Hallmark has suggested that Chesapeake Shores has reached its natural conclusion, which is why it was cancelled after its sixth season.
Chesapeake Shores returned with its sixth and final season in August 2022. The 10 hour-long season of the family drama premised on love and the lives of four generations of the O’Brien family has just concluded its final season run with episode 10 airing on Sunday, 16 October 2022.
The news about the series being cancelled was shared before the airing of season six. Initially, when it was announced, Hallmark had not provided a reason for the cancellation of the series.
But as a result of the backlash, Hallmark eventually released a formal statement which asserted that the series has reached its “natural conclusion”.
Hallmark’s trend of abrupt cancellation
Hallmark has faced a lot of backlash in recent years due to what viewers of programming on the channel claim is the trend of cancelling shows abruptly.
Upon the announcement of Chesapeake Shores’ cancellation, after it was given a final season to properly conclude its natural television run, on social media, viewers named other shows from Hallmark that did not get the same grace as they were cancelled without a chance to wrap their narratives properly.
This includes the likes of The Good Witch and most recently, Cedar Cove.
Why did Hallmark cancel Chesapeake Shores?
When you are wondering why a series is cancelled, it is important to look at the ratings.
But for Chesapeake Shores you can also consider the departure of Jesse Metcalfe as Trace Riley at the end of season four, only appearing in the first few episodes of season five to give his character a fitting send-off.
This was seemingly the beginning of the decline into Chesapeake Shores’ cancellation. This is as the fifth season had a noticeable dip in ratings compared to season four.
While it was still on the same spectrum, the fifth season was at the lower end. TV Series Finale reported that season five had a 15 percent lower in live+same day viewership ratings.
Moreover, the season only had one episode that surpassed the 1.56 million viewers mark, which is the season five finale with over 1.66 million viewers tuning in.
While this could have been attributed to the decision to cancel the show, Hallmark did not blame the dip in numbers as its reason.
Instead, in a tweet, the channel asserted the reason for the series’ cancellation by sharing, “We are so proud of Chesapeake Shores, a show that has captured imaginations and was reaching a natural conclusion, and we decided to wrap up the show on a high note in the sixth and final season, which premieres later this summer.”
Hallmark on Chesapeake Shores’ cancellation
Before the tweet that suggested that Chesapeake Shores was cancelled because the family drama series reached its “natural conclusion”, Hallmark was seemingly intent on not divulging the reason for the series’ cancellation.
Even though there was a noticeable dip in ratings, the series was still popular among Hallmark Channel fans.
Hence, the only initial word regarding the cancellation was more of a congratulatory statement by SVP of Series Programming at Hallmark Channel, Laurie Ferneau, who only stated:
“With a top-notch ensemble cast and creative team, Chesapeake Shores has shared stories that are relatable, poignant and unforgettable. We look forward to honouring the journey viewers have been on with the O’Briens with one final, special season.”
Meghan Ory on Chesapeake Shores’ cancellation
Seeing as Chesapeake Shores kicks off when Abby O’Brien returns home after getting a divorce, it is only fitting that she would bid the series a special farewell.
But it was her dedication to see the completion of the season that is most commendable as at the time of filming, she was pregnant with her third child, and she was diagnosed with hyperemesis gravidarum (HG). This condition results in severe nausea and vomiting for pregnant women.
But she did go onto Instagram to bid the show farewell through a touching post, sharing in part, “It has been quite the run! Thank you so much to our amazing cast and crew for having so much patience with me while I tried not to barf on anyone.”
Chesapeake Shores gives everyone a happy ending ahead of cancellation
The series finale episode of Chesapeake Shores is currently the most highly-rated episode on IMDb from the entire six seasons of the family drama series with an overall rating score of 9.6 out of 10.
This is as in the series finale, everyone got a version of a happy ending, which is heart-warming to watch. From Mick and Megan’s wedding, to Sarah’s arrival and Kevin’s first baby.
Moreover, in the series finale, Abby finally found her happily ever after with Evan Kincaid. It was a wholesome ending to a series which fans believed could have gone on forever.