“Underground” Canceled, OWN & BET Decline To Pick Up Show
“Underground” Canceled
Sad news for “Underground” fans. The hit series has officially been canceled. A few weeks ago, we reported that the period drama was in jeopardy of being axed.
And today (May May 30th), WGN America passed on a third season. Tribune Media president and CEO Peter Kern confirmed the news stating:
Despite Underground being a terrific and important series, it no longer fits with our new direction and we have reached the difficult decision not to renew it for a third season. We are tremendously proud of this landmark series that captured the zeitgeist and made an impact on television in a way never before seen on the medium. We thank the incomparable creators Misha Green and Joe Pokaski and the great John Legend, along with the talented creative team and cast who brought the unsung American heroes of the Underground Railroad to life. We are grateful to the loyal fans of Underground and our partners at Sony Pictures Television. It is our hope that this remarkable show finds another home and continues its stories of courage, determination and freedom.
As previously reported, in the wake of parent company Tribune Media’s $3.9 billion planned acquisition by Sinclair Broadcast Group, the cable network is ending high-cost scripted originals. Reportedly, the acclaimed series costs $5 million per episode and already has an SVOD deal with Hulu, which was a complicating factor in finding a new home. According to a report, BET and OWN declined to pick up the show, due to its expensive cost.
Underground is a TV period drama series created by Misha Green and Joe Pokaski about the Underground Railroad in Antebellum Georgia. The show debuted March 9, 2016, on WGN America.
The show starred: Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Aldis Hodge, Jessica De Gouw, Alano Miller, Christopher Meloni and Amirah Vann. The cast also includes Christopher Backus, Marc Blucas, Reed Diamond, James Lafferty, Amirah Vann, Bokeem Woodbine, Aisha Hinds, Jasika Nicole, Michael Trotter, Jesse Luken, Sadie Stratton, and Robert Christopher Riley.
Are you sad to see ‘Underground’ go?
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I hope that Netflix, Amazon or a paid cable channel can come through
Disappointed …
I’m Soooooooo Pissed… No that’s an Understatement
I Love This Show,idk what I’ma do.
Extremely disappointed at this development. In order for the scenes to look authentic, the period clothing, and a vaunted cast the production costs were necessarily high. It’s a shame that such a well developed and true to life narrative of slavery has to be lost for whatever reason. Money shouldn’t be the issue. Maybe Oprah Winfrey is afraid of political consequences because this series speaks loud and clear about the stain and stench of slavery. The cast and the fans deserve better. Hopefully someone will place conscience over profit and do the 3rd season. I don’t miss a second of it.
Money is a good excuse but I don’t feel the effort was made from the start. The budget was set before filming even began. How expensive could it be when the Black characters essentially wear rags? lol
Money was just one part of it. The company who bought WGN pulled the plug. They obviously have a different agenda. John Legend knows plenty of people with plenty of loot who could invest. Hopefully they will have enough of a budget to keep great actors and writers. Authenticity on the sets, props and clothing costs a lot. I don’t want it watered down.
As an background actress in the Season 2 series, our wardrobe was sewn by in-house seamstresses. Wardrobe was huge. Pictured below is my Hubby and me in costume on set. I cartooned us. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/399e7e4d1615d6a261604b4f305cd58fe934eb60786dcdf8ad9de1b00bbef00d.jpg
I’m so mad, finally a show worth watching and they cancel it. Damn, and Rose just had her baby. UGH!!! :(
ABSOLUTELY NOOO WAY. THIS BY FAR WAS THE BEST SERIES IVE EVER WATCHED & IVE STOPPED WATCHING ANY OTHER SHOWS BECAUSE NOTHING COMES CLOSE TO THIS SHOW’S GREATEST. IM EMAILING EVERYONE INVOLVED WITH THE CANCELATION DECISION. BEYOND SADDENED!!! :'( :'(
Disappointed is a gross understatement. This show was exactly what we needed right now. In truth, it was long over due.
How many of us have had our history classes in school whitewash the truth? Our educational system barely touched on slavery, the underground railroad. Harriet Tubman, Fredrick Douglas were names we all knew, but what about men like William Still?
Almost everyone I have spoken with who also watch this series, has began to research and reeducate themselves on this country’s history.
The groups made on fb, have no color barrier. Different walks of life join in the daily discussions, share personal history and/or ideas.
I hope another outlet has the wisdom to pickup our show as we the viewers will happily commit to watching it religiously.
#StillRunning
This should’ve been obvious the momemt Sinclair media was mentioned… Their aim is to be “more right than Fox News”…
Hell yea ?
Sad, but not surprized
Absolutely…disappointed and mad…diappointed that a well acted representation of our history is being cancelled…mad because OWN and BET…both black entertainment networks have refused to pick it up…but we still have these god-awful reality shows on air…hopefully Netflix will pick it up…they have a great range of movies and series…
That’s what I’m screaming they rather air that garbage instead of something with substance and about history instead of showing black people fighting and acting ignorant which I refuse to watch
I am so upset they did not even stop the series on good it is incomplete with so much going on stopping the series in the middle like that really WGN i guess the thought of slaves freeing them self is to much smfh
It is really disappointing reality trash tv gets picked up, renewed repeatedly and allow people to see the “stars” of those shows act a complete and total ass each week when this show is clearly of much higher caliber being cancelled….
Yes, im sad!
Here go again getting rid of another series that contribute the truth to our nation. Our black culture still suffers on an everyday . Why not continue in allowing this series to teach us of all ages how it all came to be. Why not show is why our black men are so angry, why our sisters don’t get along. But no you want to complain about the cost, when the cause is worth so much more. Well I see I will be highly disappointed coming home from work preparing my meal like i always did just to sit down and watch one of the greatest series since Roots.
I was in the show and on payroll. I didn’t know the budget was that high. Wow! I pray that Netflix will pick it up since that’s where they debuted Season 1 anyway.
Why does it seems like all of the shows that features our heritage and culture are being cancelled. They also cancelled Shots Fired…..I believe that White America has become very uncomfortable with our ( Black America’s) truth….go figure….. This show is fantastic and showed a side of the slave Era that was never recognized…..I’m ready to cancel my cable subscription and pick up Netflix or etc …..
Look up who owns Sinclair Broadcasting. The show was axed because it goes against the ideology of Sinclair Broadcasting, not some BS about production cost.
Exactly!
Sad?…way beyond & deeper than that. There is no adequate word in the English language that portrays my feelings & those of thousands of others. I tell you this, though, if a network picks up Underground they will be heralded a hero & gain tons of new viewers. Networks should strategically consider the power of our viewing dollars & the dollars received from being a hero & Underground saver!
All I can say is Please if you really love this show and are upset or sad it is leaving, season one came out on dvd June last year and season 2 is due on July 11 of this year. Buy them, buy them, buy them! physical, digital, for you, for a friend, for a family member, anything you need a gift for, get this and do that. They said it’s too expensive and they also said not enough people watched. Let’s prove to them they made a mistake by cancelling or passing on it, that is probably the only way something will happen.
I never missed an episode. Im very disappointed!!!
this is horrible, please let some other network pick this up.
This is insane… why is the cost so high?
Rebuking Satan… This story needs to be told even if it’s in a book!