Madam Secretary enjoyed a six-season run, before it concluded in 2019 with its final season, with CBS confirming the cancellation in May 2019.
One of the most prolific political drama series to come out of the mid-2010s has to arguably be Madam Secretary.
The series told the story of a determined CIA analyst who is appointed as Madam Secretary, with actress, Téa Leoni in the lead role of Elizabeth McCord.
After five seasons, ahead of the sixth and final season, in May 2019, CBS confirmed the end of the series.
Following the announcement of Madam Secretary’s cancellation, it has been speculated that low ratings and time attributed to the series eventually being cancelled.
What was the significance of Madam Secretary?
When Madam Secretary’s premise was revealed ahead of the official premiere in 2014, the public were struck by the similarities between the narrative of the show and the story of Hillary Clinton.
This is as the narrative was believed to mirror Clinton’s trajectory from former Madam Secretary between 2009 and 2013, ahead of running for the president of the United States.
While the comparisons could have carried the first season of the show, it was Téa Leoni’s performance as Elizabeth McCord, which is touted as the reason for the show’s successful six-season run.
Why was Madam Secretary cancelled?
The cancellation of Madam Secretary seemed to be on the cards long before the formal announcement was made in May 2019.
This is as the CBS Entertainment President, Kelly Kahl, was quoted as having stated, “They’re going to do 10 episodes in the fall and tie up the storyline. We’re happy and excited to do that for Téa, the cast, and the audience. It’s hard when a show ‘poof goes away.’ We like to be able to do this and send the show off with a great deal of respect and celebration. Everyone appreciates when we are able to do that.”
At the time, while the network did not state the reasons for the decision, looking at the series’ performance in numbers.
Madam Secretary at its height drew over 14 million viewers. However, by the end of the fifth season, at most, it had drawn six million viewers.
How did time affect Madam Secretary’s storyline?
While the low ratings were believed to be the foundational drive that ended the series, another reason for the end is believed to be the inevitable shortfall of any political drama series.
This is as political drama series are based on politics, and politicians are known to not hold the same position for long periods.
Therefore, by the fifth season, the show had ended with a cliff-hanger, which announced that Elizabeth McCord was resigning as Madam Secretary and was set to run for president of the United States. The predictable narrative is also attributed to the demise of the show.
Will there be a spinoff of Madam Secretary?
Following the announcement of the end of Madam Secretary with the sixth season, which focussed on showcasing Elizabeth McCord’s run for president and her subsequently winning the election, fans of the show believed that the conclusion was the ideal segue for a spinoff titled Madam President.
A spinoff that would have followed McCord’s run as president. However, due to the Madam Secretary’s weak performance during its later seasons, it is highly unlikely that this will come to fruition, as both the network and the production company have not spoken on the matter.
Will Téa Leoni be returning to television series acting?
Ahead of the final episode of Madam Secretary, Téa Leoni wrote a touching message to the viewers, where she stated, “The last episode of Madam Secretary airs tonight. My deepest thanks to everyone who watched our show, for your incredible generosity and enthusiasm, it has been an honour to make it for you. Xoxtéa (hugs and kisses).”
The role was her return to silver screen long-form acting, following her last long-form television role on The X-Files in 2000. Meloni is set to voice a character in the undisclosed project, Endangered.
Conclusion
Madam Secretary captured the imaginations of viewers in 2014, drawing a viewership of 14 million viewers at the height of popularity.
A popularity believed to have stemmed from the parallels between fictional character, Elizabeth McCord and real-life political figure, Hillary Clinton.
However, after the viewership numbers dwindled during its last couple of seasons, the end of the show was confirmed by CBS ahead of the premiere of the sixth and final season.
Though the network did not share details on the reason for the cancellation at the time, everything pointed to inevitability, and the numbers.