WGN Cancels ‘Underground’ After Two Seasons
WGN America’s Underground fought the good fight, but unfortunately the cable outlet has decided that, going forward, the program would not make a good fit.
Apparently there’s nothing about the program, per se, that would qualify it for cancellation. However, the decision comes as parent company Tribune Media is being bought for $3.9 billion by Sinclair Broadcast Group, which plans to move the network away from high-cost scripted originals.
Peter Kern, President and CEO, Tribune Media Company, said: “As WGN America evolves and broadens the scope and scale of its portfolio of series, we recently announced that resources will be reallocated to a new strategy to increase our relevance within the rapidly changing television landscape. This move is designed to deliver additional value for our advertising and distribution partners and offer viewers more original content across our air.
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.”
Executive producer John Legend vowed to find another network home for the show: