Today, FXX simultaneously gave us some good news and bad news when the network made an announcement about The League. On the bright side, The League will be returning for a seventh season next year. However, unfortunately Season 7 will also be the final season for the show.
The League follows a ragtag crew of friends living in Chicago who belong to a fantasy football league. For six seasons now, we’ve seen Taco, Ruxin, Pete, Jenny, Kevin, and Andre get up to shenanigans in their personal and professional lives, all while attempting to win the elusive Shiva trophy. They’ll give it their all when The League returns for Season 7. Thirteen episodes will be produced next season, and those episodes are expected to hit the schedule in the fall of 2015.
The League hasn’t had the most easy TV trajectory. Fans had to deal with the fact that partway through the comedy’s run, FX decided to split into more than one network, shipping the comedy along with other shows, like It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, to FXX. Still, FX Networks reports that the ratings for Season 6 were on par with what the show was doing during Season 5 in both total viewership and the 18-49 demographic, so ratings don’t seem to be the biggest factor behind why The League is ending next year.
It’s more likely that the network and writing staff came to a mutual conclusion to end the show. (Seriously, how could The League possibly top doing the draft during a funeral?) Beyond having had a long shelf life, the actors on the show have opportunities outside of The League. Mark Duplass especially has a ton of stuff going on at any given moment. The actor, writer, director and producer is slated to star in HBO’s upcoming comedy Togetherness, which will hit the schedule in January of 2015. Season 3 of Nick Kroll’s Kroll Show is in the works and Paul Sheer will appear in the upcoming ABC comedy Fresh Off The Boat. Even if those involved with the show are ready to move on, The League will hopefully still end with a bang.
The League creators Jackie Marcus Schaffer and Jeff Schaffer spoke out today to thank FX Networks for giving The League so much time to crack dick jokes and name babies Chalupa Batman. During the thank you Jeff Schaffer also mentioned that Season 7’s ending is already pretty well mapped out.
“Spoiler alert - We already know how it will all end - with credits and the theme song.”
Obviously, it will be a while before The League works out all of the details for the seventh and final season, but it seems the show is off to a good start. We’ll keep you posted as FX moves forward, and potentially even signs on another comedy to take The League's place.
