Fox cancels beloved show after two seasons fans devastated
Fantasy Island will not return for a third season, Fox has confirmed. The popular drama – which first aired in 2021 – has been axed after just two seasons and 23 episodes. Addressing the decision, the network has released an official statement. It explains: "We were very pleased with Fantasy Island's fun and escapist creative, which we had hoped would gain strong traction among viewers.
"Sony Pictures Television is an important partner of ours, and we look forward to continuing to work with them on Accused, Alert: Missing Persons Unit, Doc and the upcoming animated series Universal Basic Guys/Hoagie Bros. We'd also like to thank Fantasy Island's cast, led by Roselyn Sánchez, Kiara Barnes and John Gabriel Rodriquez, crew and executive producers Liz Craft, Sarah Fain and Anne Clements for their partnership on the series."
Sparking a major reaction from fans, many have taken to Twitter to voice their disappointment. "I think you should reconsider cancelling this show. Love watching Fantasy Island. It should have been renewed for a season three," wrote one.
MORE: CBS brings back canceled show following fan backlash
"@FOXTV will you please stop canceling all the best shows. No more The Resident or Fantasy Island. Trust me, viewers are very disappointed. #revivetheresident #savefantasyisland," tweeted another.
Meanwhile, a third penned: "@FOXTV what? You canceled The Resident and Fantasy Island? And 911 is moving to ABC? What is wrong with your executives?"
Prior to the news, one of the show's co-creators Liz Craft had revealed her hopes for a third season. In an interview with Screen Rant, she said: "What we'd love to do in season three is dive a bit deeper into the mythology of the island and into what else is going on. Now that everybody knows the island and knows some of the history, we could have a lot of fun with that. So along with the continued growth of our characters, that's something we're really excited about doing in season 3."
Despite the show's sudden conclusion, season two did provide some closure for certain characters. During the series finale, which premiered on May 8, viewers were delighted after Elena and Javier finally said I love you. In another happy moment, Ruby also regained her memory and reunited with her daughter.
While Fantasy Island's cancelation has come as a surprise for some, over the last few months Fox has been making a number of major changes to its roster. As well as canceling 9-1-1, which has been picked up by ABC, the network has also axed Call Me Kat and The Resident – three decisions which have all sparked outrage.
Amid the ongoing Writers Guild of America strike, Fox CEO Lachlan Murdoch has also confirmed that there could be "some scheduling changes with some of the scripted content," this month. However, he added that "it's not something that will have a significant financial impact on us," due to their higher ratio of news and sports coverage.
Meet the cast of Fantasy Island
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