As another television season recently concluded many shows were canceled while others were fortunate enough to be renewed. The former is what happened to Katey Sagal’s Rebel. Viewers and cast members alike were surprised by the cancellation, but Sagal has mostly taken it all in stride. And in the aftermath of the series' abrupt ending, the actress has a theory regarding why ABC canceled the series so unexpectedly.
Having your show cancelled, especially after such a short run, can be devastating for an actor, but Sagal knows how to roll with the punches. Yet it's totally fair that she'd still have questions about Rebel's unexpected fate. The television veteran recently gave her thoughts on the ABC drama’s sudden cancellation to Entertainment Tonight:
No, there was nothing. I mean, it's not completely shocking to me because I've done this for a very long time, so I understand that decisions are made behind the scenes that I will never be totally privy to. For whatever reason, coupled with the fact that we aired not at the regular television time, we aired later, I think it was when the world started to open up, maybe people weren't watching television as much. And for whatever reason, that decision was made. But we were as a cast really surprised. We thought that for sure this was gonna continue on to a second season.
Katey Sagal’s theory may have some validity to it. Given the shortened 2020–2021 TV season which featured scattered scheduling, Rebel didn’t get a chance to find an audience, especially with viewers returning to public life outside their homes after spending most of the past year in quarantine. So the timing didn’t seem to work for the midseason drama. But the actress doesn’t really have to theorize, either, as an ABC executive gave some insight into the network’s decision. This theory also isn’t the first time Sagal has responded to ABC canceling the drama.
But as Katey Sagal pointed out, she’s understands how this business works. Although she's been part of landmark shows such as Married with Children, Sons of Anarchy and Futurama, she's also joined short-lived dramas and sitcoms in her illustrious television career.
Amid the show’s cancellation, Katey Sagal supported Rebel right up to its series finale. Even before the series premiered, Sagal was proud of the show, its cast and its portrayal of a strong female character. Unfortunately, the series’ premise didn’t translate to ABC’s support and the show’s viewership. Still, ABC’s cancellation may not be the end of the legal drama, as it’s been reported that IMDb TV is interested in picking up the show for a second season.
Although Katey Sagal may always wonder why ABC decided to cancel Rebel so suddenly, she may soon be able to see some light at the end of the tunnel. We'll see if the the legal drama can find a second chance on another network or platform.
