Production of Atlanta-shot Fox series "Red Band Society" has been halted at 13 episodes. The 10th episode, considered the winter finale, is airing Wednesday.
Although Fox hasn't cancelled the show outright, without the back nine episode pick up, it's fair to say the show is on its death bed. (NBC took a similar tack with Atlanta-shot "Constantine" last week. It stopped production at 13 episodes but said it's still a contender for a second season.)
The series focused on teens in a pediatric hospital ward was always a high-risk proposition. The show tries to balance the issue of sick kids going through many regular "teen" issues without going too histrionic. Oscar winner Octavia Spencer , who was a sweetheart on set when I visited earlier this fall, stars as a tough but fair nurse.
It has been primarily shot at EUE Screen Gems at Lakewood.
While "Red Band Society" drew a fair amount of teen viewers, its appeal to older folks was limited. Ratings started so low that even strong DVR usage didn't lift the numbers enough to necessarily make it long-term viable. The last episode drew an overnight viewership of 2.9 million and a 0.9 18-49 rating.
Fox execs, based on the pilot, were confident enough about the show to fly the cast all over the country over the summer to host screenings, including one at Regal Cinema in Atlantic Station.
An insider told me the show wasn't quite the same after they let go executive producer and creator Margaret Nagle.
It's been a tough fall for Fox's freshman class. "Utopia" was cancelled after two months. "Gracepoint" and "Mulaney" have underperformed. The network can at least take solace that "Gotham" has done well.
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