As viewers are no doubt aware by now, ABC has decided to cancel their Forever TV show after one season of 22 episodes. Series star Ioan Gruffudd took to Instagram to send a message to the show’s loyal viewers.
He wrote:
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
What do you think? What do you think of Gruffudd’s message? Why do you think Forever has such a passionate viewership yet the ratings weren’t very good?
How absurd!! It can’t be cancelled! We need Warner Brothers and all of us to get going and plug this fantastic show everywhere! ABC should be regretting this awful decision and shaking in their boots, especially looking at the new ’15-16 NBC lineup! What an unbelievable mistake, you big dummies!!
What a total disaaster.!!! The very beautiful and talented Ioan, and the equally brilliant cast members, displayed such wonderful integrity and a great deal of charm as they played their respective characters. I watched with real love of and fascination as the story lines unfolded each week. Why dumb down television ABC? Use your heads , given the insular nature of American TV, I thought finally at last a show with real plot lines and humour as well as joyful classy plot lines. Three word: Bring Forever Back… or should I say four words .. P lease Save our Show!… Read more »
ABC, not a terribly forward thinking network, has just let go of a true Diamond in the Rough in Forever. A lovely show, with wonderful characters, sophisticated and, at times, beautiful. A show not bound by violence nor prolific sexual scenes, it was a truly beautiful story. Henry, the British doctor sentenced to immortality by a special gunshot and his psychopathic stalker, a much older immortal made thousands of years earlier by a special knife supposedly used to kill Julius Caesar. I knew from the beginning it would be cancelled. Way too sweet and a romance that took an entire… Read more »
Simple statement – ABC – BRING THE SHOW BACK. You haven’t a serious lineup of shows with the single exception of FOREVER and you are cancelling it!! Someone needs to have a serious conversation with some real people who appreciate a great show.
This show was the best show on US TV! It had lots of common sense and intelligence and the lead actor was fantastic! America wants to keep the rubbish shows and get rid of great shows like this. I cant believe we here downunder wont be seeing this wonderful show anymore. Thank you to Ioan and Judd for their terrific acting and we are all going to miss you so very much! Everyone, get signing the petition NOW so someone can bring this great show back to us and get rid of all the other rubbish on TV!
Ioan is a particularly expressive and charismatic actor who may be too good for US tv. He was marvelous in “Horatio Hornblower”, Galsworthy, even memorable in his “Titanic” cameo. I rarely watch network tv but jumped at the chance to see him every week and was rewarded by interesting stories and the look-backs at past lives. (Bern Gorman is of the same caliber — at least he continues watchable on “Turn:Washington Spies”. ) Please, all you show-runners out there, keep Ioan at the top of your list — he’s a fine talent — one just wants to keep watching him.
He is a great actor, classy guy and doesn’t deserve the ******** he got from ABC and neither do we for that part. They cancelled a great show nd I wish them the worst for that. I am tired of getting into a show to see it cancelled too soon. Forever, Revenge and Christela to name a few.
I think it is a great show, sorry to see the ‘good ones’ fall by the wayside. Good, fun premise and really great actors.
Don’t forget to sign the petition to Warner Bros. on Change.org.
So sad, please campaign to bring it back….
Going to greatly miss this show… I hate that it will no longer be on. Someone needs to start a campaign to bring it back.
Just call it the dumbing down of America! This original and interesting series was just the sort of programming that is needed. Loved Henry and Abraham, so many stories to tell. Let’s hope one of the speciality channels will pick it up.
Words cannot express how heartbroken I am to hear about the cancellation of this extraordinary show that lifted me every week from the hell I live in. I live with my beloved mother who is battling cancer. I don’t have a partner, no children and am struggling to build a business online. Forever was my one shinning light every week. I cannot begin to relay how much of an impact it had on me. I loved the story lines, I loved the flash backs, I loved the fantasy aspect, I loved Judd Hirsch, I loved the class that Dr Henry… Read more »
Great actors. Excellent characters and inter character rapport. Great premise, creative writing. Intelligent, imaginative. Got me watching tv again. I guess it’s not banal enough to continue. Regret it was cancelled.
I’m shocked, completely shocked that the show has been cancelled… :/ Ian is one of my favorite actors. It was wonderful watching him play the role of Henry so well. I’m gonna miss it Forever…
Oops, I’m sorry. Ioan.
I enjoy watching Forever TV show. I do not like reality TV and this show was really good and Ioan and the cast did a great job and I look forward each week in watching the show. Please bring renewed the show.
Charles
I totally agree. It was one of the BEST TV shows this past year. I will not watch any of the reality or competition shows which ABC seems to focus on producing probably because it costs less. The writers on Forever were great as was all the actors. Sorry to see it was cancelled.