ABC has surprisingly renewed "Body of Proof" for another season, but fans of the medical/police drama should not expect the show to be around much longer. The low ratings will eventually lead to cancellation, and ABC will have to find another series for Dana Delany.
Arguments for Cancellation
"Body of Proof" has not gained enough of a following to justify the purchase of a full 22-show run at this point. In fact, the show spent most of Season 2 at the bottom of the ratings for ABC primetime shows. Bill Gorman at TV by the Numbers predicted that the medical/police drama would not make it through the previous season and considered the renewal as his "biggest prediction miss" of the season.
Usage
Since only 13 episodes of the drama were ordered, it could be assumed that "Body of Proof" will either be used as mid-season filler or will jump onto TV to fill in for a show that has been canceled early in its run. If the series is used to fill in for a canceled show, chances are good that the ratings will dip even more. Without having at least a few weeks of promotion, Delany's current show does not stand much of a chance. Fans of the show might not even know it's back on TV.
Dana's History
Delany has an interesting history that keeps bringing her back to ABC. Her run with ABC began in 1978 when she had a bit role as a bar patron on "Ryan's Hope." She returned to ABC in a small role on an episode of "Moonlighting" in 1985 and continued to have guest starring roles in other shows on the network until she was added to the cast "China Beach" in 1988. She went on to star on "Wild Palms," "Desperate Housewives," and now on "Body of Proof" for ABC. She has continued to play various characters for an episode or two of other shows including her recent guest starring role on "Castle."
Even though the network has proven it believes Delany is a great actress, money pays more bills than loyalty. If anything has kept the show on, it would be the fact that the show is shot in L.A. where the network can benefit from production tax breaks. It should not surprise anyone if "Body of Proof" cashes out early in the winter season.
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If 'Body of Proof' is Canceled, Will 'Castle' Be Next?
