The cancellation of musical drama Star was a “tough choice” for Fox but came as it wanted to give Empire the “send-off it deserves”.
Fox Entertainment CEO Charlie Collier told Deadline that the Star cancellation was tied in to the fact that it wanted prioritize Empire as it moves into its sixth and final season.
Speaking on Fox’s upfronts press call, Collier said, “We looked at our priorities and were trying to prioritise giving Empire the send-off it deserves. The move [of Empire] to 9pm, made it a challenge because Star was always the lead-out from Empire and obviously we don’t have the 10pm hour, so it was another tough choice in a year where we were prioritizing Empire and obviously some of the other shows that we’ve put on the schedule.”
The first three seasons of Empire aired on Fox at Wednesday at 9pm before moving to 8pm to accommodate Star in the 9pm hour. Empire will now move to Tuesdays behind The Resident for its final season.
Star was cancelled after three seasons, although former Fox sibling 20th Century Fox TV is shopping the show to other platforms. Star’s cancellation was not unexpected and comes after Fox picked up a raft of new dramas. Star raked in solid numbers but hit a ratings low last November. The musical drama is expensive to produce, and its international sales have been challenging, which made the renewal decisions a bit more complex.
Star followed three talented singers – running from their pasts and desperate for a new start – with ambitions of stardom, as they navigate the cutthroat music business. The show premiered in December 2016, with Empire as its lead-in, and starred Queen Latifah, Jude Demorest, Ryan Destiny, Brittany O’Grady, Amiyah Scott and Quincy Brown. Scott became the third openly transgender person to play a major trans character in a scripted television drama series.
Star existed in the same musical universe as Empire and the two shows crossed over in the second season. The series also included a star-studded roster of guest stars including Lenny Kravitz, Naomi Campbell, Tyrese Gibson, Gladys Knight, Missy Elliott, Big Boi and Paris Jackson, who made her acting debut on the series. Daniels and Donaghy executive produce alongside Pamela Oas Williams. Karin Gist serves as showrunner and executive producer.
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