Freeform (formerly ABC Family) has decided not to continue its sci fi procedural Stitchers for a fourth season and announced the cancellation of that show late Friday. It has been one of the network’s lowest rated shows, averaging only a 0.13 rating based on the overnights this past Summer without significant gains in delayed viewing. But I had thought that they would at least give it a fourth and final season to resolve all its storylines and to give it a more bingeable run for the streaming services. Apparently they decided not to go that route, though as the network has, according to Hollywood Reporter, been shifting its programming to appeal to “‘becomers,’ or young adults who are experiencing a series of firsts like love and work”. Stitchers has had a very dedicated fanbase that has been quite active on the social networks and the show’s “stickiness” in social media has previously been cited as a reason it has survived across three seasons despite mediocre to low ratings. I do expect that the fans will make their voices heard and will lobby heavily for a fourth season of the show.
Stitchers follows a group of people who have their minds “stitched” into the memories of the recently deceased and use that information to solve crimes. It stars Emma Ishta, Kyle Harris, Ritesh Rajan, and Salli Richardson-Whitfield, and it was an inhouse production from Disney/ABC TV.