It’s one and done for Whiskey Cavalier. ABC has canceled the series after one season in a decision that was very much down to the wire.
While not entirely unexpected given the show’s ratings performance, this is still a stunning development as Whiskey Cavalier had been touted as one of ABC’s biggest new series for this season and became the network’s first scripted show to launch after the Oscars. It also starred two big television stars in Scott Foley and Lauren Cohan, who left The Walking Dead to jump to this series.
Since its debut after The Oscars, Whiskey Cavalier has seen its ratings decline until settling into the subpar 0.4 range in adults 18-49 (Live+Same Day). The show was airing Wednesday’s at 10 PM and that slot was picked so the comedic drama could take advantage of ABC’s comedy block as a lead-in. The drama is a major DVR gainer, more than doubling its Live+same delivery but it’s starting from a small ratings base and the bump wasn’t strong enough to earn a renewal.
Spy drama Whiskey Cavalier is a sleek, big-budget, globe-trotting actioner, which is important to WBTV for its international sale appeal and because of the big investment the studio already has made in it. The network asked WBTV for significant concessions due to its middling ratings performance but in the end, the two sides could not find a compromise.
Whiskey Cavalier follows the globe-trotting adventures of two very different secret agents Will Chase (Foley) and Frankie Trowbridge (Cohan). That cast also includes Ana Ortiz, Tyler James Williams, and Vir Das. Season to date, Whiskey Cavalier was averaging a 1.2 adults 18-49 and 6.6 million viewers.
