Rebel season 2 hopes: Why was it canceled at ABC?
So why did the network opt to end the show in the first place? The simplest answer is low ratings. The Katey Sagal series didn’t get off to the start that the network was hoping for, especially when you consider that it had a successful series like Grey’s Anatomy airing before it. There was a reasonable promotional campaign leading up to the premiere, though we’d argue that it is also really tough to get a new property off the ground in the spring — even one with big names attached like Sagal and Erin Brockovich behind the scenes.
The biggest shame with the Rebel cancellation is mostly that the network didn’t give it all that much of a chance. It was canceled only after a handful of airings, which isn’t much of an opportunity for a show like this to find its footing. Of course, after the cancellation it’s even harder to get viewers to start watching — why would they when they know the story could have an incomplete conclusion?
At the time of this writing, we haven’t heard anything that suggests that Rebel season 2 will air or stream elsewhere — though we would still argue that Hulu would be a great home for it. Remember that they share a parent company with ABC, which is where showrunner Krista Vernoff has her overall deal. It would also enable the story to get into even darker subject matter than what they could on traditional network TV.
For now, though, we have to assume that tonight’s finale will be it — but you never quite know what the future holds.
Related – Be sure to get some other news right now when it comes to Rebel
Are you sad that ABC canceled Rebel?
Are you still holding out hope for a season 2 somewhere? Be sure to share right now in the attached comments! Once you do that, remember to stick around for some other news. (Photo: ABC.)