Heels Showrunner Says Show Is Seeking A New Home After Cancellation

Heels may have been cancelled by Starz, but showrunner Mike O’Malley says they’re seeking a new network to call home. As reported earlier this week, the wrestling drama was cancelled by Starz after two seasons, one of four shows but by the premium cable network. O’Malley, who serves as showrunner for the series, told EW that the Heels team is “actively” shopping the series to other networks.

“I really do think it’s going to have a life someplace else,” said O’Malley. “We did not intend, nor do we intend, for [the season 2 finale] to be the last episode of the show.”

O’Malley noted that he knew when he was texted by Starz president Kathryn Busby with “Do you have time to talk?” that he knew the show was getting cancelled. He noted, “It was really, really challenging in the sense that we weren’t able to promote this show and talk about this show [due to the writers’ and actors’ strikes]. We knew when we finished the season, all the cast and everyone involved with the show, we’re going to have to work our tail off to get people to watch the show, because Starz doesn’t have the same marketing and advertising muscle behind it.”

He continued, “When the strike happened and they said we couldn’t talk about it, it wasn’t like Heels was on buses in every city in America. We’re on Friday nights in the summertime. Starz worked really hard on making a great show and funding a great show, and we did too. We knew that we were going to have to carry some of the marketing [work]. We were supposed to go to Comic-Con and we didn’t. And so when she called me — if it’s good news, 10 people hop on the call. The breakup phone call is one quick call, and both people can’t wait to get off the phone.”

O’Malley said that some of the cast is still under contract and added, “But not only are we trying to [find a new network], I really believe the Starz executives when they say they want to see a future for the show too, because they did invest a lot in the show… I really do think it’s going to have a life someplace else.”