Katey Sagal's return to television in a starring role for ABC's Rebel seemed like a surefire hit, but the show was shockingly cancelled after just five episodes. The Rebel team, including creator and showrunner Krista Vernoff and Sagal herself, as well as fans, weren't ready to say goodbye, however, and the search was on for a new home for the series. Now, sadly, that search has come to an end as Rebel failed to find a new home, and Vernoff has a message for fans.
Krista Vernoff, whose hand in hit shows like Grey's Anatomy and spinoff Station 19 made it seem all but guaranteed that Rebel would score at least a Season 2 on ABC, took to Twitter to confirm the news that the search for a new home is done and convey her feelings to fans. Vernoff wrote:
Although confirmation that the fight for more Rebel has come to an end is undoubtedly sad, Krista Vernoff put a positive spin on the news by thanking fans and expressing a hope that what Katey Sagal's character (and the real Erin Brockovich) represented continues to inspire. The odds of the show scoring a renewal weren't necessarily the best after the initial cancellation, but Rebel's arrival on IMDb TV opened up the possibility of a Season 2 on the streamer.
The decision not to order a second season of Rebel came after IMDb TV evaluated the performance of Season 1 since it began streaming, according to Deadline, indicating that the streaming numbers just weren't what IMDb TV was looking for to justify ordering another batch of episodes and echoing ABC's original explanation for the cancellation. Rebel also isn't the only cancelled series that just lost its shot at a second home, as IMDb TV is also not moving forward with a third season of fellow former ABC series For Life.
While most shows that are cancelled do not get a shot at a second life via streaming, there are exceptions, with Lucifer as one particularly successful example after Netflix picked up the series following Fox's decision to cancel. Similarly, fan campaigns have resulted in the almost certain return of NBC's cancelled Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist, although just for a wrap-up movie that would release on Roku rather than a third season.
Efforts for NBC's Manifest to return for Season 3 on Netflix may also result in a rescue, even after all hope seemed lost for a time. Rebel just didn't have the numbers to join the ranks of saved series. Still, it was admirable of the fandom to do their part to support a second season of Rebel. The creator clearly appreciated it despite everything, and Katey Sagal had a similar message of gratitude after the series finale aired back in June. At the time of writing, Sagal has not commented on the news that the show is definitively not returning.
If you still want to check out the first season of Katey Sagal's Rebel (or just rewatch), you can still find all the episodes streaming on IMDb TV. For what's on the way in the upcoming TV season, be sure to check out our 2021 fall premiere schedule as September approaches.
