Why Wildfire Season 5 Never Happened (Even When It Should Have)
During the fourth season of Wildfire, fans were disappointed to see that there was no Wildfire season 5 release date announced, and the show was promptly canceled, but the ABC Family series really should have kept going. While some viewers may have forgotten the 2000s teen dramaWildfire, others fondly remember the ABC Family series. The show, which premiered in 2005, stars Genevieve Cortese as Kristine "Kris" Furillo-Davis, a former jockey who served time at a teen correctional facility for grand theft auto.
With the opportunity to start over, Kris goes to work on a horse farm called Raintree with her horse, and only friend, Wildfire. Together, the pair work to save the struggling farm and prove themselves to everyone. The show ran for four seasons from 2005 to 2008 and the romantic, compelling drama of the horse racing and relationships was highly entertaining. However, Wildfire entered the ranks of TV shows that were canceled too soon when it was not renewed for season 5, but fans coming back to the show are clamoring for more.
Wildfire Season 5 Never Got A Release Date Due To Low Ratings
Only Season 2 Had Solid Ratings
Wildfire was canceled soon after the season 4 premiere in January 2008 (via TVSeriesFinale). Declining ratings were pointed to as the reason for the show not being renewed. Season 1 averaged just a little over one million viewers, and while season 2 jumped to 1.56 million, season 3 dropped back down to numbers closer to that first season. It was simply not enough to sustain the show and while there was a strong core of fans, it wasn't a large enough group to warrant bringing the show back.
What The Wildfire Cast & Creatives Said About Not Getting A Season 5
Some Of The Cast Suspected The Show Would Be Canceled
The cast and crew had already suspected Wildfire may not see season 5 even before the announcement. Cortese said after filming season 4,
"I think we have one of the best casts and crews in television… On the other hand, we also end (this season) on a really cool note. I'd be glad to go back and get to work again with people I love, but if not, at least I'll know we did a great job."
After the series was canceled, some held out hope that the show would eventually return, with producer Lester Berman saying,
"We're saving a lot of the set dressing and the uniforms. We're putting it in storage just in case there's a miracle that [Wildfire] comes back."
Since then, however, the cast and crew haven't said much about the show, content to move on to other projects. The recent surge in interest in Wildfire could very well get them intrigued in the old project, however.
Fans Petitioned Online For Wildfire Season 5
The Series Appeared On Netflix In May 2024
Wildfire dropped on Netflix in May 2024 and since then, the teen drama has seen a resurgence in popularity (via What'sOnNetflix). It's not completely unexpected considering that when the show was originally canceled, droves of fans came out in support of the series. The now defunct SaveWildfire.com was a petition site that sent truckloads of hay, cast iron horseshoes, apples, and nearly half a ton of carrots to the ABC Family studio in the hopes of getting the show renewed. ABC Family's media relations manager, Amy Maloney, was touched, saying,
"It is par for the course, in a sense that we've always known there is a strong fan base for the show… It's flattering. It's exciting."
That still wasn't enough to get the show renewed. However, in 2024, Wildfire was placed on Netflix and there's the opportunity for the series to catch a second-wind the way many older series have after appearing on streaming services. Arrested Development, Sex and the City, Gilmore Girls, and more all found fresh audiences and old ones returning when they appeared on streamers, often leading to renewals or feature-length adaptations. It's possible that with enough interest, Wildfire season 5 could have a release date on Netflix sometime soon.
- Creator(s)
- Michael Piller, Christopher Teague
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