All American: Homecoming star Martin Bobb-Semple, who plays Orlando Johnson, shares an optimistic outlook on the show’s cancellation. Debuting in February 2022, with a focus on Simone Hicks, it was announced in June that the All American spinoff would end on The CW with its upcoming third installment. That means that the All American: Homecoming cast, which has included Geffri Maya, Peyton Alex Smith, Kelly Jenrette, Cory Hardrict, Sylvester Powell, Rhoyle Ivy King, and more, will have to say goodbye to the sports saga created by Nkechi Okoro Carroll.

In an interview with TV Insider ahead of All American: Homecoming season 3, which debuts July 8 on The CW, Bobb-Semple is maintaining a positive outlook. The actor, who plays the character better known as Lando, says that he didn’t expect the cancellation to happen. Still, in the quote below, Bobb-Semple hopes that the people involved with the show continue to grow and evolve:

I never saw it going in this direction. I’ve said it before, this was a relationship created by the fans for the fans. You know, the fans really dictated this. I knew we’d be a partnership and we joked about a little ship name as partners, but never thinking it would really go to where it went.

The fans built this up and created it, the writers listened and the actors did their job to bring it on its feet. So I never saw it [coming]. But kudos to the fans because they created the movement.

Why Did The CW Cancel All American: Homecoming?

The Spinoff Was Impacted By Changes At The Network

Under the new leadership of Nexstar, which took over 75% of the channel in late 2022, The CW moved away from the young adult dramas and the superhero sagas it became largely known for in the 2010s. Instead, citing the fact that it wanted to appeal to a broader audience, Nexstar began canceling or otherwise bringing to an end most of the well-known CW Originals, such as Riverdale and the Arrowverse franchise. In its place, Nexstar has focused on acquiring low-cost scripted series from outside the U.S. and bringing in more sports programming.

Prior to the Nexstar acquisition, The CW was jointly owned by Warner Bros. and Paramount. They would produce shows relatively cheaply and then license those shows to Netflix, where they would often attract streaming views, in a profitable deal for all parties. Though they still own a stake in the current iteration, amounting to 12.5% each, WB and Paramount have their own streaming platforms, and the old way of producing CW shows was ultimately phased out.

This specifically impacted All American: Homecoming season 3, which already saw a notable reduction to its ensemble and budget. Whereas the original series, All American, still had a deal with Netflix that covered season 7, the deal did not extend to the spinoff. Warner Bros. TV, the spinoff’s producer, worked out a separate deal that only accounted for the first three seasons. Coupled with a changing strategy by new owners, that sealed the sports drama’s fate. But, as Bobb-Semple mentions, the end of the series could lead to a new beginning and different opportunities for the cast and crew.

Source: TV Insider