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.
I am sorry that many of the story lines may have to be left unsettled. Mary is the glue that holds the various strands together, but she is herself an unfinished work. Where is her father? How will motherhood affect her life? Will she recognize Marshall’s devotion to her? These problems, facing the main character, will make it impossible to settle the issues facing the other characters. I will be interested to see how far she can grow in just 8 episodes.
When are the studios execs going to realize that they are totally stupid for canceling a show that closed with high ratings? Give us what we want. We want In Plain Sight!!!!
It’s well written and acted, lots more story lines. Why cancel it?
Just as the show is gaining popularity–it is being cancelled. My husband and I enjoy all the USA series shows. Almost the only ones we watch any more. Give it a chance and offer a season 6 and see what happens. I feel it is more popular than you think on the overall average.
WHAT A DUMB ASS THING TO DO! whats going on in its place? one more over rated singing show?or some dancing with the b rate stars? that crap is every where so hey lets do that. why have anything good, the viewers have know idea what they like! DUMB ASS!
Sorry to hear about cancellation. I just started watching the show this past season and loved it. Next thing I know my husband is hooked too. I agree the good shows are always the ones they cancel.
Keep this show on, why mess with what is working!,, love this show
it seems to me that everytime a great show comes along, YOU PEOPLE cancel it, We love “in plain sight” and now it’s gone. I guess the big shots can’t think to good. all they are coming up with is reality shows. pretty soon they will do something like this. It will be called “Period” 5-7 days of hell, see how Lulu reacts. PLEASEEEEEEEEEEEE
Too many stupid shows are on TV. I look forward to “In Plain Sight” every season and now it will be gone. The ratings are up, the cast is great, oh yeah, that is a good reason to cancel. I love the sarcastic wit of Mary Shannon, the chemistry with Fred and the story lines. I want a full season 5 and a 6th season. What can we do to keep this show on for two more years?
Love this show!!!! It’s smart, funny, engaging & most of all very entertaining!!!!!! This show should absolutely NOT stop any time soon.
Typical, shows use to have 26 episodes per seasons, be on at the same time each week and same day, how can you rate a show when we don’t know when a show is scheduled and with 12 episodes? USA is #1 now but you can make mistakes, I believe this cancellation is one!
This is my favorite series. Excellent writing and great cast. If it’s a commercial and critical success, why cancel it? Probably will be replaced by some crappy reality show full of trashy people but it will be cheaper to produce and cheap is all that matters these days.
In Plain Sight is one of the best tv series on the tube. Why does it seem that the good shows are cancelled an the stupid/bad shows keep running .whats with that?
My Wife and I enjoy In Plain Sight.Wewill miss it.
there is no way eight is enough to finish all that’s going on. i mean really they could keep this show going for at least two more seasons! in plain sight is one of the best shows on anymore way cancel it right when it’s truly starting. now you have to rap up Mary and Marshall ( they have to end up together), if Brandi and Peter are still together or not, where the hack her father is and the baby. i for one don’t think that I’ll feel in bit of closure with just eight episodes.
Love this show – stop experimenting, you give a show time to catch on then you cancel it!!!
Give it a full Season 5, and bring it back for Season 6