A&E’s stunningly tenacious police drama Unforgettable is finally dead and gone, sources confirm.
The Poppy Montgomery vehicle concluded its fourth season last month, and the network has decided against ordering another set of episodes, marking the third cancellation for the series, which started at CBS back in 2011.
That network first put Unforgettable on the chopping block in 2012, after its freshman run failed to impress execs (though, oddly, it did average 12.1 million viewers, not a number to scoff at). CBS later reversed its decision to pull the plug, airing second and third seasons in the summers of 2013 and 2014.
Still unsatisfied with the ratings, CBS axed the show yet again, only for A&E to come to the rescue a few months later and order a fourth season, which premiered in November. This was back when A&E was looking to build up its original programming slate with programs with already existent fan followings, and Unforgettable fit the bill nicely. The network was able to swoop in and resuscitate the drama for a slim fee, given that Sony TV’s attachment to Unforgettable has always largely hinged on its big sales internationally.
This time, though, it looks like the show won’t be coming back. The actors’ contracts are up, Montgomery is reportedly fielding pilot offers, and Sony TV hasn’t stated that it’s actively pushing to find a new home (and at this point, who can blame them?). Even in this resuscitation-happy TV climate, there comes a time in every show’s life where it’s simply time to sail off into the sunset.
The series focused on NYPD Detective Carrie Wells (Montgomery), whose exceptional memory, the result of a rare medical condition called hyperthymesia, was the key to helping her and partner Al Burns (Dylan Walsh) maintain a 100% clearance rate on the city’s toughest cases. It was created and exec-produced by John Bellucci and Ed Redlich, and exec-produced by Sarah Timberman and Carl Beverly.