‘Bunheads’ gets cancelled: 5 things we’ll miss about the show
Have you heard? Of course you've heard: hot on the heels of the Royal Baby arrival, ABC Family announced that "Bunheads" is officially cancelled, ultimately proving that the universe both giveth and taketh away.
While the future of the series had been up in the air for the last five months, it was on July 22 that the higher ups finally made up their minds.
"'Bunheads' is a wonderful series that we are very proud to have aired," said an ABC Family spokesperson. "The series had amazing storytelling, the most talented cast, and a passionate and loyal fan base. Recognizing all of this, we took extra time to try and find ways to bring the series back for another season, but in the end, it simply wasn't possible. We wish the cast and crew the best in their future endeavours."
What did co-creator Amy Sherman-Palladino have to say about it?
"Thank you to anyone who chose to play in our sandbox for a while," she told Vulture. "It was a labour of love from all involved and well, f---. All you can do is try, right? And drink."
Which brings us to our next point: it's exactly that kind of attitude we're going to miss most from "Bunheads." So to mourn the loss of our deceased series, here are five things we're going to miss about it the most.
The drinking
Michelle Sims (Sutton Foster) and Fanny Flowers (Kelly Bishop) not only stole scenes with their deliveries, but with how much alcohol they could consume and still be standing. Case in point: the first episode, where we saw Fanny down a shot before doing the dance with Michelle (and reeling us in). Which reminds us even more of . . .
The dancing
What would the show even be without the fancy footwork of its ballerinas? After years of us viewers having only movies like "Center Stage" and "Save the Last Dance" to live vicariously through, "Bunheads" offered a reprieve thanks to its choreography and talent.
The pop culture references
In the winter premiere alone, "Bunheads" managed to fit 16 pop culture references into its 45 minute (commercial-free) run time. However, that was a huge part of both its draw and its discussion fodder. On the one hand, teens and 20-somethings could pick up on references to Pussy Riot and "Game of Thrones" -- on the other, writers had to defend the show to fans who were out of the loop and felt a little excluded.
The "Gilmore Girls" tie-in
As you may or may not know, Amy Sherman-Palladino also created "Gilmore Girls." And that explains why she cast the likes of Kelly Bishop (who played Emily Gilmore on "Gilmore Girls"), Sean Gunn (who played Kirk on "Gilmore Girls"), and Liza Weil (who played Rory's friend, Paris) who went from Stars Hallow to the "Bunheads" fictional town of Paradise, Calif. This was our connection to the past -- and now, no matter how many times we watch old "Gilmore Girls" episodes, that connection is gone.
Female camaraderie
Not only is the relationship between characters Michelle and Fanny important, but so are those of the dancers themselves. Considering they're teenagers, they have miles to go in terms of discovering who they are, what they'll put up with, and how far they're willing to go to achieve what they want. We could've seen a show that stresses the importance of female friendship in a competitive world. Instead, shows like "Two and a Half Men" live on, while "Bunheads" gets the axe. Such is life.
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