“The business model wasn’t right for us.”
Fox boss Rob Wade has explained the reasons behind 9-1-1’s cancellation on the network.
It was announced earlier this month that Fox would continue to air spin-off 9-1-1: Lone Star, but that the flagship show in the franchise would be cancelled after the sixth season.
In an interview with Deadline, Wade revealed that the decision to axe the show came from his predecessor, Charlie Collier, but stated that Fox wanted to look forward to a “new era of television.”
“Needless to say, you look at shows in two different ways. It’s first and foremost from the creative lens and how much we love to create, and the second thing is really the economics of that,” said Wade.
“I think we felt moving forward into what is really a new era of television, the economics weren’t going to pan out for this show for us. The decision was made there that the business model wasn’t right for us, and that 20th would take the show back,” he added.
Despite its axing by Fox, 9-1-1 was given a new lease of life, with ABC deciding to pick up the show from the seventh season onwards.
“Thanks to the creative drive of [the crew] as well as the talented cast, 9-1-1 has been one of the most defining and original dramas on network television over the last six seasons,” said Craig Erwich, the President of the Disney television group, about the acquisition.
“We are honoured to bring it to the esteemed group of series on ABC. It’s a privilege to keep 9-1-1 in the family with 20th Television producing, and we look forward to telling more heart-racing and uplifting stories about these beloved characters on our air,” he added.
