Back in June, Showtime’s long-running medical dramedy Nurse Jackie was renewed for a seventh season. At the time, it was noted that Season 7 would be a little different from past seasons, with actor Peter Facinelli, who plays Dr. Fitch “Coop” Cooper on the show, taking on a more minor role. Despite the casting changes, the show has shown no signs of slowing down. However, on Wednesday, the Nurse Jackie cast and crew beat Showtime to the punch by announcing that Season 7 will be the show’s last.
The crew took to Twitter to note that Season 7 will hit the schedule in 2015, also stating with a cute little banner that Season 7 will be “the final season.” But don’t take it from us, here’s the official tweet:
Showtime followed up a few minutes later, releasing a press statement confirming the news. Showtime doesn’t address who made the decision in the press release, but due to the fact that Showtime loves to run shows past their prime and due to the fact that the ratings on the series have still been pretty solid, I wouldn’t be shocked to learn this was a creative decision. In fact, Showtime Networks President David Nevins had some really graceful things to say about lead Edie Falco and the heads of the series this afternoon.
“Edie is one of our finest actresses. We are so honored to have had her on the network. She creates indelible characters and Nurse Jackie Peyton is no exception. I know this final season will bring her story to a close that will satisfy the ever-growing number of loyal viewers who have been entranced and, at times, appalled by Jackie through the years. I want to thank Edie, the incredible cast of Nurse Jackie and Clyde Phillips and Richie Jackson who have led the show to the success that it is today.”
The news is a little surprising, considering Nurse Jackie earned an early renewal this spring. However, seven seasons is a long time for Jackie to look for personal redemption. Maybe it's time for a happy ending for the titular nurse, or at least an ending fans can be content with. Showtime's statement this morning did mention that production on the show is set to begin this week, and since recent seasons of Nurse Jackie have hit the schedule in April, I expect fans can prepare for a spring premiere this time around. We'll let you know as soon as Showtime has a premiere date locked down.
