TNT Ending 'The Closer'

TNT

TNT announced its long-running crime drama The Closer will end after the upcoming season.

“It’s impossible to fully express our appreciation to Kyra Sedgwick, series creator James Duff and all of the other talented people who brought The Closer to TNT viewers,” said Steve Koonin, president of Turner Entertainment Networks.  “The Closer was a pivotal series in setting a new course for TNT’s original programming, while also serving as a prime example of the storytelling strength possible on cable television.”

The Closer has been a massive game-changing hit for TNT since its launch in 2005. It's seventh and final season will air 15 episodes next year.

“I cannot fathom how difficult it will be to say goodbye to the incredible family we’ve created on The Closer,” Sedgwick said. “I will always be grateful to James Duff for his love and friendship, as well as for creating such a rich and complex character who I have loved living with year after year.  Mike, Greer, Rick and all of our outstanding cast and crew are forever in my heart.  I want to thank TNT and Warner Bros. Television, as well as the incredible fans of The Closer, for all of their unwavering support over the last seven years.”

This year, The Closer and TNT's latest procedural Rizzoli & Isles ranked as two of basic cable's most-watched shows of all time, both averaging more than 8 million viewers once DVR is added. But while The Closer continues to generate a large mass of viewers, most of them skew older than advertisers prefer. For example, this week's episode delivered 5.8 million viewers, but only a 1.0 rating in the adult demo. The show will surpass 100 episodes next year.