Prison Break, one of Fox's most successful network television shows, was canceled twice. Here's why the show ended and a season 6 won't happen.
Prison Break ended in 2017 after five seasons on Fox Network, and a sixth season will unfortunately never happen. The series was a huge success for Fox, especially in the early seasons, and was one of the earliest shows to be widely binged on Netflix. Prison Break was one of the most thrilling shows on television, prompting some speculation as to the possibility of a sixth-season reboot.
The series did have a reboot, of sorts, with Prison Break season 5 coming out nine years after season 4. However, the reboot ended poorly, with Prison Break season 5 coming nowhere near the success its earlier seasons enjoyed. Prison Break attracted a massive fan base during its original four-season run, and despite season 5's failings, many were excited about the prospect of the series continuing. But a few things came into play that would mean that Prison Break would be canceled after season 5 and a sixth season would never come to fruition. So, what happened to Prison Break season 6 and should it have even come back after season 4?
Prison Break Was Originally Canceled Due To Creative Problems
Prison Break was initially canceled after season 4 because of creative problems, despite speculation that it was canceled due to its dip in ratings. Kevin Reilly, then president of Fox Network, told reporters at the time that the show had "played out," and that all the stories had been told. It seems Prison Break's writers initially felt that they had no logical place to take the series after Prison Break season 4 finished the arc of Prison Break's Fox River Eight.
But something clearly changed in the nine years after Prison Break season 4, leading Fox to renew the series for a fifth-season reboot. Prison Break season 5 turned out to be somewhat of a flop, however, so it seems creator Paul Scheuring and Fox president Kevin Reilly were right in their initial assessment of the show being played out. It is a common enough occurrence for a popular television series to run past its optimal length, so Prison Break's season 5 reboot is far from alone in this respect.
Prison Break Season 6 Was Planned - But Didn't Happen
Despite the struggles of Prison Break seasons 4 and 5, there were plans for Prison Break season 6, for a time. Those plans petered out, however, as Fox seemed to lose interest in the show. The final nail in Prison Break season 6's coffin came when Wentworth Miller, who plays one of Prison Break's main characters, Michael Scofield, ruled himself out of another season because of his desire to stop playing straight characters.
The fact that Prison Break almost returned for a sixth season after being canceled twice is a testament to how popular the show was. Fox must have felt, at least for a time, that there was still money to be made with the Prison Break franchise. The Prison Break audience had definitely thinned since its initial success though, and the show had very little chance of rebuilding its audience without Wentworth Miller starring as Michael Scofield.
Prison Break Should Have Never Come Back
With the benefit of hindsight, it seems Prison Break never should have come back after its initial cancelation. Renewing a show that has been off the air for so many years is a perilous strategy, especially because the death of Michael Scofield in Prison Break season 4 was probably the best way the show could have ended. Michael's death felt like the natural conclusion of his arc, and it put a huge hurdle in the way of Prison Break season 5. The show was forced to backtrack immediately and explain Michael's survival, which only served to hurt his character arc.
Moreover, Prison Break became extremely repetitive as the show went on. It became a cycle of breaking out just to get thrown back into a new prison. Each time Scofield and company broke out of prison, it seemed to mean less because it was obvious they would end up getting tossed back into imprisonment shortly after. Prison Break's concept just does not fit a five-season run because it's bound to continue repeating itself.
Prison Break is jammed full of unexpected turns, but eventually, it becomes too predictable to maintain its mystique. Considering Prison Break season 5 was already struggling with these issues, it's especially good that the show never went through with a sixth season. Luckily, Fox learned from its mistakes with Prison Break season 5 and ended up nixing the sixth season before it could lower the reputation of this smash-hit series.
More: 10 Reasons Why Prison Break Season 6 Is Impossible Without Michael Scofield
