Fox Hits Pause On ‘24 Legacy’ & Says No More ‘Prison Break’ Plans “Right Now”
There will be no more 24: Legacy or Prison Break on Fox in the immediate future, execs announced today, though there may be a chance of escape to another revival eventually for the latter.
There are “no plans rights now” for more of the Wentworth Miller– and Dominic Purcell-led Prison Break after its latest event series revival, Fox co-chairman and CEO Gary Newman said today. However, the exec didn’t shut the door entirely on more Prison Break. Declaring “we loved this season,” Newman suggested that if producers of the Paul Scheuring-created action drama “come back” with an idea for a new installment down the line, the network could be open to it.
Saying that more Prison Break, which ended its original four-season run in 2009, would be “seriously considered,” co-chairman and CEO Dana Walden added, “we want to make it special.”
Brought back April 4 for a nine-episode run of what is ostensibly a fifth season, Prison Break has been so-so in Live+Same Day ratings for Fox but a solid performer in delayed viewing.
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As for the future of 24: Legacy, blame Broadway. The Great White Way is where reboot star Corey Hawkins is onstage in Six Degrees Of Separation, and that’s stopped the clock on more 24 for now. While mentioning more 24 could be “in the mix,” Newman said on a Monday morning conference call that Hawkins’ “schedule won’t allow consideration for the fall.”
Related‘24: Legacy’ Review: Fox Reboot Might Be More Timely Than Ever
Coming off a strong post-Super Bowl debut before seeing tepid ratings for most of its run that ended on April 17, the new 24 was still praised by Fox execs today. “We were so happy with the creative on that show,” Walden said. “We think Corey Hawkins did a great job — replacing Jack Bauer was no easy feat.”
Super-spy Bauer was of course the character Emmy winner Kiefer Sutherland played on the real-time-running 24 from its debut in 2001 to its Season 8 end in 2010, as well as the limited series 24: Live Another Day in 2014. Now on ABC’s Designated Survivor playing POTUS, Sutherland was not onscreen for the spinoff created by Manny Coto and Evan Katz, though he did serve as an EP.
Giving further hope to more 24, the Fox execs said Monday that they wanted to sit down with executive producer Howard Gordon to see where the franchise could perhaps go next.
Fox is scheduled to make its Upfront presentation today in New York.
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