Why Fox Canceled Lethal Weapon After Three Seasons

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Across four movies released over the course of more than a decade, "Lethal Weapon" cemented itself as a consistent and wildly entertaining franchise. In fact, despite Mel Gibson's issues over the years, there is still talk of a possible "Lethal Weapon 5" to this day. Whether or not that happens is another topic altogether, but in light of the continued popularity of the movies, it's perhaps not surprising that Fox brought Riggs and Murtaugh to the small screen beginning in 2016 with a "Lethal Weapon" TV series.

Starring Clayne Crawford as Martin Riggs and Damon Wayans as Roger Murtaugh, the show was a hit out of the gate for Fox, only for the network to cancel the series after three seasons in 2019. As Variety reported at the time, that was at least in part due to a pretty steep ratings decline. Season 3 had brought in just over 3 million total viewers per episode, a major drop from season 2 (which averaged just over 4 million). Season 1, meanwhile, had averaged 6.5 million total viewers, so the show was absolutely on the wrong track.

However, it was far more complicated than a simple ratings issue. Crawford was fired from "Lethal Weapon" after the show's second season, for one. The actor allegedly created a hostile work environment and had received complaints of emotional abuse. It was all very complicated and messy, with both sides having a lot to say about what went down and how it all shook out. Crawford, at the time, did apologize for his actions, saying the following:

"I am incredibly sorry if my passion for doing good work has ever made anyone feel less than comfortable on our set or feel less than celebrated for their efforts. Furthermore, I apologize to all the crew and cast for any negative attention 'Lethal Weapon' is receiving because of these incidents."

Seann William Scott ("American Pie") was brought in for "Lethal Weapon" season 3 to replace Crawford. Rather than outright replacing him as Riggs, however, Scott played a new character named Wesley Cole. That was a big change viewers had to get used to. Beyond that, Wayans had also revealed that he was going to leave the show after season 3, expressing his frustration with the production. As the actor explained in a 2018 interview with Eurweb:

"I'm going to be quitting the show in December after we finish the initial 13. So, I really don't know what they're planning, but that's what I'm planning. I'm a 58-year-old diabetic, and I'm working 16-hour days."

The off-screen drama with Crawford, Wayans being disgruntled in his own right after he was supposedly hit with a piece of shrapnel while filming an episode that Crawford directed, and the folks watching at home having to get used to a new character played by Scott all made the situation incredibly difficult to manage. In February 2019, /Film spoke with producer Matt Miller about the show's issues, and he had the following to say about Crawford:

"He was in a bad situation with what happened. I know it's difficult for him. I feel like I can't comment on it because to comment on it is to go down a very slippery slope. So, I've sort of taken the high road on the whole thing, and I haven't talked about it at all. I really can't say anything."

In the end, even if Fox had been able to convince Wayans to stay, the network was fighting an uphill battle. The show's ratings were declining at an alarming rate, and getting viewers back once they abandon a series is damn near impossible. Unfortunately, this show just seemed cursed behind the scenes, so cancellation was the only outcome.

You can pick up "Lethal Weapon" season 1 on DVD from Amazon.