Despite the best ratings on the network, ‘Outsiders’ has been cancelled by WGN America…
It looks like ‘Outsiders’ will come to an end after two seasons.
The popular series set in the heart of Appalachia in Kentucky following a clan who has lived in the mountains for hundreds of years as they battle back against a coal company determined to exile them from their home has been cancelled by WGN America.
Despite having the highest ratings for any original program on the network, WGN America has recently undergone a change in leadership and with that a focus for the network, which ultimately led to the end of ‘Outsiders’.
“After three years of investing in marquee, brand-defining dramas, WGN America has successfully expanded its audience, its reach, and its presence in the minds of viewers,” Peter Kern, interim president and CEO of Tribune Media said in a statement. “In our next phase, we intend to expand our original and unique content to continue growing our relevance and appeal to the widest possible audience. To achieve this, we will be reallocating our resources to a more diverse programming strategy and to new structures, enabling us to expand both the quantity and breadth of content aired by WGN America. This move is designed to deliver even more value to our advertising and distribution partners.
“To free up the resources to reach this goal, we will unfortunately not be renewing ‘Outsiders.’ We are grateful to our production partners at Sony Pictures Television and the terrifically talented people who made the show possible.”
As of now, WGN America only has one scripted series left in production with ‘The Underground’ although there are a couple of more series in the works including a show based on the popular comic book titled ‘Scalped’ but given these recent changes it’s unknown if the network will still move forward with those or not.
‘Outsiders’ is owned and produced by Sony Entertainment so it’s possible the series could find renewed life at a different network such as Netflix or Hulu and cast members have already been campaigning for the show to be saved.
Hey @netflix !!
SAVE OUR MOUNTAIN!!!#ShayMustStay
OUTSIDERS!! https://t.co/otxGUu7T8h
— RYAN HURST (@RamboDonkeyKong) April 17, 2017
As of now the ‘Outsiders’ season 2 finale airing on April 25 will now serve as the series finale.
