ABC recently renewed several of their TV shows for the 2016-17 season but the fate of Castle is still up in the air. The ratings are way down and lots of fans have been disappointed with the current season. Should this venerable series be renewed for a ninth season or, should the cast and crew call it quits?
On Castle, author Richard Castle (Nathan Fillion) and Detective Kate Beckett (Stana Katic) finally tied the knot but there doesn’t seem to be much wedded bliss in their future. The rest of this season’s cast includes Seamus Dever, Jon Huertas, Molly Quinn, Susan Sullivan, Tamala Jones, and Toks Olagundoye.
Currently in its eighth season, Castle is averaging a 1.07 rating in the 18-49 demographic with 6.07 million viewers. That’s down by about 30% in both categories when compared to season seven and a far cry from the early days when it was averaging a 2.6 in the demo and 10.23 million.
There has been a lot of speculation about one or both of the stars not wanting to continue on for a ninth season of Castle. There’s also been talk of possibly making a spin-off with some of the supporting characters. Either option seems in doubt now that Paul Lee is no longer heading the network. Lee was reportedly fired in part because he kept renewing older and low-rated shows.
It’s also hard to ignore the fact that many fans have expressed frustration with this season’s storyline.
Will the show be renewed? Considering the ratings and expense, the network could easily decide to end it. If the stars are willing, I suspect they’ll want to renew it for a final, shortened season.
The producers have said that they have included some closure in the season finale, just in case this truly is the end.
What do you think? Should ABC pull the plug and cancel Castle or, should it be renewed for a ninth season? Would you watch a spin-off with the supporting characters?
Please renew for a 9th season!! I love this show with Stana and Nathan Couple and Caskettbaby so Stana and Nathan please sign
I highly doubt Stana Katic will return for another season, shortened or not so please just end it. There is no way they should continue without her. The storylines this year have been abmissmal and insulting and screen time between NF and SK shortened to ridiculous amounts. Are they preparing us for the possibility of a season without Beckett? I hope not.
Please renew for a 9th season!! I love this show!! The actors are phenomenal!!!
The new writers tried to set their own tone instead of picking up the thread of great chemistry. By constantly portraying distrust of Castle, it drags the plot and viewers turn off. The beauty of the first season, besides sexual tension, was the playfulness and ways the team worked together to solve mysterious murders. We KNOW Kate doesn’t want to leave the 12th. We know they love each other. Let’s just agree and solve some gorram crime!
Well, with the low ratings and viewership that “Castle” and “Nashville” have been getting this season, I suspect that we could see a repeat of the tragic cancellation of “Brothers & Sisters” with either of those shows this spring (and possibly “Last Man Standing” as well). “Brothers & Sisters” was cancelled in the spring of 2011, and several of that show’s storylines were left unresolved. The ABC Network put ratings failures in “B&S”‘s old timeslot for the next couple of seasons.
One final season, without overarching storylines. Go back to the glory days of the shows. They work together, not separately. Bring back their playful, fun dynamic and no more “Beckett’s mom” stuff. No more disappearing acts and giving each other time. Retain the spirit of the older episodes while going ahead or I’ll be fine with TNT reruns.
*glory days of the older episodes
I really like all of the characters, but I was hoping for a “Nick & Nora” type relationship between Castle & Beckett….I really found it hard to follow what was going on between them this season.
ABC was dumb enough to cancel Body of Proof & Forever – they’d be happy to get those kind of ratings in their 3rd hour now – they should stick w/Castle & Nashville because they aren’t going to do better w/a new show. Even though Castle isn’t as good as it used to be, it’s still an enjoyable hour.
This is one of my favourite shows but I do agree that this years story line is pretty weak quite often. I think if you went back to the weekly mystery solving that it would improve ratings again.
You must renew. This is a great show with a great cast. Maybe the stories have not been up its usual par but then it it also hard to keep up with it’s on for 4 weeks then off for a month–back for a couple weeks and off for a couple weeks. It’s hard to keep up with a show–any show–that’s not on consistently!
I love this show! Put Castle and Beckett together! You have been writing this season wrong!
Would help if you kept to the story! Keep them working together and married! You are ******** with my favorite show! Do you want low scores???
I’ve watched it from the beginning and love it but this season has been the pits. The storyline sucks. Why can’t you go back to solving a murder each week by Castle and Becket bouncing ideas of each other as it was originally. I’m sure viewers left because of this season’s storyline.
Season 8 so far has been less than great, I admit. The whole Castle-Beckett separation (and now fake separation) is just ludicrous! At this point I don’t give a damn about LokSat. That being said, I LOVE these characters! I say they should be brought back for a short Season 9! Send them off with style!!
I’m with you, I couldn’t care less about LokSat. They’ve been on hiatus for so long I’d actually forgotten all about it. For a show about a mystery writer, this plotline is one of the dullest, yawn-iest mysteries I’ve ever seen.
I agree as well. I love Castle and don’t want it to end, but I think the whole separation and dragging out of LokSat is probably one of the reasons that ratings are down. Viewers waited forever for them to finally get together, only to have this whole mess come up. They need to get back to what made the show work in the first place.
Considering some of the rubbish that gets renewed this should is an absolute certainty!