Though a film sequel has been long desired by fans, Lethal Weapon was instead rebooted as a TV series in 2016. Unlike the unsuccessful CBS TV version of the Rush Hour, this show was actually a hit when it first premiered.
Unfortunately, it experienced more and more problems behind-the-scenes as time went on. This drama led to an insurmountable change, which led to the show’s untimely demise. Here’s the reason Lethal Weapon was canceled.
Riggs’ Death
The show’s trouble began with the firing of Clayne Crawford, who played the show’s version of Mel Gibson’s character Martin Riggs. This came after a Crawford caused a series of controversial events on set. The first of these involved him losing his temper on set because of what he found to be unsafe working conditions. It was resolved with an apology and studio-allotted therapy, but unfortunately, another tirade would take place during a similar situation. Crawford would later deny this story, though Fox stuck by it.
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This almost got the show canceled right then before the executives got a replacement on board. They finally landed Sean William Scott, who played the original character, Wesley Cole. Unfortunately, Damon Wayans, who played Danny Glover’s character Murtaugh, made it clear that he couldn’t continue with the series. The 58-year-old diabetic actor informed production that his health was a concern. This required changes to the show’s production to accommodate the actor and keep him on board. With one star gone and another possibly leaving, however, it was only a sign of things to come for the show’s fate.
Season 3’s Declining Ratings
The series’ fans quickly made their opinion on the cast change known. The show’s ratings tanked hard by the time the third season aired, continuing a steep decline in viewership that only got worse in the final stretch. The show’s first season averaged around 6 million viewers per episode, which decreased to around 4 million in the show’s second season. By the third, the show only managed to get about 3 million viewers per episode. This season was also the show’s shortest, lasting only 15 episodes.
This was a decline from a 1.57 rating in viewership to a measly .71. These ratings, to be fair, weren’t exactly the end of the world, but the writing was clearly on the wall. In the end, it was the combination of the cast changes, the trouble that had caused them and the general downturn in ratings that made Fox pull the plug on the series.
Fox CEO Charlie Collier stated that axing the show was one in a series of “tough choices,” ultimately made “in the quest to be number one.” The network would begin moving away from remakes and adaptations of ’90s movie franchises afterward, with their most successful attempt to do so having finally bitten the dust. Hopefully, the upcoming final entry in the film series will be a better sendoff for the characters.