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News, Reviews & Commentary on Lesbian and Bisexual women in Entertainment and the Media

There's no saving "Saving Grace"

Sad news for Holly Hunter fans: TNT can’t save Grace.

The Hollywood Reporter announced last week that Saving Grace will end its run after a nine-episode final season next summer.

In this case, the network didn’t make the decision. TNT wanted a fourth season, but Fox TV Studios, which produces Saving Grace, turned down the offer for financial reasons. I’m guessing that a lot of the expense has to do with the fabulous star of the show, Holly Hunter.

Hunter’s Grace Hanadarko has been a stereotype breaker as a “mature” detective with an uninhibited lifestyle. Grace works and plays with abandon — and that includes her sex life. Before Saving Grace, we rarely, if ever, saw an over-40 woman character on television enjoying sex as unselfconsciously as Grace. And Holly Hunter, who turned 50 last year, looks damn good naked.

(Sorry, you’ll have to do that photo research for yourself.)

Nancy Miller, who created Grace, told The Oklahoman that Fox’s decision was strictly business:

Fox feels like it has lost money on the show. The DVDs are not selling, they can’t sell it foreign, and they’ve already lost a lot of money, and they don’t see any of that changing. So to continue would just mean losing more money.

The series’ Southern feel and religious undertones were a hard sell overseas. If I were European, I think I’d want to see it anyway.

The good news is that TNT ordered enough episodes to give Saving Grace a proper sendoff. Sad as I am to see a smart, woman-centered show leave the air, I’m happy that we may finally get to understand what’s up with Earl.

Any thoughts on how Saving Grace should end?

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  • silentnomore's picture

    It's a unique show

    across the board.  When I first heard the concept of the show, I was not interested becasue I thought it was going to be super "Chrisitanity is the only way.  Return to the light" mumbojumbo.  But I trusted that Holly Hunter wouldn't sign up for something like that so I watched it.  I love the relationship Grace has with Laura San Giacomo's character.  It's a sweet friendship.  The sense of humor on the show is great and unique.  And the show represents all religions and spiritual beliefs.   I'll miss it.  I feel bad for the cast because it seems like they love eachother a lot. 

    As far as how it should end-I don't know.  I just want them to keep going the way they are going. With Grace more happy and at peace.   

     

    "If a bullet should go through my head let that bullet go through every closet door.”       -Harvey Milk

    chelsea's picture

    If the make Grace a lesbian

    If the make Grace a lesbian in the next season I bet you anything it would sell. haha.
    Bikerchick's picture

    I'm European..

    .. and I watch this show. 

    Part of Europe has caught on: we have one channel here that broadcasts it, but sadly it's in French. Even though I speak French, I could never watched a show like Saving Grace dubbed in French. For one, Holly Hunter's southern drawl is too sexy for words. So no, I don't watch it on tv. 

    (*cough* I download it *cough*)

     

    Yes, there is that religious undertone, but Holly Hunter doesn't exactly play a nun, quite on the contrary. *nudge nudge wink wink*

     

    ka-ni's picture

    Another European...

    ...who likes to watch this show. :)

    I can see (but won't understand ;) ) why this wasn't bought by a european network but can't understand that the DVD-selling is that bad on the other side of the pond?

    I really enjoy the show though I struggle sometimes to catch up with the thick southern american accent and all the US sport references but that's okay cuz I sooo like Grace! Holly Hunter is a great actress and the only good thing I see in a definite last season is that they have the time to bring it to an adequate ending and telling us that Grace is a saint (aside from all of this sex, drugs and rock 'n roll lifestyle ;) )

    If they manage to close the show properly they definitely sell one DVD of each season up to europe! Thanks to worldwide shipping! ;)

     

    ohh and please, Rhetta: get rid of this hilarious blonde wig! :D


    C minor, put it in C minor!

    Don't wonder why people go crazy, wonder why they don't!

    nicole eggett's picture

    sadness

    oh nose!! i'm going to miss that show :( it was one of the few shows that i actually enjoyed watching with my mother. at least it will have a good ending :)
    BetweenThaLines's picture

    Too bad

    I must say that I can understand it's a hard sell across the sea. I didn't think much of it when I heard about it first. But after a while, when I had nothing else to watch I decided to check it out since: it's Holly Hunter for pete's sake! But I really love it now! Too bad it's going, although I'm happy it's getting a proper send off.

    A really great show is going... (except for that one guy, grace is sleeping with all the time, who annoyes the hell out of me. He seems to be drunk all the time... Not gonna miss him.)

    piperbunny's picture

    Saving Grace

    If they sold the DVDs in the UK I would so buy them.  It's an amazing show, sad that it's ending :(
    Ajel's picture

    No!!

    I live in europe, and watch it every week! It's one of my favourite series, mostly because Holly Hunter :D I hope they at least make a good ending, and not the kind that leaves you thinking "wtf was that? they didn't explain anything!"
    Bikerchick's picture

    You mean..

    ... like the L Word? ;)
    Punkin's picture

    Grace, R.I.P.

    Perhaps if Fox (and TNT) hadn't spent so much energy into splitting the viewing season, Saving Grace might have had a better chance to build up the audience who would be willing to buy all those DVDs. Has the American/Western attention span gotten so short that the average viewer can't handle a 15 week season? (I remember when you saw new shows for 39 week runs, with the best of the season going into reruns during the summer months. Maybe that's why it was called "The Golden Age of Television" - the writers and audience had time to develop ideas, concepts, likeability.)

    Or maybe it's simply difficult for Fox to deal with a show having strong female characters who aren't perfect (oh my gosh, actual human beings with realistic issues?, what is the world coming to?)

     

    cogent53's picture

    Doesn't travel as well as most other shows

    As a UK viewer, I've watched all of Saving Grace, but have been on the verge of giving up quite often. Here in the UK we get lots of US shows and most are very universal, but Saving Grace is so regional - I have trouble understanding what they are on about quite often, with extended conversations about US football and heavy accents, this is a show that needs subtitles I think! I also find the antics of the team incredibly irritating at times - endless practical jokes that just aren't funny. I like Holly Hunter and the main reason I watch is for her and the Grace/Rhetta relationship which is really good, but the characters are frankly hard to like and the good ol' boy attitude is not my favourite.

    I'm glad the show was made, but I'm not that sorry or surprised to see it end.

    PurpleBunnyFreak's picture

    Most of the newer awesome shows die quickly.

    like Veronica Mars.

    This is the worst news I've heard in a while (since the cancellation of the above mentioned, actually :) ). Especially as I'm one of those who live in one of those countries which can't buy the DVDs. I have season 1 (relatives are occasionally useful), but yeah... Season 2 only just finished airing here. :( . At least I have season 3 to look forward to, still.

    I will miss Saving Grace. One of the best series I've seen, except for, as cogent53 said, those annoying practical jokes and the way the guys are.

    "This is not a quote."