The novel Point of Impact by Stephen Hunter and the movie Shooter by Antoine Fuqua serve as the inspiration for the action-thriller series Shooter.
The series follows former Marine sharpshooter Bob Lee Swagger as he attempts to clear his name after being falsely accused of plotting an assassination of the President. Eddie McClintock, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Ryan Phillippe, and Shantel VanSanten all star in the show.
USA Network aired all three seasons of the show from 2016 to 2018. Both reviewers and viewers found the show to be entertaining and suspenseful, and they applauded the acting and writing. However, there were also problems with the show that needed to be overcome.
These included low ratings, production delays, and legal complications. Fans are left wondering if there will ever be a season 4 of Shooter on Netflix or anywhere else after the show was canceled by USA Network following its third season. This is what we know about the potential for a fourth season of Shooter.
Why Did USA Network Cancel Shooter?
USA Network decided to pull the plug on Shooter after its third season aired from June to September of 2018. The network did not provide an official explanation for the cancellation, but there are several possible causes. Some examples of these elements are:
Low ratings: Over the course of its three seasons, Shooter saw a steady fall in ratings, particularly among adults 18–49. Season one attracted an average of 1.25 million viewers and a 0.35 rating, while season two attracted an average of 1.1 million viewers and a 0.28 rating, and season three attracted an average of 0.74 million viewers and a 0.18 rating.
When compared to the network’s other shows, these ratings just weren’t good enough to warrant continuing production on the series.
Production delays: Shooter’s timeline and quality were also negatively impacted by production delays. Shootings in both Dallas and Baton Rouge forced the series’ premiere to be pushed back from its initial July 2016 date. Due to Ryan Phillippe’s injuries on the set, the first season of the show was shortened from 10 to 8 episodes, and its launch was delayed until November 2016.
The same issue also resulted in the reduction of the second season’s episode count from 10 to 8. For its third season, the show returned to its usual 10-episode order, but by then it was too late to win back viewers.
Legal issues: Legal concerns were another problem that threatened Shooter’s good name and future. Don Johnson sued the show, saying that he had agreed to produce and star in it, but that he was replaced by Ryan Phillippe without any credit or financial remuneration. The lawsuit was resolved in 2019, but the terms were kept confidential.
The estate of Stephen Hunter also filed a lawsuit against the show, claiming that it infringed on Hunter’s rights and breached the original contract. In 2020, the court ruled to throw out the case, but by then the harm had been done.
Is Season 4 of Shooter Coming to Netflix or Anywhere Else?
Some Shooter viewers remain optimistic that Netflix or another streaming service may pick up the series for a fourth season despite USA Network’s decision to discontinue the show. There are a number of reasons why this is highly unlikely to occur. Several of these causes include:
Lack of interest: Shooter may not have enough interest or demand from the fans or the business to support a comeback. After more than three years away from television, the show has lost much of its luster.
It faces stiff competition from shows like Jack Ryan, The Punisher, and 24, among others. It’s possible that the show doesn’t have enough going for it to interest new viewers or investors.
Lack of availability: It’s possible that Shooter won’t be picked up by another platform due to a lack of availability or accessibility. Paramount Television and Universal Cable Productions, subsidiaries of ViacomCBS and NBCUniversal, respectively, are responsible for distributing the series at the moment.
These studios have their own streaming services like Paramount+ and Peacock, and they might not want to pick up a show that another network canceled. The United States is Netflix’s largest and most significant market, but the show is not available there. Netflix subscribers in select countries (including Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom) can watch the series.
Lack of feasibility: It’s possible that Shooter isn’t feasible or viable enough to be renewed for a second season. After such a long break, the show may have trouble getting the rights, the budget, the cast, and the crew together for a fourth season.
Since the third season concluded on a cliffhanger with the death of a significant character, the continuation of the tale may present some creative hurdles for the show’s creators.
Since the fifth and final book, The 47th Samurai, is set in Japan and features a different plot and tone than the previous seasons, the show may also have to cope with some continuity and consistency concerns in its fourth season, which adapts the book.
Conclusion
In Shooter, an ex-Marine sharpshooter is falsely accused of an assassination attempt and must uncover the conspiracy behind it to clear his name. After three seasons and low ratings, production delays, and legal concerns, USA Network decided to terminate the show in 2018.
Due to low viewership, limited resources, and production costs, Netflix or any other streaming service is unlikely to bring back the show for a fourth season. Shooter is a series that had a lot of potential and promise, but was eventually cut short and left unfinished.
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