When the science fiction romantic drama Star-Crossed first aired on The CW in early 2014, it garnered intrigue for its Romeo and Juliet-esque premise of a romance brewing between Emery, a human high school girl, and Roman, an alien boy whose Atrian race crashed on Earth years ago and were forcibly integrated into human society. However, despite some initial curiosity, Star-Crossed struggled to build an audience over its first season.
Ratings were lackluster from the start, with the heavily-promoted premiere episode drawing only 1.24 million viewers. Numbers continued to decline as the inaugural season progressed, consistently landing Star-Crossed near the bottom of primetime scripted shows in terms of live viewership. Critical reviews were also mixed, with some praising the show’s exploration of relevant social issues while others felt it leaned too heavily on teen drama tropes.
Why was Star-Crossed season 2 cancelled?
Behind the scenes, The CW attempted to bolster viewership by introducing new characters and plot points to shake up the dynamics in season two. But when the network unveiled its fall schedule in May 2014, Star-Crossed was not on it. After just one season of 22 episodes, they opted not to renew Star-Crossed for a sophomore outing.
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Network president Mark Pedowitz cited the sharp declines in live ratings as the determining factor, saying “We had hoped Star-Crossed would open well and help launch a sparkling new night. But in a very competitive season, it simply didn’t shine bright enough.”
Indeed, the television landscape had grown more crowded, with Star-Crossed having to compete for its target demographic against massive hits like The Walking Dead and Pretty Little Liars. As a new, untested series without a built-in fanbase, it failed to stand out from the pack.
While Star-Crossed did see its audience expand via online streaming and DVR viewings, broadcast primetime scheduling is still dictated by those initial live numbers. And the show’s devotees, as vocal as they were, simply couldn’t make up the difference needed to justify the costs of continuing production.
| Name | Star-Crossed |
|---|---|
| Format | Science fiction romantic drama |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 22 |
| Original release | February 17, 2014 – May 12, 2014 |
| Network | The CW |
| Creators | Meredith Averill |
| Starring | Aimee Teegarden, Matt Lanter, Grey Damon |
| Premise | Budding romance between a human girl and an alien boy in conflict between humans and aliens crashed on Earth |
| Production location | New Orleans |
| Cancellation | Low ratings after one season |
What happened at the end of Star-Crossed?
In the end, Star-Crossed fell victim to slipping ratings despite network interventions and wasn’t able to attract the loyal, consistent fan support necessary to stay viable against heavyweight competition. The show’s writer and cast may have been optimistic about exploring a possible interspecies Romeo & Juliet story for years to come, but the network made the difficult financial decision to cut its losses after one season. Still, the show’s small but passionate fans continue to keep hope alive for a revival that could finally give this star-crossed love story the full arc it deserves.
When the sci-fi romantic drama Star-Crossed premiered on The CW in February 2014, it arrived with plenty of buzz and an intriguing premise – a Romeo and Juliet style romance brewing between Emery, a human high school girl, and Roman, an alien of the Atrian race which crashed on Earth a decade prior. The show’s first season explored the societal tensions and growing forbidden love between these two characters from warring species. However, despite some initial press and curiosity, Star-Crossed failed to garner much ratings success over its inaugural season.
How many seasons is Star-Crossed?
Numbers were underwhelming from the start, with the heavily promoted pilot episode drawing only 1.24 million viewers. Audiences continued to decline by nearly half as season one progressed, with Star-Crossed consistently ranking near the bottom of scripted primetime shows in terms of live viewership. Critical reviews were also mixed, as some praised the show’s message while others felt it leaned too heavily on clichés.
Behind the cameras, The CW made attempts to stir interest by introducing new characters and story arcs for a possible second season. But when the fall 2014 schedule was announced, Star-Crossed was left off the lineup. After one season of 22 episodes, the network decided to cancel Star-Crossed mainly due to its ratings downfall. As network president Mark Pedowitz explained, “We had hoped Star-Crossed would open well and help anchor a new night for us. But in an increasingly competitive landscape this season, it just didn’t shine bright enough to warrant continuation.”
Indeed, Star-Crossed found itself up against ratings juggernauts like The Walking Dead while trying to court the same youth demographic. As a new property without a built-in fanbase, it got overshadowed in the crowded TV environment. And despite growing its audience via online streaming and DVR playbacks, the initial live numbers still guide primetime scheduling and advertising. Since the show’s devoted followers couldn’t outweigh its production costs, The CW cut ties after one season.
Is Star-Crossed coming back 2024?
In the years since cancellation, the show’s writer Meredith Averill has revealed some of the big ideas planned for Star-Crossed season two if it had come to fruition:
The story would have focused more deeply on themes of prejudice as the government cracks down on integrating the Atrians further into human society. Major characters would be put in situations testing their loyalties amidst the growing divide. The romance between Emery and Roman would also face new challenges as they fight harder to defend their secret affair without alienating their own people.
There were also plans to have Roman’s mother, the Atrian leader Gloria, become an antagonist determined to sabotage her son’s cross-species romance. A militant human hate group targeting the Atrians would stoke tensions between the species to new violent levels. While some characters would rise to the occasion with open minds and heroic acts across dividing lines, others would reveal uglier sides of fear and vengeance.
Star-crossed season 2 netflix
By the season two finale, these escalating battles would culminate in the human and Atrian sides thinly united against a new devastating external threat intent on destroying both factions. Epic action sequences were storyboarded where the two races finally come together, foreshadowing a more cooperative future in season three. Of course, we’ll never know exactly how it would have played out…
In the years since, a small but passionate cluster of fans have continued rallying for Netflix or another network to revive the show, even for a limited series that could give Star-Crossed a proper conclusion. Rumblings and petitions still echo across social media hoping to reunite the cast, crew fans. For the devoted followers of Star-Crossed, hope remains that someday their own wishes for a sequel may not remain entirely star-crossed.
Drop in signatures, don't slow down yet #Stargazers! #savestarcrossed #StarCrossed @CWStarCrossed @StarCrossed_CW http://t.co/8R1lyf2CmK
— Holly❤️TWD (@HollyPidd) August 17, 2014
