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?
A delightful show that actually had me watching broadcast TV which I’d given up on years ago. Smart, intelligent and witty, and Ioan seemed ‘born’ for the role of Dr. Henry Morgan. A show that even stimulate discussion with my teens (who enjoyed also) on the historical periods in Henry’s flashbacks. There’s a push now with a “#Save Forever” and “#Bring Forever Back” but – show biz is a fickle industry(knew some aspiring actors, tried to encourage me to jump in but decided I liked a ‘steady paycheck’ ). Some are suggesting to encourage another network or Netflix ,Hulu or… Read more »
Forever will pick-up more fans in the coming years. It will be watched on Netflix or Amazon, it will be sold on DVD and Blyray and those subsequent fans it builds up around the world will wonder why the commissioning network were so short-sighted. I can’t believe networks are still clinging to the old broadcast model. It’s dead in the 18 to 35 demographic. Hell I’m 53 and I don’t watch TV as it’s broadcast, I record some, but most of my viewing comes down the phone-line or as DVD boxsets in the mail. I watch whole seasons of shows… Read more »
Forever was one of the best written and acted shows out there. The talent of the actors, the history and medical drama – there was never a dull moment!! Is there a campaign we can start to keep this on the air!! #bestshowever
Forever Fans, don’t loose hope… ABC is looking a replacing Forever with competitive nude horse-shoe pitching… don’t laugh, they think you are as stupid as they are.
We seldom find TV programs we agree on, but FOREVER was a rare exception. We stumbled on it late on Tuesdays. Then as we looked for it – it disappeared. The know-us-all dumb@$# at ABC decided to insure killing it by shoving substitutes in the time slot in alternate weeks. A general appeal program like FOREVER should have been in an earlier slot to allow it establish itself. Like TeraNova a few years past, it was killed just when it was catching on. PLEASE won’t some smart programmer/producer pick up FOREVER and put it where it will seriously get the… Read more »
I really do enjoy watching Forever. Of course, Ioan Gruffudd is a big part of the appeal ;-), but the unique story telling is incredible and fun. Each episode brings me to the edge of my seat and I think it’s fantastic. I am asking for the decision makers at ABC to reconsider their decision and to please keep Forever.
Here is why this brilliant and unique television show did not make it: ABC did absolutely ZERO to promote it, even after they ordered the rest of the season. I noticed this during the holidays and into January with the advertising of their prime time line-ups. They had snippets of every show they have on the air except this one. What idiots. I hope some other network picks this up and goes with it. I signed a petition to Warner Brothers to keep this show somewhere. This can be found on Change.org
Stunned to hear Forever was cancelled. This is an intelligent, creative show. You must be kidding!
I sincerely hope you reconsider. Move it to a different time slot if you must, but please bring back FOREVER.
We love you Ioan, your post was so beautifully written. I will miss you terribly.
I absolutely love Forever and can’t believe such a great show is being cancelled!!! I look forward to it every week. Why is it that the good shows keep getting axed, and more and more stupid reality shows are aired. Frankly, I hate reality shows and am so over the Kardashians and real housewives of who gives a crap!!! I am sooo disappointed with ABC, and am truly going to miss Dr. Henry Morgan!!!! Brilliant cast and show, and so enjoyable to watch.
I don’t think you know how to decide what people want you an other stations put on stupid specials we could care less about seeing but we don’t have a say I hate reality shows or a bunch of singing contest not sport fan. Let us decide not you. of course when you take this off for special the rating will drop because we want to watch our show. Leave things alone I like forever a lot f do.
They cancel the good stuff and leave the idiotic “reality” shows on, because America’s average IQ has gone down by 50 points in the last 20 years. I mean, really, WHO is watching this “reality” crap? They can’t leave on something interesting, intelligent, fun, with great acting. Let’s keep bringing down the collective IQ of America – that’s what this “boob tube” is capable of, at least on ABC! I was so looking forward to another season of this great show.
Cancellation of Forever is proof that smart tv never wins. This show had so much potential and the casting was brilliant. Ioan is a fantastic actor and Judd has been a long time favorite of mine. I was so hoping that ABC would give this another chance rather than adding MORE Shonda Rimes to their schedule. But no, they’ve pandered again to the masses that love mindless and salacious television with zero creativity.
Is it too much to hope netflix might pick this one up?
Ditto to Katie’s comment. Excellent acting, excellent story. My thought is that the masses aren’t ready for this quality work of art.
Great show.
Very short sighted of ABC to cancel a show beautifully acted, written and filmed. Definitely a show that should have gone on Forever.
I was hoping “forever”would go on forever. I am so sorry that the powers that be couldn’t do the right thing. They will probably put on some stupid reality show and say that’s what we want to see. Please reconsider!