For fans of The Cleaning Lady (US), it is a bitter pill. The series started promisingly with its story about an undocumented cleaning lady who gets sucked into the criminal underworld. Despite the original concept and the social themes that set the series apart, interest waned. The fourth season finale, broadcast on June 3, is now also the end of the series.
Alert: Missing Persons Unit, a procedural crime series that focused on missing persons in Philadelphia, suffered a similar fate. Although the series started with a solid structure and a solid fan base, it struggled to stand out in the crowded crime genre. The season finale in late May now marks the series' conclusion.
The future of another Fox series, Accused (US), is a little less certain. The anthology series, developed by Howard Gordon ( 24, Homeland), will not be returning for a regular new season for the time being, but Fox is keeping the door open for a possible revival in the form of a limited miniseries or event series. According to Michael Thorn, president of Fox Entertainment, talks are still ongoing with Gordon about a possible return, if the right story presents itself.
The animated series The Great North, currently airing its fifth season, also seems to be coming to an end. Although an official announcement has not yet been made, sources within the channel assume that the curtain will fall after this season. Unlike established animation giants such as The Simpsons or Family Guy, The Great North never managed to achieve the same cultural impact or viewing figures, despite a loyal niche group of viewers.
Behind the scenes, all of these series are co-productions with outside studios — including Warner Bros. TV, Sony Pictures Television and 20th Television Animation. For Fox, that means less creative control and less profit potential, making it more attractive to make room for new, in-house titles.
With these decisions, Fox is setting a clear course: investing in shows with greater growth potential and ownership, and divesting from projects that are no longer performing. While these are painful choices for fans, they are part of a broader strategy to future-proof the network in an increasingly competitive media landscape.
