ABC Cancels Forever and Resurrection

[HauntedThunderman94]

ABC has cancelled freshman series “Forever” and “Cristela,” plus sophomore drama “Resurrection” and reality competition “The Taste,” Variety has learned.

http://variety.com/2015/tv/news/abc-...ed-1201490485/

[JamesG]

"Forever" Star Ioan Gruffudd on Surprise Cancellation, Playing "Role of My Dreams"
by Nellie Andreeva
May 8, 2015


It’s been a rough night for fans of "Forever", the only freshman ABC drama series to get cancelled this year just a day after the season finale, which closed some major storylines and teased new ones.

"Forever" also happens to be the only ABC rookie drama not owned by the network.





The axe came after some positive signs from creator Matt Miller, who sounded optimistic in recent interviews, and a ratings uptick in the finale. That created false hope and made the cancellation news more surprising and harder to accept for the supernatural crime drama’s auspices and fans.

Star Ioan Gruffud asked his wife, Alice Evans, to relay a message immediately following ABC’s decision. “It’s brutal, but that’s show business,” she wrote. “Ioan is a little shaken right now but he wants to reach out and thank the wonderful, loving fans who made the whole experience so magic.”





A few hours later, Gruffudd himself addressed the fans of the sophisticated procedural in a letter he posted on Instagram:

My dear friends, fans, supporters.

Tonight, as you all now know, I received a phone call that I was hoping not to receive, and to be honest I really wasn’t expecting it. I knew the numbers hadn’t been great, but I also knew the studio and the network both loved the show, and of course that it had an incredible fan base…so I thought we were in with a pretty good chance.

But sadly no, this time the cards weren’t dealt in our favor. Show business is like that. Hell, life is like that. You ride to the top of the wave and then you come crashing down again. I asked Alice to send out the sad news because I was a little bit shaken up and needed time to gather my thoughts.



So I sat down and started reading the thousands of Tweets in response to the announcement. And the more I read, the more I couldn’t believe it. The love, the sense of solidarity, the hope, the kindness, the support. Not just for the show, but for each other.

And slowly I began to focus on what we had gained in the past year, rather than what we had lost in the last five minutes. I was overcome by a sense of gratitude. To have met you all and to have you all rooting for me and the show. At having a chance to play the role of my dreams, even if it was only for a year. To have been given the chance to bring Henry to life.



Watching the interaction of the "Forever" fans come together and share their love for the show has been breath-taking. It was you guys who held me up when I thought I could no longer go on. (Those days were LONG!)

You made me smile when you pointed out the little things I did on screen that I thought had gone unnoticed. You gave me confidence when I accidentally found myself reading less than shining reviews. You were always with me, every step of the way, waving your flags, shouting your support for the show. It’s been an incredible, wonderful year, one that I will never, ever forget.



And guess what? The memories belong to us. We get to keep them ‘forever!’ Thanks again a million times for your unwavering support. Stay strong, be brave, and show kindness as often as you can!

Ioan xxx

http://deadline.com/2015/05/forever-...er-1201422841/

[JamesG]

Cancelled "Forever" Unable to Find a New Home, Series Creator Reports
by Rebecca Iannucci
July 7, 2015


Unlike Dr. Henry Morgan, "Forever" will not be coming back to life.

ABC’s supernatural drama, which was cancelled after one season in May, has not been saved by another network — at least not yet, according to a message from series creator Matt Miller.

This is a hard message to write but I’m sorry to report that despite Warner Bros. best efforts they haven’t been able to find a new home for "Forever". That doesn’t mean they won’t keep trying, but I wanted to give you all the real, although disheartening, news.

I’ve been hesitant to reach out because I (like you) didn’t want to believe that this was really the end. We had so much story left to tell, questions unanswered; romances unfulfilled; characters to introduce…



But I suppose I was asking for trouble when I named the show "Forever". We all knew this day would come, but when you’re writing a character with 200 years of backstory, 22 episodes doesn’t seem like enough.

That said, we are all super proud of the show we made. It was a charmed experience making this show and I’m grateful to everyone involved and that includes YOU. Especially you.



When the show was first canceled the outpouring of support was truly touching and I assumed would dissipate after a day or two. But something incredible happened. You guys grew! The longer we were off the air the more passionate you became.

And perhaps most impressively, you always remained positive. A snark-less and cynicism-free international fan base? Perhaps our greatest achievement to date.



So, that’s where we stand. Wish I had better news. But if we’ve learned nothing else from Dr. Henry Morgan, it’s that it’s a long life. And who knows? Maybe some cable channel or streaming service will come to the obvious conclusion we all have… there’s a great cast and crew out there ready to get back to work.

Hey, a 200-year-old immortal washed up naked on the shores of Manhattan. Stranger s—t has happened.


- Matt

http://tvline.com/2015/07/07/forever...other-network/

[AB]

Forever seemed like a copy of Castle but not quite as good, at least it was watchable. I liked Ioan Gruffudd and hate to hear it wasn't renewed for a second season.