Netflix Cancels Drama Series After 2 Seasons
Katherine Heigl is saying goodbye to another series. The former Grey's Anatomy star's Netflix series Firefly Lane is coming to an end after just two seasons. The first part of the second season will be released in December. The entire second season will run 16 episodes, giving creator Maggie Friedman the opportunity to wrap up the story.
The first nine episodes of Season 2 will be released on Dec. 2. The remaining seven episodes will be released in 2023, reports Deadline. Firefly Lane was renewed for a second season in May, with Heigl and co-star Sarah Chalke making the announcement for Netflix. "We don't have all the answers yet, but trust us, it is going to be worth the wait," Chalke teased. "And we promise all of your questions will be answered."
Firefly Lane was based on the novel by Kristin Hannah. Heigl stars as Tully Hart, a famous daytime talk show host, while Chalke stars as Kate Mularkey, Tully's best friend who is trying to return to work after a divorce. Ben Lawson stars as Kate's husband Johnny, who is a producer on Tully's show. Beau Garrett played Tully's mother Cloud, while Yael Turman played Kate and Johnny's daughter Marah.
Ignacio Serrichio joined in Season 2 as Danny Diaz. India de Beaufort, Greg Germann, and Jolene Purdy are also joining in Season 2. Friedman is an executive producer and showrunner. Heigl, Shawn Williamson, and Hannah are also executive producers on the series, which is produced by Stephanie Germain Productions and Curly Girly Productions for Netflix.
The bond between Tully and Kate was one of the major aspects of the show that attracted Chalke, who is best known for starring in Scrubs. "You so rarely see this incredible bond between two women in television," Chalke told Variety in March. "I love their authentic, flawed relationship that it's not this glossy, everything is perfect... You see them really go at it and overcome huge things, but then there's this one thing that they can't."
This was the first time Chalke and Heigl worked together, but they clicked right after meeting for the first cast dinner. "Our first two days of working together were these ridiculous, fun days of playing dress-up, and then it just kind of grew from there," Chalke told Variety. "We were shooting long days, we would hike the dogs on the weekends then she would have everyone over for wine and cheese nights. Then I had everyone over to my house for a party and her husband, (musician) Josh Kelley, brought his guitar and it just evolved into everyone dancing in my backyard to Josh's music for the night."
The first season was released on February 2021 and received mixed reviews. Critics praised Heigl and Chalke's chemistry but found the show overall missing its potential. The show holds a 47% fresh rating from critics and a 69% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.