Last week we reported that USA Network was working on a deal to renew Burn Notice for a seventh and final season of 13 episodes. Today, the cable channel announced that they had indeed renewed the show for 13 more episodes.
They didn’t say however that the seventh season will be the show’s last but one has to wonder. Though Burn Notice is USA’s most popular scripted series, they’re only renewing it for 13 episodes — the show’s smallest season since year one. Seasons two and three had 16 episodes each while years four, five, and six have had 18 installments each.
Do they want to use these 13 episodes to wrap up the show? We shall see.
Star Jeffrey Donovan recently told reporters on a conference call, “I think probably season seven will be our final season, and it will probably come down to those two people probably in some devastating fashion.”
Here’s the press release from USA. Please share your theories below.
USA NETWORK FIRES UP SEASON SEVEN ORDER FOR RATINGS POWERHOUSE “BURN NOTICE”
Emmy(R)-Nominated Original Drama Celebrates Its 100th Episode Milestone
NEW YORK, NY – November 7, 2012 – USA Network’s longest running original drama BURN NOTICE, consistently one of cable’s top scripted series, today received a 13-episode pickup for its seventh season. In 2013, the Emmy(R)-nominated series will join an elite group as the third show in the network’s history to reach 100 episodes. This pick-up completes the renewals of summer’s most successful block on television following the recent third season order of USA original SUITS.
“BURN NOTICE is like a fine wine that gets better with age,” said USA Network Co-Presidents Chris McCumber and Jeff Wachtel. “Delivering high-octane action, gripping drama and nearly 7 million viewers for the mid-season finale, this veteran series is a proven staple of our portfolio.”
Fast-paced spy thriller BURN NOTICE follows the formerly black-listed spy Michael Westen (Jeffrey Donovan), currently working under-the-radar with the CIA on special projects. Michael’s eclectic team includes ex-IRA operative and girlfriend Fiona (Gabrielle Anwar), washed up former Navy Seal Sam (Bruce Campbell), ex-counter-intelligence agent Jesse (Coby Bell), and Michael’s mother – honorary member Madeline (Emmy(R) winner Sharon Gless). As the second half of the series sixth season returns on Thursday, November 8 at 9/8c with a special two-hour premiere, the team is stranded in Panama and desperate to find a way back to Miami.
BURN NOTICE, paired with original drama SUITS, was the most successful block on television this summer attracting more adults 25-54, 18-49 and 18-34 than any other pairing of scripted series.
BURN NOTICE was created, written and executive produced by Matt Nix. Mikkel Bondesen and Alfredo Barrios serve as executive producers. The series comes from Fox Television Studios and Fuse Entertainment.
Fox Television Studios produces scripted and unscripted programming for US broadcast and cable networks, and international broadcasters. The studio produces the hit series Burn Notice and White Collar, both for USA; and the series The Glades for A&E. FTVS also is in production on Graceland, its new series for USA from White Collar creator Jeff Eastin; The Americans for FX, starring Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys, and Maron, a fictionalized look at the life of comedian and podcast sensation Marc Maron, for IFC.
The #1 network in all of basic cable for six consecutive years and an unprecedented seven straight summers, USA Network is seen in over 102 million U.S. homes. USA is a leader in scripted programming with a powerful stable of originals, spectacular live television and is home to the best in blockbuster theatrical films, a broad portfolio of acquired series and entertainment events. A trailblazer in digital innovation and storytelling, USA is defining, driving and setting the industry standard for Social TV. USA is a program service of NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment, a division of NBCUniversal. The award-winning website is located at http://www.usanetwork.com. Characters Welcome.
What do you think? Are you glad to hear that Burn Notice has been renewed for a seventh season? Why do you think there will only be 13 episodes? Is this the end?
I was out of work sick and started watching Burn Notice and i am really disappointed it is going off the air. Hope you all reconcider
I love this show and all the characters NOT ready for it to end. Why do the networks do this?? A very popular series and they decide – enough.
If Season 7 is like Season 6 the series will be over. Having the team go over to the dark side, it has been a bore. It’s just not fresh, lite, & fun like it was in Seasons 1-5. Good Luck, because a really fun show will be lost, Matt Nix has talent, although his portrayal of a deeper, darker side of the characters just does not pull it off…….
I love Burn Notice and I am very glad they are coming back for a 7th season “YEA”!
Please dont let the show end. Already loseing Leverage, we dont want to lose Burn Notice,too.
love this show. I have an aerial antenna only so I never know how old the show is that I am watching (unless I took the time to look it up). I want to see him accepted back into the CIA unless that already happened and Fiona put on a little weight and maybe their lives change into a couple with children and he still working for the CIA. Last I saw they were getting attacked; Sam jumps in with swat team as Michael and Fiona in a shelter in a backyard thinking they are saying a last goodbye. He… Read more »
It’s been a great ride but all good things must come to an end. A 13 episode season will nicely wrap up all the loose ends & hopefully send our characters off to a happy retirement. My thanks to the writers, cast & crew for a thrilling & entertaining series. Hope all of you make a boatload of money in syndication.
Love this show! Hope it’s not the last season. Like the original episodes better with Michael helping other people. Like the original Team best, need to keep Sam in the mix!
[…] UPDATE: The show has been renewed for a seventh season of 13 episodes. (Will it be the last?) […]
One of the best shows, don’t cut it short! Let it die a natural death. We agree: the original scripts about Michael helping people were much better, and the original foursome were great. Wish we could see more of Sam again. Did not need the extra characters or total involvement with the agency. Please keep it going!
Of course it should stay on the air, but only 13 shows, that’s an insult, this shouldn’t be the last season, there are alot more storylines out there, I was hoping that it would go back to Michael helping people that need help and not be with an agency, I think those were the best shows.
End show on its own terms not with a cancellation
Aw man, I hope they crossover with Covert Affairs in the next/final season. The two portrayals of the CIA haven’t overlapped much (different locations, Annie’s on the inside, while Michael was always more of a “Ben Mercer”-esque field agent, etc.), so it’s conceivable they could be the same CIA (forgiving minor details, for the sake of the AWESOMEness of a crossover). Or, after Burn Notice ends, they could at least have Michael pulled in to do “one last job” for the CIA on an episode of Covert Affairs, working with Annie before returning to his life with Fiona, no doubt… Read more »
I hope it doesn’t end! I like Burn notice! I would like it better if they got back to individual story lines instead of the long drawn out…sometimes hard to follow…who set Michael up theme. But, I do like it and Sam is Awesome!
I’d rather it end on it’s own terms versus it being cancelled like I don’t know… COMMON LAW !!!