It’s the end of an era for one of ABC’s new midseason dramas. The Company You Keep, starring Milo Ventimiglia and Catherine Haena Kim, has been canceled after its first season. The news comes just under a week after the season 1 finale aired. Get more details below, including reactions from fans and statements from some of the cast.
A quick refresher on The Company You Keep
The Company You Keep follows con man Charlie (Milo Ventimiglia) and his family, the Nicoletti’s, who are in debt to crime boss Daphne Finch. When he meets Emma Hill (Catherine Haena Kim) and the two fall for each other, he has no idea she’s an undercover CIA agent attempting to track Daphne down. As they try to navigate their personal feelings, their professional collision course might derail their relationship before it can really ignite. Between Emma’s quest for justice and her family’s political ambitions to Charlie trying to balance his conman ways with running his bar, the two have to decide what’s really important: their careers or their love for each other. The question is if they can have the best of both worlds with all the chaos going on around them.
When was the show canceled?
The news of The Company You Keep’s cancellation made headlines on Friday, May 12. According to Deadline, the show did not perform as well as ABC’s other two midseason series, Will Trent and Not Dead Yet. However, “there was talk that ABC may give the series a partial second season order to give it more time to find an audience” since it only premiered midseason and Ventimiglia has a longstanding relationship with Disney’s 20th Century Studios (via This is Us).
The Company You Keep’s cancellation was in tandem with two other ABC drama series that were axed, Big Sky and Alaska Daily, Deadline reported. It comes on the heels of the show’s season 1 finale, which aired on May 7 titled “The Truth Hurts.” Throughout its 10-episode run, The Company You Keep had a fairly steady 0.3 rating within the 18-49 demographic and were pulling 2-2.4 million viewers, per ShowBuzz Daily. It was also heavily marketed by ABC and promoted regularly by the cast, especially series leads Milo Ventimiglia and Catherine Haena Kim, who would join fans in live tweeting.
Fan Reactions & Cast Statements
Speaking of fans, they excitedly “shipped” Charlie and Emma, with “Hilletti” being at the forefront along with a brief push for “Chemma” and “Emmalie.” So, it makes sense that there were some pretty stunned reactions to the series’ end. Fans took to social media to express their feelings on the news. One fan tweeted: “This literally makes no sense to me whatsoever. This show was so good and so many people loved it” while another wrote “My tv heart is sad about this.” You can read a few more fan reactions below.
Sarah Wayne Callies, who portrayed Birdie Nicoletti on the show, posted a statement to Instagram. “We took it as we left the lot on my last day shooting. we had a ball. loved every minute of it & will always be grateful to everyone who joined the party with us. thanks to the tremendous crew, actors, directors, writers (#WGAstrong) and fans. love all y’all. #thecompanywekept,” she wrote.
Co-star Felisha Terrell echoed her sentiments, writing: “I love these people so much. The most incredibly talented cast and crew! I love you! Thank you! I am so proud of the work we did and I will forever be changed by it ❤️ #thecompanywekept.”
Tim Chiou, aka: Emma’s brother David on TCYK, said he “will forever cherish being a part of it” and thanked his fellow cast mates and crew for their work.
Despite the outcry from fans, ABC remains firm in its decision. Unless another network would be interested in picking it up, The Company You Keep is done on television. You can, however, stream the first season on Hulu now.
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Kari Highman is a Beauty and Fashion Blogger at Feeling the Vibe Magazine. Otterbein Alum (2017) – English & Psychology. Always learning & creating. Avid fan of mid 2000’s TV & pop music. Comments or tips, email kari@feelingthevibe.com