In the wake of recent events, the USA Network has again decided to push back the premiere date of its new sniper drama “Shooter,” which will now air in the fall.
The series, based on Stephen Hunter’s novel “Point of Impact” as well as the 2007 Mark Wahlberg movie “Shooter,” centers on a marksman and military veteran (played by Ryan Phillipe) who is wrongly accused of a crime. The “Shooter” series was originally slated to premiere Tuesday, but the network elected to push it back to July 26 after the recent shooting deaths of five Dallas police officers at the hands of a gunman with military experience.
However, a shooting this past weekend targeting law enforcement in Baton Rouge, La., again put the timing of the series into question. The shooter in that incident also had military experience. (“Shooter” is certified by “Got Your 6,” an organization that works to ensure veterans are portrayed with accuracy and sensitivity.)
On Monday, USA Network announced the series would again be delayed. “After further consideration, USA Network, Paramount TV and Universal Cable Productions have decided to move the premiere of ‘Shooter’ to the fall,” read a statement from NBC Universal on Monday. A new date and time for the series have yet to be decided, according to a network representative.
“Shooter” isn’t the first TV show this year to be delayed in the wake of tragic events. After the mass shooting at the Pulse nightclub in an Orlando, Fla., in June, TNT decided to delay the season premiere of its series “The Last Ship,” which centered on a nightclub shooting (the series began a week later).
Last year, USA also held the season finale of “Mr. Robot” for an extra week when a moment on the episode too closely recalled the shooting of a reporter and photographer for a Virginia TV station on live television.
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