'The Shield' Stays on FX's Force
Network orders final season of series for '07-'08
June 5 2006 LOS ANGELES -- FX has decided to keep Vic Mackey on the beat a little while longer.
The network has ordered a seventh and final season of "The Shield" for late 2007 or early 2008. The pickup extends the life of the show for 13 more episodes; prior to Monday's announcement, it was thought the series, FX's first original drama, would end early next year.
"It has been the privilege of everyone at FX to work with [creator] Shawn Ryan, [star] Michael Chiklis and their colleagues on 'The Shield,'" says John Landgraf, president of FX. "It has always been our intent to have the show exit television as it entered, as one of the best drama series ever. We're thrilled Shawn has come up with a great way to end the series and that it will require one final season for his vision to reach completion."
When "The Shield" began its fifth season in January, it was widely assumed that it was entering its final season. In fact, the 10 episodes FX is now referring to as "season six" were originally conceived as a continuation of season five, following the "Sopranos" model of scheduling.
However, Ryan says, "The writers and I weren't quite ready to step away from these characters just yet. We asked FX for an additional 13 episodes to conclude the show properly and, as always, the network graciously let us do what we thought was best for the show."
Emmy winner Chiklis, who plays the amoral Detective Mackey, and the rest of the regular cast will return for both seasons. Forest Whitaker, who played a dogged Internal Affairs cop in season five, will reprise his role a few times next season.
Season six of "The Shield" will air early next year, and production on the final episodes will begin in mid-2007.
