NBC’s New Amsterdam season 6 cancellation was one of 2023’s most shocking show cancellations. Although an announcement to that effect was revealed a year earlier, many TV audiences had hoped the network would reconsider. New Amsterdam aired its fifth and final season on January 17, 2023.
Although created in a genre many would consider oversaturated, New Amsterdam stood out from regular medical dramas in several ways. Created by David Schulner, New Amsterdam successfully aired for 5 seasons, from September 25, 2018, to January 17, 2023. In helping millions of audiences find closure with its premature ending, here’s everything to know about why New Amsterdam season 6 never aired.
How New Amsterdam Wrapped Up
In the penultimate episode (“Right Place”) of New Amsterdam season 5, Dr. Maximus “Max” Goodwin (Ryan Eggold) and Dr. Elizabeth Wilder (Sandra Mae Frank) struggled to find a space for their relationship at the hospital. The episode ended with Dr. Wilder revealing a flaw in the trial procedure in the newly celebrated cancer treatment. In the finale (“How Can I Help?”), Dr. Goodwin informs New Amsterdam staff of his decision to leave to take a position at the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva, Switzerland.
By the finale’s end, everyone seemed to be in a good place. However, Dr. Goodwin and Dr. Helen Sharpe (Freema Agyeman) never had an opportunity to discuss the results of the clinical trials. Dr. Goodwin hands over the keys to his office to Dr. Wilder, with her becoming the New Amsterdam’s new Medical Director. However, she loses the love of her life, with Dr. Goodwin looking to move to Geneva. While many audiences believed the season seemed rushed to close several story arcs, it ends with a silver lining, with Luna Goodwin becoming New Amsterdam’s new Medical Director in the future.
Why Didn’t We Get New Amsterdam Season 6?
As far back as January 2020, New Amsterdam was renewed for three seasons (seasons 3 to 5). While dedicated fans of the show had hoped season 6 would be renewed, NBC announced season 5 as the final season on March 14, 2022. The announcement was made during the season 4 mid-season break. The long and short of the matter was that New Amsterdam season 6 was never greenlit because of low ratings.
Over the years, New Amsterdam’s viewership and ratings declined. The show’s season 5 finale reportedly attracted 5.2 million viewers. While this may be a lot of viewers for an uninformed audience, in comparison, the show’s 2018 premiere attracted 14 million viewers. The difference in viewership correlates with a decline in New Amsterdam’s overall ratings. The show’s oscillating episode count could also be a major reason for its low ratings and viewership.
With season 1 having 22 episodes, it followed it with an 18-episode season 2. By season 3, New Amsterdam premiered with only 14 episodes. Although season 4 returned to its initial 22 episodes, the damage had already been done, with viewership numbers plummeting. The reduction in New Amsterdam’s seasonal episode count was due to production schedule changes because of the COVID-19 pandemic. NBC decided New Amsterdam was not worth continuing, especially with other popular active medical dramas.
It’s Not All Gloom As New Amsterdam Gets A Sequel Series
While New Amsterdam season 6 will never happen, a new show in New Amsterdam’s universe has been greenlit for production. New Amsterdam: Tomorrow is created as a spin-off sequel to New Amsterdam. As introduced in New Amsterdam’s finale, New Amsterdam: Tomorrow will center around Dr. Max Goodwin’s daughter and the hospital’s future Medical Director, Luna Goodwin. The show will be set in a timeline of 30 years after the events in New Amsterdam.
With the time jump, Dr. Max Goodwin, although not a series regular, will likely appear. Audiences can expect a much older Goodwin in New Amsterdam: Tomorrow. However, although actress Molly Griggs portrayed the character in New Amsterdam’s finale, it’s uncertain if the actress will reprise the role in the new spin-off sequel. Neither Molly Griggs nor Ryan Eggold have confirmed if they are attached to the upcoming series. However, New Amsterdam creator David Schulner is also attached to New Amsterdam: Tomorrow as its creator. Besides dealing with the cancellation of New Amsterdam season 6, audiences had hoped actress Freema Agyeman would have much more screen time.
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