The Big Leap Cancelled at Fox
The Big Leap‘s net didn’t appear.
Fox has cancelled the dance show-within-a-dramedy after one season, our sister site Deadline reports.
Averaging a hair over 2 million total viewers and a 0.4 demo rating, The Big Leap tied Pivoting for last among all scripted Fox shows this season in the demo, while drawing the third-smallest audience of that pack. And among all of broadcast-TV’s drama launches this season, it drew the smallest audience and the second-worst demo rating.
The Big Leap told the story of a So You Think You Can Dance-like reality show, executive-produced by Scott Foley’s Nick, that recruited everyday people to perform in a revamped version of Swan Lake. In the Season 1 — and now series — finale, the troupe put on a live show and Nick wondered whether his fictional network bosses would renew the series for Season 2. (Read a full recap.)
Foley mourned the cancellation on Instagram: “Thanks to all who watched and believed in [The Big Leap]. I love this cast and will miss seeing your faces on a regular basis.” He added a note to showrunner Liz Heldens and executive producer Jason Winer: “Gimme a call, I’ll fly with you.”
His costar Ser’Darius Blain, who played Reggie, added his own tribute: “I had the time of my life with the best humans. Living a life I couldn’t even dream of with GIANTS daily. God is good. Thank you for watching.”
At the time of the finale, TVLine spoke with Heldens about the possibility of a second season, and what that storyline might tackle.
“We set it up in the finale, with [Brittney’s] pregnancy and the Gabby/Brittney/Reggie triangle, and so that’s a story that we’d immediately start leaning into,” the EP said at the time. She also mentioned wanting to devote more screen time to characters like the House of Rush dance troupe in the future.
The Fox series wasn’t Friday’s only casualty: NBC’s Ordinary Joe also got the ax after one season. TVLine’s Renewal Scorecard has been updated to reflect both cancellations.
How do you feel about The Big Leap‘s unexpected final bow? Hit the comments and let us know all of your thoughts!
The show was poorly scheduled and didn’t have a comptable lead-in.
It was absolutely idiotic for FOX to put a show about dancing up against a show about dancing (Dancing with the Stars). So angry. They could have at the minimum given the premiere episode a post-Masked Singer debut than moved it. There’s no guarantees, but everyone I know that watched this show was pleasantly surprised and grew to count it among their favorites.
I agree with you there. It broke my heart to see the show have no exposure or linear audience from the get go because of where it was situated on the schedule. It was silly of the network to think people watching a cop show would automatically watch a show about dancing. But with Masked Singer the show MAY have had a chance.
How was this show to be marketed? It is a very hard show to promote. The hope is that the show is sampled by enough folks, who themselves talk it up on SM and various TV sites. Word of Mouth. The hope is that it grows enough to get a second season, with further hope that more folks catch up when the season ends.
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Because this has to be a big hit. The cast was too large and well known, read expensive, to justify middling ratings. Ditto the dance numbers which are super expensive not only to film, but to insure.
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Given the long window between finale and cancelation, the net gave it ample time to catch on. But it didn’t. It was a little too clever, and it was centered around a reality tv show. I hate reality TV shows. People who like them watch them, and those who don’t probably don’t like shows about them. I’m sure there is overlap, but it is a narrow one that is tricky to obtain.
I don’t like reality shows which is why I wasn’t sure I would like this, but it won me over. An initial strong premiere can really help with a show like this. FOX didn’t give it one. No Masked Singer premiere boost, no special post football game premiere, and again, up against an actual dancing show. Maybe it would have had ratings fall anyway but we will never know since FOX did nothing to boost the premiere.
I primarily watch shows on streaming these days. I started watching The Big Leap when I saw it recommended on Hulu – about halfway through the actual season. I had never actually heard of this show before then. I do visit several entertainment websites, but at that time I hadn’t seen anything about this show. I really loved it right from the start, and recommended it to several people. Yeah, I wish they had tried harder to market it. I believe there would have been an audience for the show, but the audience probably never knew about it.
I HATE reality shows, but I loved this show! I don’t think it was marketed well, because I had no desire to watch it and didn’t until almost the end of the season when I was hearing more hoopla about it so binge watched and eagerly went to each new episode. It’s really too bad they don’t give these new shows time to catch on. I will really miss it, as I will miss Ordinary Joe. It seems any series that takes a bit of thought, or needs a little more concentration to follow along, gets dropped. Sad.
Gonna miss this show.
So will I. I initially wasn’t going to watch it and I did and ended up loving it!
Oh nooooo!!!! I loved this show!
This show was one of the best shows of the season but it was marketed poorly. The commercials didn’t portray the show well at all – which is a shame because it was something fresh and unique in the midst of reboot after reboot.
Totally agree! This show was a hidden gem. Well acted and really funny. I was hopeful for a second season but I knew it was a long shot. Will for sure miss this show.
Really enjoyed The Big Leap! Thought everyone did a great job. This was a bright spot in the week for me. This cancellation makes me sad. :(
I figured but it still sucks. This was a must watch for me!
The longer it took for them to cancel it the more my soap screw the bed it would make it to the second season. I’m getting really tired of fox. I’m still upset over Pitchh being cancelled they need unique team to fully shepard and market the unique shows that they pick up.
Shocker…
😖 Grrrrr! And the last episode…it’s not right about being kept in limbo. ( The Big Leap)
I am so sad that Big Leap is cancelled. I really looked forqzrd to seeing the show and was anxiuosly awaiting the new season.😅
Bring back Whiskey Cavalier! ;-)
Yes!
I’m with you ABC did not give the show a chance. I enjoyed it so much..
The Big Leap wasn’t on ABC. It was on Fox.
Yes! While I like the big leap I loved whiskey cavalier!
I am being sad that the Big Leap got canned. Thought it was a well handled show. Oh well
This was an underrated gem. Really good characters, truly witty and so very well written. Also not the same ol’ same ol’ lawyer/doctor/police procedural. Too bad.
I am not surprised but really really sad about this. Any chance of it being picked up my another network?
Once again, one of the very best shows on Fox get the can. Was it too intelligent or too diverse?
I´ve loved every second of it, so sad.
I never thought this would be a show that I would like because I am not a fan of “reality” shows, so why would I want to watch a show about a fictional “reality” show? Nevertheless, I gave it a try and boy was I wrong. I absolutely adored this show. It made me so happy. Scott Foley’s character just made terribly cold decisions for ratings but somehow he was absolutely loveable, probably due to the actor’s skills and appeal. I will miss this show and wish they gave it more of a chance.
i loved that show it was best thing on tv i laughed and cried thru the whole series next to 911 big fan
It was a delightful show, and it will be missed.
That just shows those people that “new” concepts dont sell.. people want familiar IP
I was hoping for a miracle renewal. Really enjoyed this show.
Loved final scene of Mike dancing with his deceased with video as background So touching.
Wish show would continue on another network it has so much potential.
This was one of the cleverest, best written, best acted, happiest shows I’ve ever seen. Of course they canceled it. What a crappy capper to an awful week. We need a little light in this world, Fox!
I liked this show so much! This sucks! Going to go work on a vision board that includes this show maybe getting a new home on a streaming service or something.
My husband and I LOVED The Big Leap!! It was so original, wonderfully cast and beautifully acted that we cared about all of the characters. I wish Fox would go out on a limb and give it another time slot and chance. It seems that everyone who watched it loved it!
I loved The Big Leap! Sad It’s been cancelled. I really wanted to see where it would go.
I wish networks or streamers could find a way to market these shows better. I really liked Big Leap but then I also loved Glee, Smash & Rise! These shows are truly geared for a niche market and aren’t going to be the next Ghosts or Big Bang Theory but if nothing else, they’re great fun summer doldrums or mid season replacements. Wish they’d get better treatment for the fans.