Given how long it took to bring Brian K. Vaughan’s Y: The Last Man to the screen, it was somewhat surprising when the series got the axe yesterday. FX rarely cancels shows in their first year, let alone ones that haven’t even completed their first season yet, so just why did Y: The Last Man receive a cancellation?
According to a report by THR, it wasn’t low ratings that led to the cancellation of Y: The Last Man. Instead, FX executives were forced to make a tough choice as the options of the cast of the series had expired. Why did they expire so soon? Well, much of the cast had actually been attached to Y: The Last Man for quite some time, but because of the numerous delays the production experienced, FX was forced to extend their options, which quickly added up.
Because of the delays amid the showrunner and cast changes, FX had to extend options on original Y stars, including Lane. And, because of the pandemic-related production shutdown, also pay to extend the options of Schnetzer and other new castmembers. Those cast extensions added up despite the fact that production came in under its $8.5 million-per-episode budget… Ultimately, FX brass declined to pay $3 million to further extend options, not wanting to leave the cast in limbo yet again.
While Y: The Last Man is currently in limbo, THR’s sources have said that HBO Max could be a potential new home for the series. Parent company WarnerMedia once owned the rights to the series and made their own attempt at bringing the story to the screen, so it would be a logical home. FX Productions are said to be supportive of creator Eliza Clark’s efforts to shop the show to other networks, but it remains to be seen whether we’ll see more of Yorick and company.
“I have never in my life been more committed to a story, and there is so much more left to tell,” Clark said after the cancellation of Y: The Last Man. “Y: The Last Man is about gender, about how oppressive systems inform identity. We had a gender-diverse team of brilliant artists, led by women at almost every corner of our production. Producers, writers, directors, cinematographers, production design, costume design, stunt coordination, and more. It is the most collaborative, creatively fulfilling, and beautiful thing I have ever been a part of. We don’t want it to end.” The first (and final?) season of Y: The Last Man will conclude on November 1, 2021.