The Paramount Network Has Canceled The “Heathers” Reboot
June 4, 2018
It would appear that Heathers reboot continues to get fucked not-so-gently with a chainsaw, this time by Viacom. I’m not sure why I just pictured the Viacom building in a pair of massive 80s shoulder pads and holding a croquet mallet, but I did.
In January 2017, TV Land picked up a 10-episode order of Heathers and took it from a half-hour series to a full hour. Two months later, it was moved to the newly-formed Paramount Network (formerly Spike). It was supposed to premiere in March 2018, but was delayed due to the Parkland school shooting. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Paramount – owned by Viacom – has decided to scrap it all together. Keith Cox, the president of development and production at Paramount, tells THR that Heathers won’t air on any Viacom-owned network.
“This is a high school show, we’re blowing up the school, there are guns in the school, it’s a satire and there are moments of teachers having guns. It’s hitting on so many hot topics. This company can’t be speaking out of both sides of its mouth, saying the youth movement is important for us and we’ve done all these wonderful things to support that and at the same time, we’re putting on a show that we’re not comfortable with.”
Sources say that Paramount was considering to re-schedule the release of Heathers for early July, but changed their minds after the shooting at Santa Fe High School on May 18th. Keith also says they tried to re-shoot the show and change the setting from a high school to something else, but that any retooling butchered it.
Paramount was so sure of Heathers, they had reportedly considered signing a second season before the first aired. Writers on the show have almost finished writing a second season, which was rumored to be set in the 1700s and centered on Marie Antoinette.
This isn’t to say the Heathers reboot is dead. Paramount is currently trying to sell the show to someone else, whether it be broadcast network or a streaming service.
I’m sure someone will pick Heathers up. And I hope they do, because I want to see that rumored second season just so I can hear Marie Antoinette hiss, “Let them eat a cake laced with hull cleaner, for all I care.”
Pic: Paramount via YouTube