One of the buzziest new series of the fall season, Fox’s Red Band Society, was a pretty high-profile disappointment for the network, drawing only a small crowd for its heavily-marketed premiere and dropping even lower in subsequent weeks. Now, the hospital drama’s prognosis isn’t good, to say the least – Fox won’t extend the show, which features an ensemble cast led by Octavia Spencer, past its initial 13-episode order.
Rushing to the c-word (cancellation, of course) isn’t advised for now, seeing as sources say Fox was interested in possibly extending Red Band Society‘s first season until producer ABC Studios declined the network’s request for a reduced license fee. Additionally, executive producer Shonda Rhimes noted back in September, when the show debuted:
“There is a possibility for a pickup, but my understanding is if we didn’t get a back order, that certainly doesn’t mean we won’t get a second season… I do think there’s something about this show that if you stretch it out too long, you stretch the believability.”
Still, there’s no denying that the series is hardly the breakout hit that Fox had hoped for – its most recent season average, with DVR added in, was a 1.8 rating with adults 18-49 and 5.1 million viewers. Seeing as other newcomers like Mulaney, Gracepoint and Utopia all landed belly-up, the network may simply opt to cleanse its palate in the spring (with the exception of Gotham, one of the few major hits across any of the Big Four networks this fall season).
Have you been watching Red Band Society? Or did you never buy into the series, which many critics derided for not separating itself from other medical dramas? Sound off below!
