Much like their other hit series 9-1-1, Fox’s The Resident was in complicated negotiations for a return that wasn’t announced ahead of their upfront presentation Monday. Despite coming down to the wire, The Resident will be back for season 6 on the network.
As reported by Deadline when discussing 9-1-1’s down to the wire renewal, The Resident was pretty much in an identical situation due to it being a long-running series on the network and the complicated financials associated with an ensemble drama like this during a time when live TV ratings continue to dwindle. The Resident’s return wasn’t based on Fox being unsure of its performance as it’s the network’s highest-rated program on Tuesday night. I imagine the financials for a lot of long-running shows across all the networks will be looked at closely each season because network TV just isn’t what it used to be.
The Resident averaged 5 million total weekly viewers this season a 0.7 in the 18-49 demo. The figure is down 11 and 30 percent from its season four performance but it should be given credit for being relatively steady considering it had to deal with the departure of its female lead at the start of season five. Emily VanCamp, who had been with the series since its debut, left the show and it was thought it would be a big blow to the series. While she was missed as a fan favorite, The Resident still performed well enough despite her decision to leave the show. The series also had to deal with the departure of Shaunette Renée Wilson, as well as Morris Chestnut, who joined the show in Season 3. The series airs its season five finale tonight and it features VanCamp’s character Nic Nevin appearing in flashbacks to help her widower Conrad (Matt Czuchry) move on romantically.
The Resident focuses on the lives of the doctors and nurses at the fictional Chastain Park Memorial Hospital in Atlanta. The series also stars Matt Czuchry, Manish Dayal, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Bruce Greenwood, Jane Leeves, and Jessica Lucas.
Are YOU happy to see The Resident return?