Cobie Smulders made her action-packed arrival on as an ABC leading lady last fall as the star of Stumptown, which showed the actress in a whole new light from How I Met Your Mother and scored a renewal for Season 2 back in May. Now, despite that renewal and the fact that many of the biggest shows in primetime are resuming production after prolonged shutdowns, Stumptown's renewal has been reversed. The show is officially cancelled at ABC after one season. That said, there is some good news to go with the bad.
Production studio ABC Signature reportedly plans to shop Stumptown around to try and find it a new home on another network or platform, according to Deadline. That's not to say that Stumptown will absolutely get another shot on another network or a streaming service, but there are still reasons to hope. Sadly, however, the cancellation of Stumptown despite its previous renewal makes it the latest TV show to get the axe due to COVID-19.
Although Stumptown was not one of the many shows that had to end the 2019-2020 TV season early due to pandemic production shutdowns, which impacted some of ABC's other biggest shows, pandemic precautions did delay production from starting on Season 2. It was this production start delay that reportedly meant Stumptown wouldn't be able to make a fall debut with Season 2, or even be ready for air until April 2021. The show also went through some creative changes at the end of Season 1, including a change of showrunner.
All things considered, it's not surprising that Stumptown would need a fair amount of lead time to be ready for the airwaves. It was an expensive show to produce, involving location shoots and extensive stunt sequences that would be difficult to pull off on the kind of scale easily accomplished under COVID-19 restrictions. The show filmed in Los Angeles. Stumptown officially joins Netflix's The Society as a show to be cancelled despite a prior renewal, and those are not the only series coming to early ends due to COVID complications.
Since ABC Signature is reportedly planning to shop Stumptown around for a new home, it's worth considering potential options. The show accumulated a devoted following in its first season, and scored impressive numbers in digital and delayed viewership totals, so there is presumably an audience that could follow it to a new home. Originally airing on ABC, it's easy to imagine Stumptown getting a second life on another Disney-owned platform.
Hulu would be a good fit as a streaming option, since Stumptown skews more adult than many Disney+ originals other than The Mandalorian. FX has dabbled in superhero fare, and Stumptown is based on a comic. And there are also plenty of other possible homes that don't exist under the Disney umbrella. Considering what would have to be a lengthy delay between Season 1 and a Season 2 if it's picked up, I'm guessing a streaming service would be the most likely option.
That said, there is no guarantee at this point that Stumptown isn't done for good due to this cancellation. If you missed the first season or just want to revisit the show, you can find the full Season 1 of Stumptown streaming on Hulu now. For some additional viewing options now and in the coming weeks, check out our 2020 fall TV premiere schedule!
