ABC recently opted not to renew five titles, including the show Rebel starring Katey Sagal, and now Sagal and showrunner Krista Vernoff are breaking their silence on the sudden cancellation.
“The abrupt announcement that there would be no season 2 based on the response from our airings came a shock and a heartbreak,” Sagal writes on Instagram. “Things take time to catch on. Rebel tells the story of a woman who speaks up for what is right, the show has heart and purpose, funny and tears, and we, the cast, are all scratching our heads at the reversal of support from ABC.”
‘Rebel’ canceled, can it be saved? #SaveRebel
Rebel is focused on Annie “Rebel” Bello, who is a blue-collar legal advocate without a law degree who fights relentlessly for the causes and people she loves. Also starring in the show were Andy Garcia, John Corbett, James Lesure, Lex Scott Davis, Tamala Jones, Ariela Barer, Kevin Zegers, and Sam Palladio.
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Sagal also encouraged her followers and fans to share her post, and sign a #SaveRebel petition to hopefully get the show renewed by ABC. As of writing this, the online petition has garnered over 17,000 signatures, with a goal of 25,000. “As Rebel would say, fight for what you want, make people listen, and in this case, if our show can find another, more suitable place to land, we will do the happy dance,” Sagal says. “If not, we gave it our all and made our voices heard, which is the message behind Rebel! Always Speak Up!!”
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Only time will tell if the online petition will take off and help the show to be renewed. If you’re interested in signing the petition to keep Rebel on the air, click here and sign the petition!