Reports: FOX Cancels Almost Human After 13 Episodes
Detectives Kennex and Dorian won’t be back next year
It was never the strongest new show of the 2013-14 broadcast season, but in the course of its 13 episodes Almost Human proved that it had an awful lot of potential.
Now reports from several industry sources indicate that FOX has decided to drop the show, cancelling it after just one short season.
The series starred Karl Urban (Star Trek) as Detective John Kennex, who is partnered with an android named Dorian (Michael Ealy) in a future Los Angeles. The sci-fi procedural explored the high-tech crimes of the future, while also laying the groundwork for some larger story arcs.
Many analysts considered the show’s renewal chances to be even money: its average of 6.2 million viewers wasn’t turning any heads when the show aired from November to early March, but with the regular broadcast season wrapping up this month Almost Human‘s numbers actually look pretty good, relative to FOX’s other disappointments. It tied the finale of The Following with a 1.5 rating in the 18-49 demo, for example. (The Following has already been renewed for a third season.)
The network took an unusual strategy for airing Almost Human. While fellow genre newcomer Sleepy Hollow began just before the regular season premiere week (and proved very popular on Monday nights), FOX held back Almost Human for a rare November premiere — after the conclusion of the baseball season. It then aired the show through the holiday break and into the new year, when many other scripted dramas head into repeats.
Whether or not the network would give Kennex and Dorian another season to step up their game may have finally come down to the strength of the pilots the network has in development. Turns out the line-up of possible new shows is looking strong this year, including pilots Gotham, Empire, and The Red Band Society — all of which are considered strong contenders for the fall schedule.
FOX will officially announce its fall schedule at its media upfront presentation later this month.
(Via Deadline)
This is disheartening. The show had a lot of potential and I believe would have really picked up in season 2. Of course Fox has always had something against science-fiction. Just like Firefly they scheduled episodes of Almost Human out of order. A demographic of 1.5 million in my opinion is not bad considering the scheduling hell they put the show through. Almost seems like they wanted the show to fail and were looking for any excuse to remove it.
What a shame. One of the smartest shows on television. Much better than the Following…
Wrong decision. But that’s nothing new. I believe a series should be renewed based on the wealth of what the future can hold for us as story ideas. This show had already shown several areas of technology as well as personal life choices as the story arcs. It had much more potential than other shows which have been renewed already.
is it just me or does it seem like all the good show’s get cancelled just when they could take off…..Disappointed
To cc.
I believe your assumption is most likely the correct one. Fox does tend to play episodes out of order for shows they wish to destroy. Basically AH got canned for an ill conceived batman prequel show that will most definitely be canned after a season which I personally am looking forward to.