ABC has silenced Speechless, canceling the comedy after three seasons, TVLine has confirmed. The short-lived series followed the everyday exploits of the DiMeo family — most notably J.J., a sharp-witted teenager living with cerebral palsy.
Speechless starred Minnie Driver as high-strung mom Maya, John Ross Bowie as fun-loving dad Jimmy Sr., Mason Cook as middle child Ray, Kyla Kenedy as prank-loving youngest child Dylan and, of course, Micah Fowler as J.J. The cast also included Cedric Yarbrough as J.J.’s “voice,” Kenneth Clements. [UPDATE: Driver reacts to cancellation.]
During its three-season run, Speechless was nominated for a handful of accolades, taking home Television Critics Association Award for Outstanding Achievement in Youth Programming in 2017.
And it’s just the latest series to get the axe from ABC this week, following the cancellations of Splitting Up Together, The Fix, The Kids Are Alright and For the People — all of which you can track via TVLine’s handy renewal scorecard.
Speechless this season averaged just under a 0.5 demo rating and 2.3 million total viewers, plunging 57 and 47 percent with its relocation to Friday nights. Among all ABC’s 12 sitcoms, it placed last in both measures. The show’s season (now series) finale aired on April 12.
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