Why Was Designated Survivor Canceled By ABC And Netflix?

"Designated Survivor" premiered on ABC in 2016, with Kiefer Sutherland headlining the political drama as the hastily installed President Tom Kirkman. ABC dropped the series after two seasons, but Netflix resurrected it for a 3rd in 2019. With the 3rd season came two new stars: Julie White and Anthony Edwards, who was reunited with his "ER" showrunner Neal Baer. Baer took over the lead role from head writer Keith Eisner, who was the fourth person to helm the series during its first two seasons.

That excessive turnover at the top could have been part of the reason for the show's short run on ABC, although viewership also dipped sharply after the show drew 10 million viewers for its premiere episode. Netflix ended President Kirkman's term for good in July 2019. 

On the "Scala Radio" show, Sutherland said the Netflix cancellation likely had more to do with contract issues than ratings. "We had an amazing experience with Netflix, and a kind of freedom that was wonderful," he told host Simon Mayo (via Yahoo). "But the reality is, because the contracts were so complicated and different from network television to Netflix, they didn't book a lot of the actors that were on the show, and they took other jobs, and I don't blame them for a second for that."

Kiefer Sutherland, who also served as an executive producer on "Designated Survivor," took to Instagram to thank the fans for their dedication to the show throughout its three-season run. Speaking from his dressing room backstage at a theater in England, Sutherland said, "I wanted to take a moment to thank everybody for their incredible support of 'Designated Survivor.' The 3rd season is the final season, and you guys have just been amazing. It was an honor to play Tom Kirkman."

After "Designated Survivor" was canceled, Sutherland had no trouble staying busy in both television and film. He appeared on all 14 episodes of the 2020 Quibi miniseries "The Fugitive," which was a reimagining of the original 1963 series and 1993 film. Sutherland next starred as a military veteran alongside Chris Pine in the 2022 drama "The Contractor." He also headlined the Paramount+ drama "Rabbit Hole" alongside "Hunger Games" star Meta Golding. 

As for his upcoming projects, Sutherland is starring in the upcoming comedy-action film "They Cloned Tyrone" alongside Jamie Foxx and John Boyega. That film is scheduled for a July 21, 2023, release on Netflix.