(ABC/Raymond Liu)
Bad news for Dex and her friends. ABC renewed the Stumptown TV series for a second season back in May but now, due to production delays, those plans have been cancelled.
Stumptown stars Cobie Smulders, Jake Johnson, Tantoo Cardinal, Cole Sibus, Adrian Martinez, Camryn Manheim, and Michael Ealy. In the TV show, Dex Parios (Smulders) is a strong, assertive, and sharp-witted military veteran who lives in Portland, Oregon. She has a complicated love life, gambling debt, and a brother with Down syndrome, Ansel (Sibus), to care for. With only herself to rely on, she solves other people’s messes with a blind eye toward her own. Her military intelligence skills make Dex a great private investigator, but her unapologetic style puts her in the firing line of hardcore criminals and the police aren’t her biggest fans either. Other characters include Grey McConnell (Johnson), a bar owner and Dex’s friend; casino owner Sue Lynn Blackbird (Cardinal); Dex’s friend Tookie (Martinez), a taco food cart owner; and Lieutenant Cosgrove (Manheim) Detective Miles Hoffman (Ealy) of the Portland Police Bureau.
The first season of Stumptown averaged a meager 0.49 rating in the 18-49 demographic and 2.84 million viewers in the live+same day ratings. Of the network’s 20 scripted series that aired during the regular 2019-20 season, Stumptown was the lowest-rated show in the demo to be renewed, ranking 17th of 20 programs. The series did perform well in streaming and delayed viewing.
Deadline reports that production delays and other factors have made it impossible for the series to be ready for a fall launch on ABC.
The series’ production plans, like many shows’, have been negatively impacted by the current pandemic. In addition, extra time was needed to work on season two scripts. Stumptown was due to take a change in direction in year two following a showrunner change at the end of the first season. The show was reportedly also an expensive one to produce and having to take COVID-19 precautions would lead to significant budget increases.
As a result, the new season wouldn’t have been ready to air until April 2021, at the end of the traditional broadcast season. ABC has now decided to rescind the renewal order and the cast and crew were told of the decision to cancel earlier today.
All hope may not be lost, however. ABC Signature, which produces the series, is hoping to shop the series elsewhere and find it a new home. Considering that Stumptown does well in delayed viewing, a streaming service would seem to be the show’s best bet.
What do you think? Did you like the Stumptown TV series? Were you looking forward to watching season two? Would you follow the series to another channel or service?
I love Stumptown. She does a great job with the character. I love strong women that also have flaws. I think it should have been given a second season. There are so many shows and it takes time for people to find them. Please don’t totally cancel it!
When you say shop around does that mean streaming services or another station? Maybe CW?
I loved Stumptown and am fervently hoping it will find a new home soon!
Stump town is a very good show. It does what a tv show should do. It makes you laugh ,get angry, feel sorry, excited, cry and follow a good story line. I would appreciate if you would continue airing stumptown.
Thank you for listening.
Yes, I’d watch it. Bring it back Netflix, Prime please!
Mystifying why this show didn’t do well. We loved it and hope it finds a new home. Characters are interesting and revealing backstories were excellent. We’d enjoy seeing it go to Netflix- better for binges.
I enjoyed the show very much and was sorry to see it go as all the shows I like tend to be cancelled. Hope they bring it back.
We love this show! Characters are thoughtful, each dealing with their own struggles but taking care of each other. Fun to watch! We will follow the show to wherever it goes. I hate that all the good shows get cancelled.
My wife and I both enjoyed watching Stumptown. Very sad that it’s been cancelled, but not entirely unexpected. The best shows are always cancelled. The wi-fi in our house is pathetic and makes streaming impossible so if the show goes to a streaming service, we won’t have the chance to watch.
Great show with original plot lines, humor & sympathetic characters. I’d love more episodes.
I was looking forward to seeing Stumptown return. The different types of problems just shows the percentage off and covered in Other shows. I definitely feel the show have a lot to offer To help understand different types of psychological and medical disorders
I would definitely watch this show. Moving to a different network would not be a problem for me. I enjoyed it a lot.
Will follow to where it goes. I like it
This comes as no surprise.
Stumptown had stumbled on a premise that hasn’t been done to death, with characters and actors that were unique and delightful! Having left us with a cliffhanger and then axing it is despicable – I’d watch this show any day of the week before wasting my time with something obnoxious like The Bachelor or some similar drivel… ABC, this is very disappointing!!!
But those shows that neither of us like are cheap to make since they aren’t paying an actor’s wage! I’m sad to and would have waited for it same with everything that needs to be written!