‘Guilt’ canceled by Freeform; season 2 hopes likely shot

Despite a crazy finale and an ending that got many of its viewers talking, it appears as though we’re nearing the end for “Guilt” on Freeform.

Per a report from Deadline, the network canceled on Thursday the low-rated legal / mystery series, which had a loyal following through its short season 1 run. The biggest problem is that the ratings simply did not match that enthusiasm. This is a show that, despite a decent lead-in courtesy of “The Fosters,” could not bring in more than 500,000 on average through its entire run in live+same day ratings. Even on cable, that’s not the sort of performance that a freshman show needs in order to get a chance to tell more stories.

Unfortunately, with these ratings it’s hard to imagine another mainstream home for the series, either. If we were to dissect somewhat what exactly went wrong with this show, it may have been too complex for its own good. It was hard to boil down what it was about into an advertising soundbite, and we think the somewhat-ambiguous title probably did not help. If you look at a title like “Pretty Little Liars” or “Switched at Birth,” these are catchy, memorable, and in one case, gives you a good sense as to what the story is about.

At this point, the one thing that we’re hoping for is that many of the cast and producers here can use their work to catapult over to other shows. With pilot season coming later this fall, there will be plenty of opportunities for some of them to find other work with new pilots. Who knows? Maybe someone could also find their way to an already-established show that is out there.

Are you saddened to hear this news? Let us know your thoughts / reactions in the comments. (Photo: Freeform.)