Rizzoli & Isles canceled??? Last week at the Television Critics Association winter press tour Kevin Reilly, president of TBS and TNT and the chief creative officer for Turner Entertainment, mentioned that this summer will be the last for Rizzoli & Isles.
“No network is the same thing all the time,” Reilly said, while discussing the networks’ overall reinvention. “I am very grateful to have that audience of Major Crimes. I love what’s gone on in Librarians. That’s a fun show that’s nowhere else on television. We can move these different audiences through, and I’m happy to have those shows on the air for years. So this is the last year of Rizzoli. The transition will happen, but that’s just sort of the way that went down.”
The news took most critics by surprise, as it did fans. As for how the cancellation of Rizzoli & Isles came about, Reilly said: “I think both ladies have had a really satisfying experience, and sort of indicated that — look, I don’t know that they wouldn’t do any more, but I think they felt very comfortable. The producers felt that way. It’s had a good run. It felt like it was time, and we all kind of discussed it, and everyone said, ‘Yeah, let’s go out, finish 13 great ones, and call it a day.’ Everybody felt good about that.”
Well, everybody but the legions of fans who have been watching the series since Angie Harmon and Sasha Alexander introduced us to Boston detective Jane Rizzoli and medical examiner Maura Isles. The series has consistently ranked year-over-year in cable’s top TV series lists. In our 2014 Channel Guide Magazine’s Viewers Voice Awards, Angie Harmon schooled all other TV cop shows in the Top Cop category taking 97% of the votes. Even at this year’s 2016 People’s Choice Awards, which aired last week, Sasha Alexander won for Favorite Cable TV Actress.
“This is amazing! I got a People’s Choice Award!” said Alexander. “I’m really, really grateful for the fans. Thank you for watching, thank you for following my journey and jumping from one series to another and I’m really grateful.”
It’s not surprising that the Rizzoli & Isles’ cancellation has ignited fan disappointment on social media, as well as in our inboxes. Here’s what some of the fans are saying:
“This guy is a idiot maybe he should go to OZ and ask the wizard for a brain, Rizzoli & Isles is one of the highest rated shows on TNT.”
“What an ungracious way to end TNT’s top-rated show, Rizzoli & Isles. Kevin Reilly said, ‘Everyone felt good about that.’ He needs to look at the TNT R&I Facebook page and read some of the comments by viewers who are angry, sad, and bewildered at his decision. Oh, and somebody needs to post an announcement there of the cancellation decision to show some respect for the viewers.”
“This sucks, I love Rizzoli & Isles. Never fails get into a program and they want to cancel it, just like Longmire going to NETFLIX. I guess they think that everyone should get that in order to see it. I hate TV networks.”
Some fans are even giving detailed advice to how they want the final episodes to play out. “Dear Kevin Reilly, TNT, WB, Jan Nash & Writing Team: This is my very personal plea … Now the bizarre decision has been made to end the top rating show Rizzoli & Isles, there are just 13 episodes that remain to be written and filmed. Please, please, please do not waste precious screen time with lame stories involving the minor characters.”
The final season of Rizzoli & Isles will be 13 episodes and will air this summer on TNT. What are your thoughts on the series being canceled? Do you agree it was time?
Having been retired from the business for a few yrs now, I remember a time when these new jerks came in to invent the wheel and change everything to there age and or taste group. What a shame to be so self centered as to be able to think all of us like what you want. SURPRISE ! Some of us don’t I will miss your new programming,I will go back to network and HGTV. I miss the show Preseption as I will Rizzoli and Isles. I can hardly wait to see what you do to Major Crimes. Well, Kevin Reily my mind is made up no TNT or TBS no you , I’m some one who likes comfort food. Go anywhere Rizzoli and Isles and I’ll follow you
Please renew Rizzoli & Isles. It is by far the best program on Prime time right now don’t take that away from us now.
If the show was anything like it was season 1-4 I would be heartbroken, even though 7 seasons is a good run, but, it isn’t and hasn’t been for some time. It is like other posters have stated, Maura’s part is different now, she isn’t as prominent in the series as she was before, it does appear that they don’t know how to write for her, or the person that took over in season 5 just really doesn’t appreciate the talent of the actress portraying her, and I know I am only 1 viewer, but, I have always thought SA was the better actress of the 2. When I started watching the show it was because of seeing AH in something other and then seeing an advertisement for R&I on TNT when I was watching The Last Ship, I had no idea who SA was or what she had been in previously. I bought the earlier seasons to watch, season 1-4 before I started watching season 5, and loved both of the characters, but, seasons 5 and so far of 6 have actually started making me dislike the character of Jane, because she is so constantly shoved down our throats, there is no balance anymore. I would imagine TNT realizes the lacking quality now of the show, even if the ratings, so far, haven’t shown a slip, they can tell when a show is on it’s final phase. I don’t think TNT killed this show, I would say it was the executive producer who I imagine guides the writers and is a writer herself, and who knows, possibly even AH who killed the show, if she had anything at all to do with her greater screen time.
Do you work for Kevin? Where were you when the entire story line was about Maura’s family the gangster father the mother and the ungrateful sister. I mean what have you been watching. I guess you were not watching the same show
Watching the exact same show as you, as STATED seasons 1-4 were balanced, seasons 5 and 6 have been too much Jane and very unbalanced. Not sure how I could have been any clearer.
This is a great loss of a TV show!!! To much reality TV. Soon I’ll just have the weather Channel. So many of my shows GONE. New one’s, nothing, compared to the old one’s!!!! Now my favorite gone. TNT what are you thinking??????
Heard the announcement of the cancellation of Rizzoli and Isles on the radio today. Can’t believe it!!! Why cancel a show that is so popular! I love watching the show and appreciate that for the most part it is not as violent as some shows on television today. It is also a show without gratuitous sex and language. Rizzoli and Isles has been one of my favorite shows since it began. I would really like to continue to be one of your viewers. But with the cancellation, that is unlikely. Please reconsider!!!!
R&! has been TNT’s second most watched show and Reilly axes it, It is shown on UK cable and Europe. If I was a TNT shareholder I wouldn’t be happy with Kevin Reilly. In England we have an expression “he couldn’t organise a piss up in a brewery” – I think the same could be said of Kevin Reilly in running a TV company!
Spot on.
Let me see if I can figure this out. All STAR CAST, great stories, no gore, no four letter words, family value, humor, sadness, compassion, action and two of the most BEAUTIFUL WOMEN in the television business portrayed in a positive light as roll models for young women. Wow, no wonder the brilliant minds at TNT want to take this show off the air! If the actors involved wish to continue to making this most wonderful television series, I hope there is network who will jump at the chance to own it and keep it on the air. With all of the trash on television that passes for entertainment in this modern day and age, I may have to go back to listening to the radio !
Well said.
I agree with you. Hopefully, season 7 will be done so well that another network will offer to take it over.
I agree with much of what has been written regarding the show runner change. It just seems that after Lee’s death the show never regained its footing. He took a part of the soul of the show with him.
Also, the writing the last 2 seasons does not take advantage of the amazing chemistry between Angie and Sasha. I think Sasha even became bored with her character’s backseat involvement.
Ill miss the RI of Seasons 1-4. I sure hope season 7 Amps up the chemistry play and Sasha’s role. I’m hoping they kinds do a Thelma and Louise ending. That would do them and the fans justice.
Sure hope they go back to the good old days in season 7, however, I think Jan and company are to in to having Angie as the lead now. Angie is probably all in to that,too. It sure looks like it, anyway.
Can see no more reason to watch TNT…… so, good bye….
I think Forest Gump said it best… “Stupid is as stupid does…” Mr. Reilly wants to make TNT “more muscular” and “edgier”, just like all the other, less watched media outlets. And, instead of providing a counterpoint to all the “edgy”, marginally watched media, you’ll make TNT just another soulless clone populated with cookie-cutter characters, too much hair gel and dialog that would make Russ Meyer cringe. Hey, don’t worry, just think of all the people you’re going to piss-off. You’ll have those basement ratings you’re shooting for in no time at all.
Rizzoli and Isles is the last show I watch on TNT. Now I can delete the channel from my lineup. I will miss the show and hope to see these terrific actresses on another show and another channel.
Mr. Reilly seems to be missing the mark on this move. He wants to transform TNT to be the go to channel for edgier and darker programming. Since ALL of the other channels seem to be trying to take the same approach TNT will be just another channel lost in an already crowded field. In my opinion he should have considered holding on to his core audience with popular shows like Rizzoli and Isles with the goal to introduce that audience to his edgier, new form programming. TNT could then work on attracting new viewers and retain their healthy existing audience. Personally, I see no reason to choose TNT over any other channel that offers these edgier programs. But, I do make a point of checking out channels that offer more of a variety of programming. And, yes, I’m in that coveted 18-49 year old group.
I agree with Marie. This show was unique for the chemistry between the leads and how these two opposite characters managed to become good friends and solve crimes together. The writing was much more skillful in seasons 1 to 4. The crime,comedy, and the relationship between the two leads was cleverly infused in the story line. In these past two seasons, its as if the writers write the story with only Jane in mind, and, when they are done, they find ways to ” insert” Maura. The writers could not even get Maura ‘s back story straight even though it is central to Maura’s character. These past two seasons have been a let down. This is Rizzoli and Isles. Not just Rizzoli. This show was sold on the chemistry between the leads. The PR department and the writers have thrown that under the bus. Who knows why the relationship between the two leads was trashed? So us old fans are left with wondering what kind of nonsense is going on behind the scenes. That spools the fun,so, I will not miss this show as much could have.
I mean’t to say ” That spoils the fun, so I will not miss the show as much as I could have.
You get into a good show and next thing you know they cancelled it! I love this show.
It is a two ways opinion:
In favour: it’s better ending the show while it’s still at its best
Against: as it’s stillat its best I do not get it why they decide to cut it off. They will have their motivations
Eu sou de Portugal e acompanho a série desde sempre… Acho um disparate acabar com uma série com tanta qualidade e com tantos fãs depois de apenas 7 temporadas. Eu espero que os executivos da TNT tenham a decência de reconsiderar esta opção tão mal tomada. Também ouvi dizer que as razões para o final do show são o facto de quererem fazer outro tipo de séries… Não discordo, isto prova que querem abranger um público maior e variar nos programas, mas eu tenho a certeza que podem fazer isso de outra maneira sem terminar com a qualidade do canal.
Para terminar gostaria de pedir aos responsáveis pela TNT que ouçam os apelos dos fãs para continuar a série. Basta ir ver os comentários de algumas das publicações nas redes sociais e observarem a quantidade de pessoas que estão indignadas com esta situação.
I agree with Marie, Angie Harmon wanted all the attention and took away from Sasha big time. I hope to see Sasha in a lead of her own soon, she has proven over the years watching Rizzoli and Isles that she is the better of the two actresses. It was a shame that Jan Nash didn’t see it, or was forced to do what she did. If you go back and watch Janet Tamaro vs Jan Nash episodes, what a difference. I look forward to reading more books by Tess Gerritsen, they were her creations and sometimes I think they should have followed her books more closely character wise. Hopefully they give us 13 really good episodes to end on, and wrap up the characters properly.
I am very sad that R&I is cancelled it is the only reason I watch tnt. I hope another network picks them up.
Since the new show runner came aboard the show has been pretty bad, she and her crew haven’t a clue how to write for Maura or successfully have her be part of the story/investigation. They have Maura season 5 and 6 as just the medical examiner, where she use to be far more entwined in the criminal solving aspect of it with Jane/Korsak/ and Frost. Hijack Sasha’s part is right, and the show has sucked ever since. I was watching some eps from the 4th season this past week and it was so much better, even with Casey (bore) around, the leads chemistry was on point, the writing was so much better and the screen time was more shared between the leads. The recent episode where the characters were in L.A., even though the 2 characters went together, there was barely any Maura time, and it was all about Jane, just as most of all the season 5 and 6 episodes hove been, or Jane’s family, I only mention this particular episode because it was so completely boring and the characters so out of character that I finally realized I no longer enjoyed the show and didn’t expect to see it on for very much longer.
They better not focus on the stupid minor characters, or soley on Jane Rizzoli. It’s called Rizzoli AND ISLES.