Fans of NBC’s Trauma series have had a season of ups and downs. The TV show got off to a poor start in the ratings and then was essentially cancelled when NBC decided not to purchase any episodes beyond the initial 13 installments. Later, because the peacock network needed additional original programming, they kept it in production and ordered an additional seven episodes.

Unfortunately, the show’s ratings got worse and worse and NBC later cut the final episode order to 18 installments. Last night’s was the last. Looking at the ratings, it’s hard to imagine that NBC would consider ordering another season of Trauma.

Still, one of the show’s star’s, Cliff Curtis (Rabbit), remains hopeful that Trauma will be back for year two and refused to let the show’s prospects influence his work. He recently spoke to USAWeekend and here’s a portion of that conversation…

Have you got any word on if Trauma will get a second season?
We’re still in the mix despite all reports of being cancelled. I’m still contracted till May 17, which will be the day I find out what I’m doing. They haven’t cut me loose to go and take first position on any other projects. We’re all watching.

Would your first choice be to have another year of Rabbit?
I love Rabbit as a character, he’s fantastic. We can get better – we’ve come a long way and we started off with a very broad concept: Basically taking a female-skewed audience of a genre show, a medical show, and skewing it toward the male audience. The pendulum swang a little too far in that direction, we’re pulling it back the other way, and we’re getting really good.

That must have been pretty disheartening to hear the rumors in the fall of Trauma being cancelled and left for dead.
I skipped over all of that because I didn’t want to focus on it. That is not going to help me enjoy my work and is not going to help enjoy my life. Rabbit as a character is somebody who despite all of his flaws and all the tragedy happening around him, he’s just a fun guy in a lot of ways. He’s not the brightest guy at times – he’s got room to grow in terms of how he approaches life, and that’s what keeps me interested in him as an actor. But I just really love his enthusiasm for life. I really admire people who are clear about what they love, and they just go for it. That’s really helped me as an actor to think, “You know, I’m gonna approach it with the same attitude.” People can say what they say. I’m loving my job, loving my work, love the people around me, and I’m going to come to work every day and have the best time I can.

What do you think? Do you think Trauma has a chance at returning? If it is cancelled, would you like to see Curtis (or even “Rabbit”) to land on another series?

Image courtesy NBC.