ABC has canceled two of its newer dramas – Promised Land and Queens – after they each aired just one season apiece. Promised Land and Queens may share the same fate, but they each had separate paths during their initial runs. Deadline reports on the cancellations of Promised Land and Queens, providing some insight into what led to the decisions by ABC. Both shows boasted ensemble casts of diverse actors with recognizable names like John Ortiz, Brandy, and Eve, which will come as a disappointment to viewers who enjoy seeing representation on the small screen.
The writing was on the wall for the Latinx drama Promised Land when its ratings landed it as ABC’s least-watched and lowest-rated scripted series. It only took five episodes before the network pulled Promised Land from its schedule, jettisoning the remainder of its 10-episode first season to Hulu. However, Promised Land was a success on Rotten Tomatoes, scoring 100% with critics and securing an 80% average audience score. As for Queens, there was a lot of buzz behind the musical drama with its all-star cast of Brandy, Naturi Naughton, Eve, and Nadine Velazquez. However, as its freshman season continued, Queens was continuously beaten out in its Tuesday, 10 p.m. timeslot.
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Queens also lost Eve during the first season, who had to take a break due to her pregnancy. Creator Zahir McGhee talked to Deadline in January regarding Eve’s status on the show. “When Eve told me she was pregnant, we were extremely happy for her,” McGhee said. “I had just had a baby myself. I didn’t know what she planned for the show, but instinctively I asked if she wanted Brianna to be pregnant. That’s when she told me she didn’t and that she had a date set to leave. The cast and crew wanted to give her the space to enjoy this incredible time. We will continue to build the story as people will see in episode 9 and she will remain present in the minds of our characters. Since the beginning, she’s been Queens’ third partner and she’s in this for as long as she wants to be in it.”
“Promised Land is an epic, generation-spanning drama about two Latinx families vying for wealth and power in California’s Sonoma Valley,” the synopsis reads. The series stars John Ortiz as Joe Sandoval, Cecilia Suárez as Lettie Sandoval, Augusto Aguilera as Mateo, Christina Ochoa as Veronica Sandoval, Mariel Molino as Carmen Sandoval, Tonatiuh as Antonio Sandoval, Andres Velez as Carlos, Katya Martín as Juana and Rolando Chusan as Billy and Bellamy Young as Margaret Honeycroft. Promised Land is written and executive produced by Matt Lopez. Adam Kolbrenner and Maggie Malina also serve as executive producers. Executive producer Michael Cuesta also directs.
The synopsis for Queens reads: “Starring Eve, Naturi Naughton, Nadine Velazquez and Brandy, Queens follows four women in their 40s who reunite for a chance to recapture their fame and regain the swagger they had in the ’90s when they were legends in the hip-hop world.”
