‘Bluff City Law’ Possibly Facing Cancellation Following End of Shooting in Tennessee

Despite an additional six-script order from NBC, legal drama Bluff City Law is set to end filming in Memphis, Tennessee on Oct. 31, signaling a possible cancellation for the new series. According to Commercial Appeal, producers announced the news on Thursday, revealing that filming will end with the completion of the series’ 10th episode.

While the news certainly seems to spell doom for the September-debuted show, executives will reportedly assess the program after all 10 episodes air before deciding Bluff City Law’s fate. They will be looking to see if the series gains more viewership and higher ratings on Hulu, or other delayed-viewing and on-demand platforms.

Additionally, Memphis Film Commissioner Linn Sitler said that producers will continue to rent the standing Bluff City Law courtroom located in Memphis should there be a late renewal, something that Sitler said made him feel “very reassured.”

Premiering on the network in September, Bluff City Law has not been the network’s most promising series. It’s fourth episode only ticked in with 3.39 million viewers, a downtick of more than a million viewers from its Sept. 23 debut episode, making it Monday night’s lowest-rated program.

According to TVLine, it only managed a 0.5 rating in the key demo, retaining just 36 percent retention out of The Voice. For comparison, in week four last year, Manifest had retained 79 percent retention leading out of the singing competition.

Created by Dean Georgaris and Michael Aguilar, Bluff City Law follows legendary lawyer Elijah Strait, who runs a law firm in Memphis that handles controversial and landmark civil rights cases. Elijah works with his brilliant daughter, Sydney Keller, despite their complicated relationship out of the office.

The series stars Sons of Anarchy and The West Wing alum Jimmy Smits as Elijah, Barry Sloane as Jake Reilly, Michael Luwoye as Anthony Little, Stony Blyden as Emerson, Jayne Atkinson as Della Bedford, MaameYaa Boafo as Briana Logan, and Mo Gallini as Edgar Soriano.

Speaking to WMC in Memphis last month, McGee said the show is making the most out of being filmed on location in Memphis.

“I think the best part of shooting in this city is it’s so much a part of our show,” she told the station, adding that filming the show in Memphis helps her get into character.

“Her moral compass is really close to mine. I love the things that she cares about and I care about the things that she cares about,” McGee said of her character. “So, as an actress, it’s really easy to tap into that and fight for people that don’t have a voice.”

Bluff City Law airs Mondays at 10 p.m. ET on NBC.