More yield from "Shield"

Shawn Ryan said last month he would decide whether to do one more season of "The Shield" in a couple of weeks.

He's decided.  It's coming back.

However, if you'd been led to believe that the 10 episodes currently in production would be available later this year ... think again.  Season "six," or "season 5.5" as it's informally been called, will now be delayed until 2007.  Season "seven" won't even go into production until next summer. But truly -- better late than never.

FX ORDERS FINAL SEASON OF ITS ACCLAIMED DRAMA SERIES THE SHIELD

10-Episode Sixth Season Scheduled for Early 2007 and

Seventh/Final Season of the Award Winning Series Slated for Late-’07 or Early-’08

Creator/EP Shawn Ryan to Stay as Showrunner, and Stars Michael Chiklis,

CCH Pounder and All Series Regulars on Board for Sixth and Seventh Seasons

Remaining Two Seasons Will Bring Series Overall Total to 88 Episodes

LOS ANGELES, June 5, 2006 – FX has set the timetable for the conclusion of its Emmy^® and Golden Globe^® Award-winning drama The Shield, ordering a seventh season of 13 episodes that will bring the groundbreaking series to a close in late-2007 or early-2008, following the upcoming 10-epsiode sixth season which begins in early 2007, announced John Landgraf, President and General Manager of FX Networks.

Shawn Ryan, The Shield’s creator, executive producer and writer, will continue in those duties as day-to-day showrunner for the remaining 23 episodes. Production of the 10-episode sixth season began in April and will conclude in July, and production of the series final season will take place in mid-2007. The final two seasons will bring the overall total number of episodes for the series to 88.

“It has been the privilege of everyone at FX to work with Shawn Ryan, Michael Chiklis and their colleagues on The Shield,“ said Landgraf. “It has always been our intent to have the show exit television as it entered, as one of the best dramas series ever.  We’re thrilled Shawn has come up with a great way to end the series and that it will require one final season for his vision to reach completion.  We look forward, along with fans of the show, to following Vic Mackey on his final ride.”

Shawn Ryan said, “The writers and I weren’t quite ready to step away from these characters just yet. We asked FX for an additional 13 episodes to conclude the show properly and, as always, the network graciously let us do what we thought was best for the show.”

Since its premiere on March 12, 2002 as FX’s first original drama series, The Shield has been one of the most critically acclaimed shows on television, broadcast or cable. It has also ranked as one ad-supported cable’s top series in delivery of Adults 18-49. The Shield’s fifth and most recent season, which concluded in March, arguably received more critical acclaim than any of its previous seasons and is drawing strong Emmy buzz. 

-more-

FX Orders Seventh and Final Season of Its Award Winning Series The Shield

June 5, 2006

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Forest Whitaker joined the cast for all 11 episodes in a brilliant portrayal of Jon Kavanaugh, an Internal Affairs detective leading an investigation of Vic Mackey and The Strike of with the intent of bringing them down.  Whitaker is scheduled to return in a limited basis for season six. 

For its most recent season, the 11-episode averaged 2.8 million total viewers and 1.8 million Adults 18-49 for first-run Tuesdays at 10 p.m. The Shield, which aired four times each week, averaged an unduplicated 5.65 million total viewers and 3.64 million Adults 18-49 for its 11-week run last season.

The Shield, FX’s first original drama series, made history by becoming the first ad-supported cable series to win the 2003 Golden Globe Award for Best Drama Series. In its first season, Shawn Ryan (Writing) and Clark Johnson (Directing) received Emmy nominations, which were also firsts for basic cable in those categories. The Shield has received two TCA nominations for Outstanding Achievement in Drama.

Series star Michael Chiklis received the 2003 Golden Globe Award, 2002 Emmy Award and 2002 TCA Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, all basic cable firsts.  Chiklis received his second consecutive Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for his work on season two and season three, as well as a SAG nomination. 

In 2005, Glenn Close, who joined the cast of The Shield in a special starring role for the fourth season was nominated for an Emmy  Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series, and was nominated for a Golden Globe.  CCH Pounder also received an Emmy^® nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her performance on The Shield.  The series is produced by Fox Television Studios in association with Sony Pictures Television. 

FX is the flagship general entertainment basic cable network from Fox. Launched in June of 1994, FX is carried in more than 88 million homes. The diverse schedule includes a growing roster of distinctive original series including award-winning series The Shield, Nip/Tuck and Rescue Me; an established film library with box-office hits from 20th Century Fox and other major studios; an impressive roster of acquired hit series; and NASCAR.

 

Comments

[Sandra Chatman]

I would like to know if "The Shield", was ever on a regular network channel, such as ABC, NBC, Fox5, etc.
Thank You,
NeedToKnow

[rod]

nope ....first run episodes were only on FX.. now in sindication...they are run on my local channels but not the big 4...maybe CW or an independent