ABC reverses course on Stumptown renewal, cancels Cobie Smulders series
'Stumptown' Stars Preview "Gritty, Dirty, Scrappy" New Series
Consider us stumped.
Citing timing and scheduling issues, ABC has reversed course on its season 2 renewal for Stumptown, opting not to move forward with the Cobie Smulders-led series.
Based on Greg Rucka's series of graphic novels, Stumptown starred Smulders as Dex Parios, a Portland private investigator with a military background and a whole lot of baggage. The supporting cast featured a likable ensemble of TV veterans like Jake Johnson (New Girl), Michael Ealy (Almost Human), and Camryn Manheim (The Practice).
"She's unlike any character I've ever read," Smulders told EW ahead of the series premiere. "It was really exciting to me. I find her very hard to describe, and it's one of the reasons I'm drawn to her. She's a bit of a mash of everything: she's very funny, she's very closed off, she's very determined, she's very flighty, she comes from this tough military background, and she's unable to hold down anything steady, yet she has this big responsibility of taking care of her younger brother. It's this messy person who drinks and gambles too much and is not going to show up all the time, but at the same time, she's inherently good and wants to help others and is quite righteous. It's exciting to play a fully realized woman, and not just a couple shades of a character."
Season 1 ended on the cliffhanger return of Dex's absentee mom. With viewers not catching a glimpse of Mama Parios, Smulders shared her dream casting list, which included Susan Sarandon, Mary Steenburgen, and Mary McDonnell.
Going back on renewals seems to be a hot trend of late, with Netflix's The Society and Comedy Central's Drunk History among the series to receive similar fates.
Deadline, which first reported the news, says that Stumptown will be shopped elsewhere with hopes of continuing.
But, as one series about a badass woman was canceled at ABC, the network also gave an official order for Rebel. Starring Katey Sagal, the project from Grey's Anatomy show runner Krista Vernoff is inspired by the present-day life of Erin Brockovich.
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