‘Intervention’ canceled by A&E after 13 seasons

With A&E receiving such a surge in ratings and notoriety these days with new shows, whether it be men with beards a la “Duck Dynasty” or creepy teenagers in “Bates Motel,” they are shipping away many of their long-running shows in the process to the TV graveyard.

Last year, we saw the end to “Dog the Bounty Hunter” after a long and impressive run (especially considering that it was basically the same show every time). Now, the network is also saying goodbye to the controversial and the often difficult-to-watch show “Intervention.” This news was first confirmed in a statement by the network’s executive vice-president of programming David McKillop:

“As Intervention comes to an end, we’re proud to have paved the way for such an original and groundbreaking series … We’re honored to have been a part of the 243 interventions since its premiere in March of 2005, leading to the 156 individuals that are currently sober to this day.”

156 out of 243 is actually a pretty good number for a show like this, especially when you compare it to the number of real-life interventions that actually don’t go anywhere. The show leaves a legacy of managing to help people cope through a difficult time, even if it was not a personal cup of tea given that there’s nothing altogether entertaining about watching a real person’s life fall apart before your eyes. The show did also have a legacy in terms of Emmys, having taken home a trophy for Outstanding Reality Series back in 2009.

Eventually, all things do come to an end when it comes to television series, and at some point we’ll also surely be waving goodbye to the aforementioned Robertson clan and also Norman Bates, just don’t expect those shows to end any time soon as they continue to dominate.

Photo: A&E