a huge surprise. The ratings went from being ABC’s most-watched comedy debut in more than 4 years for season one, to dropping off a cliff in season two. It was well-liked by some execs internally at ABC, but at the end of the day, they couldn’t make the numbers stack up.
A spin-off from ‘Rosanne’, audiences have followed along with ‘The Conners’ for over three decades as they navigate the daily struggles of life in Lanford. Dan, Jackie, Darlene and Becky grapple with parenthood, marriage, financial pressures and ageing in working-class America. Through it all – the fights, the coupon cutting, the hand-me-downs, the breakdowns – with love, humour and perseverance, the family prevails. John Goodman, Laurie Metcalf, Sara Gilbert and Lecy Goranson star.
The news of this being a final season was half-expected. This issue with ‘The Conners’ has been money, as the cast are all on one-year contracts, meaning the studio has to renegotiate each year to bring everyone back, making it progressively more expensive. The actors are also heavily in demand (particularly Goodman) making scheduling problematic. It was unclear if they would manage to get everyone for a 7th Season, so to cover themselves, ABC shot an additional “tag scene” they could use at the end of Season 6 in case they needed to turn it into a series finale. Thankfully, that was not needed, and they have now agreed on deals for a 7th Season, although it will only believed to consist of a final six-episode run.
‘Not Dead Yet‘ airs on Disney+ in the UK, and we’re waiting for Season 2 to premiere. ‘The Conners‘ airs in the UK on Sky Comedy, and we’re awaiting Season 6 (which is still airing in the USA on ABC.) If you want to keep track of these or any other shows, you can add them via our Never Miss system, and you’ll be notified when they get a UK premiere date.
