Why was Prison Break cancelled after season 5? Explained

Fox Network's Prison Break, created by Paul Scheuring, concluded its five-season run in 2017, with no prospects for a sixth season. The show was one of the first to be extensively binge-watched on Netflix and was a big hit for Fox, particularly in the early seasons.

Prison Break season 5 premiered nine years after season 4, aiming to revitalize the series, but the reboot didn't work out well, as the show's season 5 failed to achieve the same level of popularity as its previous seasons.

The fifth season featured original stars Wentworth Miller and Dominic Purcell in a high-stakes escape game, alongside a cast including Inbar Lavi, Augustus Prew, Mark Feuerstein, Amaury Nolasco, Robert Knepper, Rockmond Dunbar, Paul Adelstein, and Sarah Wayne Callies.

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Prison Break: Original plan of the show creators

Rumors of season 6's cancellation due to declining viewership overlook the fact that Prison Break faced potential cancellation after season 4 due to creative issues. Reportedly, Fox Network president Kevin Reilly stated that the show had "played out," indicating that all storylines had been drained. The initial plan was to conclude the series with the Fox River Eight storyline after the show's fourth season.

However, nine years after the fourth season, circumstances changed, leading Fox to revive the show for a fifth season. Nonetheless, it appeared Fox president Kevin Reilly and creator Paul Scheuring were correct when they initially believed that the show was playing out, as season 5 failed to resonate with audiences as expected.

For a while, there were plans for season 6, despite the mixed reception to seasons 4 and 5. According to the TV Series Finale, Paul Scheuring, the creator of the show, said to the TVInsider:

"The goal for this limited run of Prison Break was to tell a very strong nine episodes. It had its own beginning, middle, and end, and we wrapped it up. It’s a nine-hour movie in a lot of ways. The goal was never to have a cliffhanger. The possibility of additional seasons was not taken into consideration; that’s just something that’s out there in the ether."

However, Fox ultimately lost interest in the show, and those plans fell through. The primary reason being that Wentworth Miller, who portrayed Michael Scofield, one of the show's key protagonists, ruled himself out of another season due to his wish to cease playing straight characters, which was the final nail in the series.

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Prison Break's 9-year hiatus results in decline in viewership

The secret to producing amazing shows is consistency, as it maintains viewer interest and builds suspense. However, the production of the show deviated from this approach by taking a nine-year break before releasing its fifth season.

While one may assume that a big gap would spice up the plot by creating suspense and leading to a fantastic return, for Prison Break, it led to a decline in viewership. As the series progressed, it became more predictable and repetitive, diminishing its appeal over time.

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The narrative of Prison Break fell into a repetitive loop of breaking out just to be sent back to prison. Every time Scofield and his gang escaped from prison, it seemed like less of an accomplishment because it was certain that they would be sent back to prison soon after. The idea behind the show became increasingly unsustainable over the course of five seasons.