MovieChat Forums > Lou Grant (1977) Discussion > The real reason why Lou Grant was cancel...

The real reason why Lou Grant was cancelled.

posted 11 years ago by ragingbull1965
3 replies | jump to latest

During the series run, Ed Asner was president of the Screen Actors Guild and Ed, who has many liberal views, publically spoke out against US involvement in El Salvador during a speech in 1982. I was in high school when he made this statement and I recall that almost immediately after he said that CBS announced that they were cancelling the series. Ostensibly, this was due to the series' low ratings but I have always suspected that it was because of his comments and that maybe politicians were worried that Ed would use this series to promote liberal views and maybe influence viewers. I don't normally subscribe to conspiracy theories but Politically Incorrect was cancelled in 2002 due to comments Bill Maher made about the 9/11 bombings and Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins were not invited to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2003 to celebrate the 25-year anniversary of the release of Bull Durham because they publically spoke out against the Iraqi Invasion so this may not necessarily be as far-fetched as it sounds.

[–] boyjohn-1 11 years ago

Even though ratings were on the decline, I think that due to its critical stature as a high quality drama that the show should have had a decent chance (but not a lock) to be picked up for a 6th season. Asner's activism just made it easier for CBS to axe it, it just wasn't worth the hassle for them to keep a modestly rated show on the air.

Very unfortunate for people who love great TV, since it was one of the best shows on the air. And since I tend to agree with Asner's (and the series pretty much) focus on having a "social conscience", it was very depressing for me at the time.

A real shame that the show isn't at least available for streaming in full. It was nominated five years in a row for best dramatic series (and won twice). That alone should make it a no-brainer.

[–] ragingbull1965 11 years ago

I totally agree that this remains one of the best series in TV history. I recall reading somewhere that NBC considered picking it up for the 82-83 tv season but in the end decided against it. While not a Libertarian, Asner had long been a critic of US interventionist foreign policy and than may have upset many of the station's sponsors. I am not suggesting that CBS caved in to "political pressure" but some companies may have said that they would no longer sponsor Lou Grant as a protest against what Ed was saying. That is what happened to Politically Incorrect. Apart from the fact that, as you said, the series is not available for full streaming, the other grievance I have is that it hasn't had a major presence in syndication either. Even during the 80s, I don't recall many tv stations playing its reruns. It was an inglorious end for such a quality TV series.

[–] 11 years ago

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