Question: There is a rumor that ABC Family's popular Wildfire will be finished at the end of this season. The show has not yet been picked up for Season 5. Can you tell me if the rumors are true? If they are, is there anything the fans can do? There are a lot of unhappy messages on ABC Family's Wildfire website. Why don't they listen to the fans? Wildfire is great — it's the first show in a long time that keeps the killings, drugs and sex out of the story lines. Why would the network want to cancel it? Please let me and the rest of Wildfire's loyal fans know what's going on!
Answer: This is more than a rumor. It's a fact. The way I figure it is that this situation isn't much different than USA Network dropping The 4400 and The Dead Zone after four and six seasons, respectively. Cable networks are continually developing new series to keep their schedules and brands fresh, and they don't have the unlimited budgets of the big broadcast networks to juggle as many shows and keep them going indefinitely (at an escalating price). Every cancellation causes pain for a show's loyal followers, but four seasons is a lot more than many shows of this type get. Does that mean if the fan outcry is large enough that ABC Family would never give a reprieve? Far be it from me to douse any fans' wildfire.