Why Was ‘Rescue: HI-Surf’ Canceled? Fox Boss Explains
Among the cancellations last week ahead of upfronts was Fox’s Rescue: HI-Surf, which only lasted one season. During a conference call with reporters, Michael Thorn, President, FOX Television Network, FOX Entertainment, and Rob Wade, CEO, FOX Entertainment, addressed why.
“We went all in on two shows last season, HI-Surf and Doc, and we’re so proud of the success of Doc and unfortunately HI-Surf just didn’t catch on like we had hoped,” Thorn explained. “We love our partnership with John Wells and Warner Bros. and hope to do more with John and are doing more with Warner Bros, but it just didn’t resonate with our audience the way we needed to be able to return it.”
Added Wade, “It certainly wasn’t locale or the budget, it just didn’t quite grab the audiences.”
Speaking of Doc‘s success, Dan Harrison, Executive Vice President of Program Planning and Content Strategy, FOX Entertainment, noted that medical drama “has been an exceptional performer on both linear and streaming throughout its mid-season run, so much so that we picked it up for a 22-episode Season 2.”
Rescue: HI-Surf was canceled on May 7. The lifeguard drama ended on somewhat of a cliffhanger, with Will (Adam Demos) returning to Australia rather than go off on a new temporary job with his ex Em (Arielle Kebbel). According to Deadline’s report of the cancellation, there are no plans to try to shop it around elsewhere.
Creator Matt Kester told TV Insider in March that Demos would have “definitely” been back for a second season. Em and Will’s future was complicated, though. “We’re going to have to figure out, what is the special sauce that makes this relationship that they clearly both want, that they clearly both would love to work, how’s that going to happen for them? What’s going to be the thing that forces them together and forces them and everyone else to say, ‘Okay, this is a couple, this is a partnership, and they can make this work together both professionally and personally’?” he said.
He’d also had plans to bring in new characters to “not only round out the dynamic that we have but complicate it in a way that’s interesting and give some challenges for our characters.”
Are you going to miss Rescue: HI-Surf? Let us know in the comments section below.
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