There’s good news and bad news for fans of USA Network’s In Plain Sight TV series. The cable channel has renewed the drama for an abbreviated fifth season. Unlike the past seasons, there will only be eight episodes this time around — versus the usual 12-15 installments.
And sadly, season five will also be the last for In Plain Sight. USA has decided to end the series but has fortunately given the cast and crew advance notice to be able to craft a series finale. The final season will kick off next spring.
Here’s the press release about USA’s renewal and “cancellation:”
USA NETWORK’S “IN PLAIN SIGHT” RETURNS FOR FIFTH SEASON WITH EIGHT EXPLOSIVE EPISODES IN SPRING 2012
Mary McCormack, Frederick Weller, Paul Ben Victor and Rachel Boston Will Star in the Television Event of the Spring Featuring Unexpected Plot Twists and Surprising Guest Stars
NEW YORK – August 11, 2011 – After concluding its fourth season with season high ratings, IN PLAIN SIGHT, USA Network’s hit original scripted series starring Mary McCormack (“The West Wing”), will return for its fifth and final season in Spring 2012. The announcement was made today by USA Co-Presidents Jeff Wachtel and Chris McCumber.
“IN PLAIN SIGHT is an integral part of our original programming slate and we are proud of its critical and commercial success,” said McCumber and Wachtel. “With a talented cast led by the incredible Mary McCormack, the fifth and most explosive season is sure to bring in new audiences with its provocative themes and unexpected story arcs.”
In its shocking season four finale, Mary (Mary McCormack) saved Marshall (Frederick Weller), Stan (Paul Ben Victor) and a witness from near-death in an ambush, but later Mary goes into premature labor after seeing Brandi (Nicole HIltz) flee her wedding to Peter (Joshua Malina). With Marshall, Jinx (Lesley Ann Warren) and ex-husband Mark (Bryan Callen) at her side, a frightened Mary cries out, “I’m not ready.”
The final gripping season of IN PLAIN SIGHT will keep viewers on the edge of their seats with heart-pounding storylines all building to an unforgettable finale. Can Mary blend motherhood with her very dangerous profession? Or will she put the infant up for adoption? Will Marshall finally admit his feelings for Mary, or can he make his relationship with Abigail (Rachel Boston) work? Can Brandi and Peter ever reconcile? After opening up her heart to Raph (Cristian de la Fuente) and Faber (Steven Weber), is it possible for Mary to fall in love again? And the question that has haunted Mary her entire life, where is her father?
Mary McCormack and cast Frederick Weller, Paul Ben Victor and Rachel Boston will return as series regulars, and Lesley Ann Warren, Nichole Hiltz and Tangie Ambrose are expected to recur for the final season. The new season will feature the cast and top name guest stars in more exciting and surprising story arcs than ever. Ed Decter and John J. Strauss (“There’s Something About Mary”) will return as executive producers with Dan Lerner as executive producer/director. Natalie Chaidez is executive producer. Michael Reisz is co-executive producer. IN PLAIN SIGHT is produced by Universal Cable Productions and is shot entirely on location in and around Albuquerque, New Mexico.
IN PLAIN SIGHT stars McCormack as Mary Shannon, a U.S. Marshal working in the highly secretive branch of the witness protection program (WITSEC), who relocates Federal Witnesses, most of whom fall into three categories: career criminals, whistle-blowers or innocents who had the misfortune of witnessing a crime. They all have one thing in common – someone wants them dead. Mary’s job is to see that doesn’t happen, while at the same time attempting to manage her own dysfunctional family.
IN PLAIN SIGHT closed its fourth season with a season high audience, up +6% from last year’s finale. IN PLAIN SIGHT has shown double digit growth over season three among P25-54 (2.2 million, up +13%), P18-49 (1.9 million, +17%) and P18-34 (659,000, +20%) as well as seeing gains in total viewers (4.9 million, +8%) and households (3.7 million, +9%) [with Live+7 data].
Universal Cable Productions creates quality content across multiple media platforms for USA, Syfy and other networks. A leader in innovative and critically acclaimed programming, UCP is the studio behind USA’s “Royal Pains,” “Law & Order: Criminal Intent,” “Psych,” “In Plain Sight,” “Covert Affairs,” “Fairly Legal” and “Suits,” along with Syfy’s “Eureka,” “Warehouse 13” and “Alphas.” The studio is also producing “Against the Wall” for Lifetime and “I Just Want My Pants Back” for MTV. UCP is a division NBCUniversal.
USA Network is the #1 network in all of basic cable and is seen in over 102 million U.S. homes. A division of NBCUniversal, USA is the cable television leader in original series and home to the best in blockbuster theatrical films, acquired television series and entertainment events. The award-winning USA website is located at www.usanetwork.com. Characters Welcome.
USA Network is a program service of NBCUniversal Cable a division of NBCUniversal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience.
What do you think? Are you sorry that In Plain Sight is ending? Do you wish that there was going to be a sixth season? Is eight episodes enough to end the TV show properly?
Image courtesy USA Network.
What the heck!!! I seriously enjoy “In Plain Sight” and cannot figure out why it was cancelled. In this day of incredibly stupid reality shows, finally there was something I could look forward to on tv. Now, you take it away. I’ll never understand the entertainment industry. I guess the bottom line is not to show anything that might be “clean”, funny and have a degree of “class” but rather put the filthy and disgusting shows on for our children to view – LOVELY! No wonder this world is a mess. What a bunch of jerks. PS: Why do I… Read more »
Very dissapointed that this show has been cancelled. I have waited several weeks and was looking forward to enjoying another exciting season. This is one of the best programs I have watched on TV in a long time. Sham on you for this cancelation. With some of the crap on TV why would you cancel a great program like this!!!!! To continually drop programs like this is not good business.
Great show! Don’t cancel!
I just can’t beleive you are cancelling In Plain Sight. This is a very good show.
There are plenty other shows that could be cancelled and not really be missed.
I feel that this show is funny and serious. It has great episodes you never get bored.
The cast is the best they do their job with great humor and you know they love their job.
I really wish they would keep this show on because it will be greatly missed.
I’ve had it with these TV idiots who cancel TV shows so I cancelled everything on my TV bill to only include my basic coverage. I will stop watching TV for good by the spring of 2012, that is a promise. They keep these stupid reality shows season after season, play repeats of old shows day in & day out & cancel interesting shows like In Plain Sight with HIGH RATINGS.
Please don’t cancel this show. It is written well and the chemistry is great! Mary Conklin
I love this program. It is my favourite. Look forward to spring to see how Mary handles being a Mom. The give and take between the characters in this show is fantastic. Great writing . Hope they change their minds about cancelling.
Ditto Mr. Martinez,
In Plain Sight, Covert Affairs, Royal Pains & Burn Notice are all shows I enjoy and I sure do hate to see In Plain Sight eliminated. I don’t get it !!! Hopefully the “powers that be” will reconsider, what I believe is a poor decision.
LEAVE IT TO THE IDIOTS IN TINSELTOWN TO CANCEL A GREAT SHOW. THIS PROGRAM HAS WITTY AND THOUGHTFUL CONTENT, BUT IF THERE WAS MORE GRATUITIOUS SEX AND MINDLESSNESS MAYBE THEY WOULD KEEP. VERY FEW DECENT PROGRAMS EVER LAST LONG. TOO BAD FOR US!!!!!
I just found out that next season will be their last and I too am devastated! It is a well-written show with excellent fully-developed characters. I will miss them terribly, especially Mary and Marshall as a team. I do hope they will end up together, or at least with the hint of them possibly ending up together. I’m glad Marshall found happiness with Abigail, but I think Mary is not only his best friend, but his soul-mate. A fairy tale happy ending for Mary and Marshall would be the icing on the cake. Ya know… after a few more death-defying… Read more »
I finally found a series i actually enjoy watching and you decide to cancel it. I do not watch Tv much and this is one of less than 5 show i watch… I am very sad to see it end.
Great story line. Interesting cast. Serious but funny and very entertaining. Why do the good ones always end up being cut.
This is my FAVORITE show on TV. I am truly saddened that it will not be renewed. Both my husband and I both look forward to this show every week during it’s season.
Why would USA cancell a sucessful show? It had high ratings and a superb cast!
I am totally with you James! Why in the world would a company cancel something that is successful and growing? That is like McDonalds cancelling the cheeseburger.
Are you kidding me? I just found out that next season on In Plain Sight will be the last? It figures that they would cancel a good show. I tried getting into some of the newer shows like Suits. Frankly I did not like it. I think Marshall, Mary and the rest are great. Love the interaction. You have a good show USA and now you going to blow it!
I actually thought Suits was pretty good, but it is NOTHING like In Plain Sight. You can’t even compare the two. I can’t understand why USA would cancel In Plain Sight. I love this show – so disappointing.