'Any Day Now' was canceled because ''it seemed like the right time to sign off''
Posted: October 9, 2023, 2:42PMAny Day Now was Lifetime Network's most successful original series in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The television production tackled social issues, like race and women in the workforce, contributing to its popularity. So why did Lifetime decide to cancel the show? According to a 2001 Newsday article, the network's executives believed the show was already at its peak, so there was no way to take it higher.
A paragraph from the article reads, "Lifetime Television's first successful original series, Any Day Now, won't see a fifth season. The network is opting to retire it after its fourth season concludes in the spring, network officials said."
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Another reads, "Lifetime executives said the main reason for canceling the series now is that it has accomplished creatively what it set out to do in developing the storyline to a logical conclusion."
For fans, this didn't make sense, but in the eyes of those who created the series, it was time to end the journey of M.E. and Rene Jackson. "It seems like the right time to sign off," a Lifetime spokeswoman told Newsday. "What would logically follow this now is [to do] another show."
But what about the stars of the show? Were they okay with the show ending? According to Newsday's sources, Annie Potts (who plays M.E.) did not want to commit to Any Day Now beyond four seasons.
"Everybody knew from the beginning that she was only going to do it for four seasons," a source close to Potts told the publication. Supposedly, the network considered continuing the show with another actress playing M.E. but dismissed the thought almost instantly.
Although there are only four seasons of the imperative series, reruns can be watched on Start TV that viewers can always see.
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