Fox Television execs say it was a “tough choice” to cancel the musical drama Star but the decision came as Fox wanted to give Empire the proper “send-off it deserves.”
Fox Entertainment CEO Charlie Collier told Deadline that Star’s cancellation was tied in to the fact that Fox wanted to prioritize Empire before the series is canceled after the sixth season.
The show premiered in December 2016, with Empire as its lead-in, and starred Queen Latifah, Jude Demorest, Ryan Destiny, Brittany O’Grady, Amiyah Scott and Quincy Brown. Scott became the third openly transgender person to play a major trans character in a scripted television drama series.
Star‘s viewers expressed their dismay and outrage that the series was canceled without resolving several cliffhangers from the finale.
Taraji P. Henson and Terrence Howard’s TV drama Empire survived the chopping block.
The show, based around a music industry family, was recently picked up for another season, amid the drama of castmate Jussie Smollett’s hate crime hoax.
There are still no plans for Smollett’s return to the show after he was arrested for filing a false police report in Chicago, Illinois and then released with all charges dropped.
City officials are currently suing Smollett for police overtime in the case.
Smollett’s scenes were cut except the final 2 episodes.
Fox network boss Charlie Collier made the final season announcement on Monday, May 13, calling the show Lee Daniels co-created a “groundbreaking cultural phenomenon”.
“We are turning the final season into a large TV event, we are trying to go out guns a blazing,” he said, revealing the sixth season will feature 20 episodes. “You allow fans to lean in and have the ending they deserve.”
Asked about Smollett’s involvement in Empire when the show returns, the CEO added, “There’s an option to have Jussie in the series but we have no plans for that.”
Smollett’s cast mates appealed to Fox executives to bring him back. Henson, Howard and many others signed a letter sent to TV bosses urging them to reinstate the embattled actor.
Photo by FOX via Getty Images, FOX via Getty Images
