Despite some optimistic moves behind the scenes signaling that Home Economics might be renewed for Season 4, ABC ultimately decided to cancel the comedy after three seasons. The news was definitely disappointing to fans of the Topher Grace series, but there's potentially reason to be optimistic all over again following recent comments from co-creator and showrunner Michael Colton.
The co-creator of Home Economics' took to X on the Sunday morning following its cancellation with a substantial message for his followers. Colton spent a bit of time thanking everyone for their support of the ABC series during its three-year run, and dropped a line that indicated Tom, Sarah and Connor's return to TV might not be completely out of the question. In his words:
I spent a couple days off Twitter, so I’m just now catching up to the outpouring of love and support for our show. Making 42 episodes of Home Economics has been the best experience of my career, and that’s due to our incredible cast, crew and fans. Though the show has run its course at ABC, I’m hopeful the Hayworths will pop up somewhere else, if only so I can continue to embarrass my real-life family. Love you all, and #LupeForever.
Michael Colton's bit at the end about being hopeful the Hayworths will "pop up somewhere else" seems to suggest that Home Economics is being shopped around to other networks or streaming services that may be interested in bringing this growing family back for at least one more season. It wouldn't be too surprising to hear, considering the shows ratings were pretty dependable throughout, even if they weren't outstanding, which could have other networks interested in bringing the familiar cast members over.
One network that comes to mind is Fox. Fox grabbed Last Man Standing from ABC after it was canceled, and the show went on for a bit longer, albeit with some casting changes, before being canceled again. Fox was also where Topher Grace became a household name as the star of one of its more notable shows from back in the day, That 70s Show, so there's some potential hype in bringing the star back to the network.
Of course, Home Economics could fit into just about any platform available, save for Shudder or other genre-specific services. Such potential new homes just need to know that people will be watching, so if you're a fan of the series, now might be the time to hop on social media and start a string of tweets begging Netflix and others to help ensure that Season 4 will happen. It's worked for more than a few other shows in the past, so it couldn't hurt for anyone hoping to see the Hayworth family together again in the future.
For a while, it appeared that Home Economics had a shot at renewal. ABC Signature and Lionsgate extended the main cast members’ options back in June, which seemed to be a sign that the situation was still up in the air. While that might've been the case back in June, obviously, the pendulum's swing eventually settled on cancellation.
Home Economics has no clear path back to television at this time, but those looking to stream the series right now can do so if they have a Hulu subscription. I know that I enjoyed the mixture of humor and wholesomeness and felt it was one of the stronger family comedies that was on television. Hopefully, the series can find another home and continue to tell more stories.
