TNT has announced that their Holly Hunter drama is coming to an end. Interestingly, it wasn’t exactly the network’s decision. But, regardless of who’s responsible, the fans will have to wait quite awhile to see the story wrap up.
Saving Grace focuses on a police detective, Grace Hanadarko (Holly Humter), wo’s great at her job but finds her personal life far more challenging. The series also features Leon Rippy, Kenny Johnson, Bailey Chase, Laura San Giacomo, Gregory Cruz, Lorraine Toussaint, Dylan Minnette, Bokeem Woodbine, Mark L. Taylor, and Tom Irwin.
The show debuted in July 2007 and attracted 6.4 million viewers, making it the highest-rated cable premiere so far that year.
Season two’s debut attracted 5.2 million and, this past June, season three’s return drew just 3.5 million. TNT remained very positive about the series, likely because it consistently rates first with adults 25-54.
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Last season, the network ordered a second season of 15 episodes. The first nine aired during the Summer of 2008 and the other six began running last March. TNT ordered the same number for season three and the first grouping finishes its summer cycle this Tuesday.
According to THR, TNT wanted to pick the series up for a fourth season but Fox TV Studios actually declined the offer. The drama is an expensive one to produce and there’s apparently not enough profit in the cable deal for the studio to continue.
A spokesperson for Fox told Variety, “In today’s rapidly changing television world, shows need to drive revenue off too many sources in order to be profitable for all the partners. Unfortunately, the economics of the series mandated stronger international and ancillary revenue than the show was able to generate. We thought an appropriate ending after three extremely successful seasons was the best outcome for all parties involved.”
Since the series has several ongoing storylines, Fox and TNT agreed to produce three additional episodes to wrap up any loose ends. The network will combine them with the remaining installments from this season and hold them until next Summer. So, fans will get some closure to the series but they’ll have to wait a few extra months to get it.
Michael Wright, TNT’s Executive VP head of programming, is sorry to see the show end. In a statement, he said, “The show’s continued success is thanks to the amazing talents of Holly Hunter and [series creator] Nancy Miller, along with a tremendous ensemble cast and a highly skilled production team. They have taken us on a unique journey, and we look forward to seeing where it will ultimately lead.”
What do you think? Are you ready t say goodbye to Grace Hanadarko? Would you like to see the cast return, perhaps in TV movies?
Image courtesy TNT.
“KEEP SAVING GRACE” I VOTE TO KEEP IT ON WITH OR WITHOUT HOLLY HUNER”
Sandy, I love your enthusiasm for keeping the show, but I must agree with Marilyn’s comments (on the next page, I think) – If you really want to make an impression on the producers that the show appeals to people of intelligence who can appreciate a well-written and well-acted show, it would help if you A) didn’t shout at them (which is what writing in caps indicates) and B) you did take the time to proof-read your message at least a little bit before hitting send. We all might make at typo or two, (goodness knows I do!) but every… Read more »
Was it me or did every notice that Holly Hunter didnt say hardly anything on the class forum! At least i got the impression thst Holly is the reason the show is being cancelled! Writers, producers and cast and crew ‘DONT YOU SEE HAT THE FANS SEE”? REPLACE HOLLY WITH CHRISTINA RICCA!!!!! OR REALLY EACH NW SEASN YOU COULD REPLACE THAT ROLE WHICH WOLD GIVE THE SHOW A LITTLE DIVERSITY! COME PEOPLE GET OFF YOYR DUFFS AND PUT THE SHOW BACK I=ON THE AIR WITH ALL THE OTHER CHARAX=CTERS! THEY ALL WERE FINOMINAL! ALL THE CAST BROUGT TE SHOW A… Read more »
KEEP “SAVING GRACE ON THE AIR” HOLLY HUNTER WASN’T THE WHOLE SHOW! EACH INDIVIDUAL CHARACTER ADDED SPICE AND HUMOR TO THE SHOW!!!!!!!JUST REPLACED HOLLY ITS ORETTY OBVIOUS THAT SHE WANTS OUT TO PROBABLY MAKE MOVIES!!!!WHO CARES REPLACE HER KEEP YHE REST OF THE CAST AND REPLACE HOOLY WITH CHRISTINA RICCI!!!!!!OR HOW ABOUT ALYSSA MILANO OR HOLLY MARIE COMBS! THEY ARE VETERAN ACTRESSES AND CHARMED WAS AN EXCELLANT SHOW!!!ANY ONE OF THE THREE WOULD BE EXCELLANT IN HOLLY’S ROLE!!!!KEEP SAVING GRACE!!!!!
I watched the Forum they had with the cast mrmbers and i my opinion I don’t think Holly Hunter didn”t want to do the show anymore! I think she said maybe ZERO words! Everyone else seemed like they were very disappointed and said they wanted to keep doing the show! Well get rid of Holly if she doesn’t want to be on the show anymore and replace her with Christina Ricci! ILOVE ALL THE CHARACTERS AND FRANKLY I DON’T THINL I WOULD MISS HOLLY IF SHE LEFT! The wriers were top notch! If the Network is so blind that they… Read more »
I for 1 am all for a 10% pay cut for all the actors in the show to keep it on the air.
On the other hand, could make DVDs f the show that can be played on full-screen machines. They could schedule it at times that command high commercial time prices, and they could get a GRIP!!! This show is an Emmy winner and should NOT be dropped just because it challenges somebody’s religious beliefs. Every one of us has had a crisis of faith and can benefit from Grace’s ongoing self- assessment – and we can all learn from Earl. This is a great show, much better than any of the reality show drivel that they are giving us. Why should… Read more »
This really pisses me off, it’s a good series, why end it…who hell runs Fox TV anyways, idiots?
Foreigners. Rupert Murdoch is an English billionaire and Emiliano whatever, who made the decision to stop production, is from Italy.
Saving Grace was the freshest show on TV, the characters with all their flaws grew on us. Now the powers that be want to STOP production and the reasons are not valid. I for one am sick and tired of getting drawn into a show only to have the networks or whomever pull the plug. They don’t even allow a show the time to gather a regular following before it gets yanked off the air. Here’s a list of shows the I watched over the past 1-1 1/2 years that are no longer around. Dirty, Sexy Money Cane Lipstick Jungle… Read more »
@Darlene – It is not TNT that is cancelling Grace. It is Fox Studio, owned by News Corp, run by Rupert Murdoch (an Englishman)who hired Emiliano someone from ITALY that refused to continue production of the show. Maybe they are part of a religion that denies angels, or maybe they think that Earl is too “strange” to be an angel, or maybe they are simply too money-hungry to let us have this show. We met Grace at rock-bottom, and have seen her learn and grow in every episode. Maybe they don’t want us to see that inner change is possible.… Read more »
What, is the network scared because Grace talks to an Angel. In a time when God is being thrown out of schools, that means no Angels on television too? Highway to Heaven played for five years. If you don’t like it, or agree with it, don’t watch it. But don’t take the show away because of an Angel, the show is about much more. Keep the show because it is a great show, “kill off” the angel if that makes you feel better. Grace is the best, and what woman wouldn’t want to be her! If TNT takes away Saving… Read more »
@Admin: you told me that the network sees these posts (when I asked about Castle) – does TNT see them? Do they give a flip?? I admit I was very late in seeing the article and learning of this travesty, but since they still have at least a partial season ready to be aired, all they have to do is shelve the final episode, or add a scene that would make it a cliffhanger instead of a finale, and find a studio that CARES about the fans! I am amazed that TNT would allow itself to be run by a… Read more »
Have you seen the ads for one of the new shows TNT will be introducing this week? We can’t have Saving Grace, so they are giving us ‘WHY DID I GET MARRIED” – another show in which people will be sitting around or running around complaining about their spouse. What is wrong with these people???? They take away our angel and give us devils??? Is this really all they think we are worth? NANCY MILLER – ARE YOU LOOKING FOR ANOTHER PRODUCTION STUDIO? Please don’t let those foreigners take away our SAVING GRACE!!! (Murdoch, a billionaire from England and Emiliano,… Read more »
i am really disappointed. i really liked the show. i would love to see it stay on the air. there is so much of the same tv on all the local channels that it is a shame that the only show that is different is going to be canceled. i did love the show and will miss it.
i agree fox is run by idiots, that is why i don’t watch anything on that channel! how come tnt can’t divy up and put out the money for saving grace?
@Roddog – I was with you, all the way to your political comments, which are confusing…it sounds like you don’t like EITHER of the presidents you mentioned! And, I agree with you, Bush did provide us with a reign of ignorance. And yes, we seemed to be overrun with televangelists setting policy for that administration…and yes Obama has a lot of stuff to fix, but he inherited it, he didn’t create it….AND this is not the forum for political statements. I’m certain you can find one or ten thousand elsewhere on the ‘net. I agree that Fiona apparently doesn’t believe… Read more »
Its a well known fact that Fox TV is run by idiots. They cancel great shows all the time. If a show is slightly cerebral, Fox TV execs are incapable of processing it so it gets canceled. I don’t think its economics as I don’t think any of them muster the mental processing power to understand economics much less the need to sometimes fund something that may not make a fortune but is a worthwhile endeavor. Saving Grace is just such an endeavor. Its a great story that should be told, to its proper end. Further, the moron from Fox… Read more »