All American may be returning to The CW for Season 7, but it will do so without its leading man.
Deadline has revealed that Daniel Ezra’s time as a series regular on the teen drama will end this season.
Monday’s new episode found Spencer (Ezra) being drafted into the NFL.
The episode then jumps to the future to reveal that he made it to the Super Bowl and proposed to his longtime love interest, Olivia (Samantha Logan).
While that episode was initially supposed to be the season finale, The CW ordered two additional episodes in April, fueling concerns that their purpose was to end the show.
While they will bring many current storylines to a head, the series is preparing for a reset of sorts for Season 7.
All American Season 6 has two bonus episodes
The final two episodes will focus on Spencer and Olivia as they prepare for their big day.
The outlet has confirmed that Ezra decided to leave All American before production on Season 6 began.
“After making the difficult decision to leave All American, my sole focus became completing the journey of the most life-affirming character I’ve ever played in the manner he deserves,” the actor said in a statement.
“Thanks to Nkechi and the writers, I got my wish. Season six is ‘Spencer’s goodbye.’ I’ll miss him. I’ll miss our cast and crew. I hope it’s been as fun to watch him as it has been to play him.”
Now that the final two episodes of Season 6 will focus on wrapping up Spencer’s storyline, there’s a high chance it will do the same for other characters.
After The CW shockingly picked up Season 7, there were rumblings that the series would focus on a new generation of characters, and now, that seems far more likely.
All American remains a priority for The CW
Aging series have a higher price point due to cast salaries increasing as they progress, but a decision to switch things up with a new cast has probably made the show more viable to produce.
The CW, as a whole, has been embracing different content in recent years under the watchful eye of Nexstar, who now owns the young-skewing outlet.
In recent years, the network has eliminated its genre fare in favor of programming that appeals to a broader audience.
As the network’s most-watched show, there’s a great incentive to keep All American around.
It also has a rich streaming deal with Netflix that helps subsidize the production costs.
All American airs Mondays at 8/7c on The CW. Stream Seasons 1-5 on Netflix.