USA’s "Complications" – Not What the Doctor Ordered

Brace yourself, Complicators. USA Network will not be ordering a second season of “Complications.” Finishing their ten episode run on August 13th with one helluva finale, things seemed like they were about to get a whole lot more complicated for Dr. John Ellison when he picked up the phone in those final minutes. That phone call as it turns out was from the network execs, ending with one of the biggest complications most new series face at the end of their inaugural run – renewal or cancellation?

For Dr. John Ellison, the complications continue as USA Network announced yesterday that they would not be renewing the “crime drama with a doctor as the lead” brilliantly crafted by executive producer Matt Nix (“Burn Notice”). While the show did suffer from low ratings, the move still catches many off-guard as it’s best to give a show at least two years to try to find itself when it comes to a series as driven as “Complications”. This has even more of an impact since the network brass secured a four-day extension while they contemplated the show’s fate and when you compare it to the even lower ratings of the series’ Thursday night companion “Graceland”. Despite coming down to the wire, though, USA has spoken. We won’t be seeing a second season of the series.
It seems that the show’s ratings were not its only downfall. According to Deadline.com, the true downfall of the show came down to business factors and the fact that the series is owned by Fox 21 TV Studios and not USA itself. This is a factor that has long mired shows like “Longmire” because ownership has become more and more vital. In an era where streaming has become increasingly more important, program ownership has been made just as imperative and with “Complications” belonging to Fox 21, it was deemed economically impractical to renew the show.

Needing more of a fix of the cast of “Complications”? Look for Chris Chalk as Lucius Fox in the second season of “Gotham” set to premiere September 21st at 8PM on FOX. If you’re a fan of comic books then Jason O’Mara can be found next year voicing Batman himself in “Batman: Bad Blood”. If you’re not a fan of comics, look for “To Appomattox” where he portrays Ulysses S. Grant or next year’s “Jadotville” where he stars alongside Jamie Dornan and Mark Strong. Are you a fan of Beth Riesgraf? Then let’s continue pushing for that “Leverage” movie. Be sure to follow these members of the cast and the rest on Twitter to keep up-to-date on all their projects.

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