ABC canceled the political thriller Designated Survivor after two seasons amid falling ratings and production challenges. The show later moved to Netflix for a third season before being canceled again.
The series starred Kiefer Sutherland as Tom Kirkman, a cabinet member who becomes president after an attack. It aired its first two seasons on ABC from 2016 until the network canceled it in 2018.
Ratings declined from an average of 12.1 million viewers in season one to 8.6 million in season two. Sutherland held contractual control over the showrunner and raised concerns about the creative direction. His contract also required moving production from Toronto to Los Angeles, which added costs.
Netflix acquired the series for a third season that premiered in 2019. The season earned a 67 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes and was canceled by the streamer one month after its debut.
Sutherland later posted a video on Twitter thanking fans for their support across the three seasons.