TV shows about fictional judges aren’t anything new. But when CBS’ All Rise debuted in 2019, it brought something a little bit different. The show followed judge Lola Carmichael (Simone Missick), a former prosecutor who was recently appointed to the bench. Despite difficult situations, Lola always did her best to see all sides of an issue. On top of the interesting storylines, one of the things that makes All Rise so special is the fact that it has a very diverse cast. Having a Black woman in the leading role as a judge also offered the chance to tell stories from a different perspective.
During its two-season run, All Rise built a very devoted following. So, lots of people were a little shocked to find out the series was ending after season two. Surprisingly, however, All Rise wasn’t canceled for any of the reasons you might expect. Keep reading to find out why All Rise was canceled.
The Reason The Series Was Canceled
Low ratings are the most common reasons for shows to be canceled. That seems to have been a factor in All Rise’s cancelation. The show got off to a great start during its first season, but keeping the momentum up proved to be very challenging. In fact, according to TV Line, the show’s ratings dropped nearly 30% in between seasons one and two. However, there could potentially be much more to the cancelation than just low ratings. Apparently, there was some behind-the-scenes drama as well.
When discussing the show’s cancellation along with other shows that had gotten nipped by the network, CBS’ president of entertainment, Kelly Kahl, said, ” it’s literally a numbers game on the schedule, and it’s a number game when it typically comes to getting a renewal. I think these shows were not living up to the potential in terms of an audience that we hoped to see in their respective time slots.”
Trouble With The Showrunner
Despite the fact that almost all of the major characters on All Rise were people of color, the person behind the show was actually a white man named Greg Spottiswood. Unfortunately, Spottiswood may not have been the most well-equipped to tell the stories of people of color or lead a team of diverse creators.
Spottiswood, was recently fired from the show and the reason appears to be pretty messy. According to Salon, several writers claimed that Spottiswood created a “toxic” work environment. The article from Salon also added that Spottiswood “exhibited troubling behavior around race and gender, and effectively drove away staffers, including a large number of people of color.”
Salon explained that many of these feelings stemmed from a specific incident. During a meeting, the show’s co-showrunner, Denitria “Dee” Harris-Lawrence (who is Black), received an email about the show. She asked another person on the call, who was also Black if they’d received the email. When that person said no, Harris-Lawrence offered to forward them the message. At that point, Greg Spottiswood allegedly stated, “Look at that, a monkey passing the ball to another monkey”.
Additionally, several people who worked with Spottiswood on All Rise claim that he regularly ignored the input of Black writers. Allegedly, he also purposely made their work environment difficult. Additionally, he often challenged any ideas that did not coincide with his personal opinions.
After terminating Spottiswood, Warner Brothers issued a statement saying that they “remain committed, at all times, to providing a safe and inclusive working environment on our productions and for all employees.” For some, Spottiswood’s termination is too little too late. Now people will always wonder if the show could’ve lasted longer had he been fired sooner.
Is There A Future For All Rise?
Sometimes when a show gets canceled it isn’t the end of the world. On occasion, a canceled show will be shopped around to other networks to see if anyone is interested in picking it up. At the moment, however, it doesn’t appear that’s happening for All Rise. It seems that the recent cancelation may really end up being the end of the road. The drama behind the scenes would likely make other networks apprehensive about taking a chance on the series.
Although All Rise got off to a great start, it became nothing more than an example of what can happen when people aren’t dedicated to creating equitable and inclusive environments. Unfortunately for those who gave it their all, they’re forced to see their hard work come to a not-so-happy ending. Hopefully, the cast and crew are all able to find new opportunities soon.
Follow Us
