While the writers’ strike may be close to a resolution, the resulting financial fallout resulting has proven to be devastating for networks such as FX. Stating financial reasons as the culprit, the network has decided reduce episodes for this season’s The Riches and Dirt.
Instead of 13 episodes, only seven episodes of The Riches and Dirt will air for the upcoming season. Both shows have finished seven episodes before the strike began. Rather than resuming filming on the remaining episodes in the order, the network has decided to stick with what it’s got, even if that means unfinished story arcs.
Created by Dmitry Lipkin, The Riches is an Emmy Award-nominated series featuring a family of Irish traveler con artists and thieves. It stars Aidan Mitchell as Sam, Eddie Izzard as Wayne, Minnie Driver as Dahlia, Noel Fisher as Cael, and Shannon Woodward as Di Di. During its pilot run, the show averaged 5.9 million viewers per week, enough for FX to commission a second season to be shown this year.
Dirt, on the other hand, is drama series that centers on the publication of the DirtNow magazine and the lives of Lucy Spiller and her long time friend Don Konkey, a paparazzo and functioning schizophrenic who is deeply loyal to her. Also featured on the show are the lives of some of the celebrities covered by the magazine, including celebrity couple, Holt McLaren and Julia Mallory. The series stars Courteney Cox, Ian Hart, Josh Stewart, and Laura Allen.
Dirt is set to premiere on March 2, but FX has yet to announce the start date for The Riches. Meanwhile, cutting down episodes for both shows doesn’t mean that there is little hope for a third season renewal for both series. The decision to shorten the season “does not affect the two series’ chances for a third season renewal,” according to the Hollywood Reporter.
-Kris De Leon, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: FX, Zap2it, Hollywood Reporter
(Image courtesy of FX)
Staff Writer, BuddyTV
