No one is safe from 20th Century Fox’s culling – well, except Tim Allen apparently. In addition to fan favourites such as Brooklyn Nine-Nine and The Mick, the network has recently announced it’s cancelling The Exorcist and Lucifer. So far, there’s no word on Gotham.
A scene from The Exorcist, which has been cancelled. Image: Fox
According to Entertainment Weekly, Fox has banished Lucifer back to Hell after three seasons, the latest of which ended on a major cliffhanger specifically so the network wouldn’t be able to cancel it, at least according to showrunner Joe Henderson. He’s since said he’s hoping to pitch the show to other networks so it can continue its saga. Showrunner/writer Ildy Modrovich also had this to say:
I’m heartbroken, shocked and devastated over the news that our beloved show has been cancelled. All I can say is we love YOU for watching, supporting and loving #Lucifer for these past few seasons. Funny that a show about the devil has been nothing short of heaven. ❤️????????
— Ildy Modrovich (@Ildymojo) May 11, 2018
While Lucifer did kind of drop off in the third (and now final) season, we continued to be big fans of The Exorcist, which reviewer Cheryl Eddy called “the best horror show on TV“. That show’s been cancelled after just two seasons, which is unfortunate as it was really beginning to hit its stride.
In a statement on Twitter, showrunner Jeremy Slater (who’s working on Netflix’s upcoming Umbrella Academy) said he’s upset by the news but understands why Fox cancelled the show due to low ratings.
I know it’s easy to get angry at Fox, but the reality is that we were the lowest-rated drama on any network and they still brought us back for a second season, because they loved the show. There are no bad guys in this scenario.
— Jeremy Slater (@jerslater) May 11, 2018
We’re still waiting to see what happens with Gotham, which has continued to report low audience numbers. We’re not sure whether we crave or dread another season of the battiest show on television – perhaps it’s a little bit of both. We’ll keep you posted as we learn more.
In the meantime, rest in peace, dear shows.