Not to be outdone by the cancellation melee that the broadcast networks have been involved in, Freeform has thrown its hat into the ring with a cancellation of its own, as addiction drama Recovery Road won’t return for a second season.
It breaks my heart the #recoveryroad is ending its story after only one season. There was definitely more to say. 😥 https://t.co/ZKkUoWH4Rz
— Nicholas Caprio (@ncaprio) May 14, 2016
It is with some relief but also a heavy heart. RIP @RecoveryRoad it’s been such a learning experience. #RecoveryRoad 🙏🏻
— Alexis Carra (@alexiscarra) May 14, 2016
i am as proud of @RecoveryRoad as anything ive done and i didn’t create it. im heartbroken it ends after ten amazing episodes.
— Holly Sorensen (@HollyBSorensen) May 14, 2016
What most seemed to harm the series was that it was off brand for what Freeform wanted to become. Whereas the series, sensitive and thoughtful in its portrayal of addiction, was right at home with ABC Family’s social issue dramas The Fosters, Chasing Life, and Switched at Birth, it differed from the genre/mystery-heavy slate that Freeform recently trotted out. The point of the ABC Family rebrand was that they wanted to make bigger, buzzier, edgier programming and unfortunately, that didn’t include room for a low-key look at a young girl trying to turn her life around.
Most frustrating about the cancellation, aside from the fact that we won’t get to follow the goings-on at Springtime Meadows anymore, is the fact that Recovery Road wasn’t an egregiously bad performer, all things considered. With its linear sampling handicapped because of Freeform opting to release the first three episodes in advance of the show’s premiere, Recovery Road had a Fosters lead-in that sank almost two tenths within the span of six episodes – the first six episodes of Recovery Road‘s short life. How is that supposed to help any new show establish its footing? It’s a miracle that Recovery Road was as steady as it was, only wavering about 80,000 total viewers and a handful of hundredths in the demo over the span of 10 episodes; granted, said numbers were fairly low, but the issue for Freeform should have been getting a critically praised show sampled, not in cutting losses before giving something like this a chance to find an audience.
Also distressing about the end of Recovery Road is that it’s yet another ABC Family/Freeform drama cut down early. Of the last ten drama launches by the network, five (Recovery Road, Ravenswood, Twisted, Bunheads, Jane by Design) were cancelled after one season, two were cancelled after two seasons (The Lying Game, Chasing Life), one seems earmarked to be cancelled after two seasons (Stitchers), one just got renewed for a second season (Shadowhunters), and one is going into its fourth season (The Fosters). So unless you’re based on intellectual property with an active fan base, you’re pretty much out of luck when it comes to establishing yourself as a drama at Freeform, which is a shame considering how much promise their drama crop has held. At this point, though, one has to wonder whether it’s even worthwhile to sample Freeform dramas, given the short leash they have on their shows and how very few get to fulfill their creative potential.
From Bert V. Royal (Easy A) and Karen DiConcetto (Ruby & the Rockits), Recovery Road starred Jessica Sula (Skins) as Maddie Graham, a teenage wild child who is given an ultimatum by her guidance counselor – either go to rehab or face expulsion. Reluctantly, Maddie decides to enter a sober living facility while going to school at the same time; not only does she have to hide this new development from her enabling friends and boyfriend, she has to come to terms with her new living situation and the mounting evidence that her behavior means she has a problem.
In addition to Sula, Recovery Road starred Sebastian de Souza (The Borgias), Daniel Franzese (Looking), Alexis Carra (Mixology), Sharon Leal (Boston Public), Kyla Pratt (One on One), and David Witts (EastEnders).
Recovery Road concluded its one season, 10-episode run on March 28th. You can check out why KSiteTV thought you should watch Recovery Road here.
Will you miss Recovery Road? Do you think that Maddie would have gotten sober? Are you going to sample upcoming Freeform dramas Guilt and Dead of Summer?
