AceShowbiz - Stephen Amell has openly taken responsibility for the cancellation of Suits LA after just one season on NBC. Despite the show being a spinoff of the highly successful original Suits series on Netflix, the Los Angeles-set iteration failed to maintain strong ratings or critical acclaim, leading to its early demise.

Amell, who portrayed lawyer Ted Black in the series, discussed the cancellation candidly on the podcast Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum. He expressed a deep sense of personal accountability, explaining that he felt he did not deliver a performance strong enough to compensate for the show’s shortcomings. This admission highlights the actor’s belief that the lead role carries the burden of elevating a series, especially when other elements may falter.

“It wasn’t good enough,” Amell said about the overall outcome. He elaborated, “Ultimately, it’s a failure. Anything that ends not on your terms is a failure. But it’s not a complete failure because you’ve probably been in a pilot that didn’t make it to series.” He reflected on his prior experiences, noting that while he had been fortunate to have pilots move to full series, Suits LA did not progress beyond its initial season.

He recalled a conversation with Aaron Korsh, the creator of both Suits and Suits LA, who expressed doubts about the show’s potential during the pilot editing process. “I sat down with Aaron about a month after we finished shooting, and he was editing the pilot. He said, ‘I don’t know if this is going to work,’” Amell recounted.

Amell attributed some of the challenges to a creative tug-of-war between Korsh’s vision and NBC’s expectations. He described a push and pull in the direction of the series, which complicated the production process. “A lot of what he wanted to do seemed to run up against what the network wanted,” Amell explained. While the actor was not privy to all internal discussions, he sensed a disconnect that contributed to the show’s difficulties.

Despite the struggles, Amell expressed that the cast and crew believed a second season was possible and anticipated an opportunity to resolve the issues. However, NBC ultimately decided to cancel the show, ending it prematurely. “We thought we were going to have another season to work out some of those issues,” he said. “But they went, ‘No, we’re going to pull the plug.’”

In accepting responsibility, Amell acknowledged the inevitable association of the lead actor with the show’s fate. “If it’s successful, I’m going to get a disproportionate amount of the credit. So, I think it’s only fair that I stand in front and take the blame. I’m the lead of the series, and it didn’t work,” he stated.

The actor also compared the cancellation of Suits LA to the ending of his Starz drama Heels, noting that the former was more painful for him. Following the news of the cancellation, Amell said he forced himself into a period of reflection and low public profile. “I think I had to go to TV jail for a second. Maybe not TV jail, but like timeout,” he said. “Your face is everywhere on billboards all over North America. It’s a big thing, and then it gets cancelled. So, you have to go in timeout for a second.”

Over the past several months, when asked about upcoming projects, Amell reportedly responded with little to share as he processed the situation. “People ask, ‘What’s going on?’ and I say, ‘Uh, nothing. I got nothing,’” he admitted.

While Amell’s humility in accepting blame is notable, critics and audiences alike pointed to issues beyond his acting as the main problems with Suits LA. Reviews frequently cited weak writing and a lack of the original series’ charm and sharpness as key factors in the show’s downfall. These elements were outside of the actor’s control and cannot be fully addressed through performance alone.

Suits LA also suffered from a significant decline in viewership over its short run. The series lost more than half of its audience from the premiere episode to the finale, signaling NBC’s diminishing confidence. The cancellation was confirmed before the final episode aired, underscoring the network’s decision to halt the series rather than continue to invest.

Ultimately, the failure of Suits LA cannot be attributed solely to Amell. The problems were multifaceted, involving network decisions, creative disagreements, writing quality, and other production challenges. Nevertheless, Amell’s willingness to shoulder much of the responsibility reflects his commitment to the project and his role as the series lead.

In summary, while Stephen Amell feels he could have done more to make his character, Ted Black, resonate and help salvage Suits LA, the show’s cancellation was the result of various factors beyond his performance. His candid reflections offer insight into the pressures faced by actors leading high-profile projects and the complexities behind a show’s success or failure in today’s television landscape.