AMC Cancels ’61st Street’ Starring Courtney B. Vance

*AMC has pulled the plug on Season 2 of “61st Street” starring Courtney B. Vance and Aunjanue Ellis, which was already filmed, according to reports. 

Created by Peter Moffat and executive produced by Michael B. Jordan, the courtroom drama, Per Shadow and Act, “follows Moses Johnson, a promising, black high school athlete, who is swept up into the infamously corrupt Chicago criminal justice system. Taken by the police as a supposed gang member, he finds himself in the eye of the storm as police and prosecutors seek revenge for the death of an officer during a drug bust gone wrong.”

According to sources, the network decided not to move forward with the second season as part of a cost-cutting effort that was announced in December 2022, per Variety.

AMC has reportedly been making significant cutbacks in recent months, and the cancellation of this series is a result of the process.

READ MORE: ’61ST Street’ Stars Share the Message in Upcoming AMC Series | Watch

The network stated it would take write-downs for up to $475 million. This “included $400 million for ‘strategic programming assessments’ and $75 million for ‘organizational restructuring costs,’ per an SEC filing.”

Per Shadow and Act, James L. Dolan, interim executive chairman by the board of directors, said in a company memo, “We are primarily a content company and the mechanisms for the monetization of content are in disarray,” adding that there would be “a large-scale layoff as well as cuts to every operating area of AMC Networks.”

“61st Street” is now looking for a new home for season two, Deadline reports.

“Working on 61st Street was a labor of love for everyone who had the honor of being a part of telling this extraordinary story,” said Peter Moffat, Courtney B. Vance, David Shanks, and Alana Mayo in a joint statement.

“We are grateful that viewers were drawn to the characters and their respective journeys and expressed how much they were looking forward to seeing the story unfold in Season 2,” the statement continues.

“The great thing about telling meaningful and empowering stories is that there are no limitations. We as a team will work hard to find 61st Street a home that it deserves, one that will look to incorporate the series into the fabric of its content and share 61st Street with the world.”

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