It’s been an interesting year for Hallmark with the premieres of The Way Home and Ride and countless feel-good movies.
Despite initially touting Ride as a success story, the cabler has quietly opted to part ways with the rodeo family drama.
Ride tells the story of a multigenerational family ensemble and follows the lives of the McMurrays, part of a rodeo dynasty going back a generation, as they struggle to keep their beloved ranch afloat.
“After a tragic loss, each character embarks on an empowering journey of transformation and self-discovery while also uncovering a twisted web of secrets, threatening to tear the family and their small Colorado town apart at the seams,” Hallmark teased in anticipation of the series debut.
Ride also had a decent cast that came from TV Fanatic fan-favorite series, so there was every indication it would be a success story.
The series starred Nancy Travis (Last Man Standing, The Kominsky Method), Tiera Skovbye (Riverdale, Nurses), and Beau Mirchoff (Good Trouble, Hidden Gems).
Rounding out the cast was Sara Garcia (The Flash, Reign), Jake Foy (Designated Survivor, A Little Daytime Drama), and Tyler Jacob Moore (Barry, Shameless).
A decision on a renewal was expected to be delayed amid the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes, but it’s unclear whether this decision was made long ago.
Sometimes, series fail to resonate with a network’s target audience and are discarded pretty quickly.
It happens more often than you’d think, but it doesn’t make it any less difficult.
Ride Season 1 Report Card
Ride kicked off on March 26, 2023, airing out of the well-watched finale of The Way Home.
Ride Season 1 Episode 1 drew 1.3 million viewers, a decent retention out of The Way Home’s 1.7 million viewers.
Unfortunately, the numbers never reached that level again, with the series averaging 1.04 million viewers and a 0.09 rating in the demo.
It’s worth noting that Ride Season 1 Episode 10 went out with a 0.13 rating in the demo, becoming the strongest episode of the series in that metric.
The Way Home, meanwhile, averaged 1.5 million viewers and had a robust digital footprint, triggering a speedy renewal.
Little is known about how Ride fared on digital platforms, but it doesn’t sound like it lassoed enough viewers to continue.
The on-air numbers weren’t bad, but the cabler probably expected much better.
Ride and The Way Home were Hallmark’s first scripted dramas in years, so expectations for both shows were probably higher than the network’s typical fare.
Ride Season 1 Episode 10 ended with many cliffhangers that sadly won’t be resolved now that Hallmark has opted to move in a different direction.
The cabler has not confirmed the cancellation, with it being revealed by Vulture.
Hallmark still has some scripted shows on its roster, including When Calls the Heart, which should probably think about wrapping up the recent season finale is anything to go by.
Fans appear ready to move on from the show due to creative decisions that are simply mind-numbing.
The Way Home Season 2: Everything We Know
Ride never really reached the quality of the other Hallmark series.
There was potential; given another season, it may have reached that level.
What are your thoughts on the cancellation?
Are you surprised?
Hit the comments below.
Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on X.