Fans of the Brooklyn-set family drama “The Village” started numerous online petitions to save the show after it was officially canceled by NBC on Thursday.
Petitions popped up on Change.org and iPetitions.com, the latter totaling 1,379 signatures by Friday. “Please save this beloved show,” fan Donna Tinker wrote in the comments.
“Can’t always get the family on board for the same shows but THIS is one we all enjoy together. My friends all loved it too!!!! PLEASE GIVE US MORE!!!!” another fan wrote.
“The Village” followed the intertwined stories of the residents of a Brooklyn apartment building. It premiered in March in the 10 p.m. time slot, following network favorite, “This is Us.” It shuffled time slots two more times during its 10-episode run, taking over the 9 p.m. hour before settling in at 8 p.m. Its mediocre viewership numbers and time-slot shifting led fans to believe the series would not return after its finale aired on May 21.
Deadline first reported the news of the series’ cancellation, along with “Abby’s” and “The Enemy Within.” NBC did not independently confirm the news on Thursday. The network planned to wait until after the season finale aired to make a decision involving its freshman drama.
It premiered to 4.9 million viewers, according to ratings data, and averaged 4.1 million by May. For perspective, it averaged higher viewership numbers than some of the network’s already renewed series’ — such as “Good Girls” and “Blindspot” — but didn’t reach the heights of “This is Us” (8.3 million) or “Manifest” (6.4 million). Though “The Village’s” ratings aren’t very high, its viewership has remained consistent.
The large cast included Grace Van Dien (Katie), Michaela McManus (Sarah) and Warren Christie (Nick). Van Dien was the first of the cast to comment about the cancellation on social media, writing “My heart is simultaneously broken and whole. To all the storytellers of The Village … you did an amazing job. I’d do it all again and not change a thing. Thank you for caring deeply and loving fully. Family is where you find it, and I found it in all of you.
“To the viewers – Thank you for moving into The Village with us. We had a lot of good cries together. You’ve all been so kind. & to Katie … Exploring my mind with you was challenging and empowering. Your story ended with you surrounded by love. And that’s where I’ll imagine you always.”
Without a second season, “The Village” leaves fans with a series of cliffhangers, including whether or not building matriarch Patricia (Lorraine Toussaint) survived her surgery.
