After swapping out one of the leads with a new face amid much behind the scenes drama during its second season, Lethal Weapon has been canceled by Fox after three seasons.
During Fox’s Upfront Presentation today, Fox CEO Charlie Collier was asked about the decision to cancel the series, starring Damon Wayans and Seann William Scott after three seasons. “In the quest to be No.1, you have to make tough choices, and Lethal Weapon was unfortunately on the other side (of the bubble)”, said Collier.
Asked whether the behind-the-scenes drama surrounding series’ star Damon Wayans played a role in the cancellation call, Collier did not answer directly but reiterated that the decision was driven by “the commitment to try to keep growing and invest in the future.”
Lethal Weapon experienced a fair share of drama during its short run that became more dramatic than the series itself. Original co-lead, Clayne Crawford, was fired after season 2 over issues with on-set behavior. A lot of the conflict was sparked between Crawford and Wayans, who didn’t see eye to eye on several matters which led to a few blowups on set. The series received a very last minute renewal for a third season once they found a replacement for Crawford. Seann William Scott stepped in and was actually well received by fans but Wayans sparked even more drama.
Last fall, Wayans dropped a bomb that he would leave the series after its initial 13-episode order for season 3. Despite this announcement, hr later signed off for three more episodes and was reportedly open to another season. The season 3 finale did see a dip in the ratings but still delivered respectable 1.2 adults 18-49 rating and 5.4 million viewers in Live+7.
Lethal Weapon, despite all the drama associated with it, likely didn’t make the cut because Fox ordered six new dramas to series and there wasn’t much room for a show that was hovering over the bubble.
