MTV is saying farewell to Awkward.
The Viacom-owned cable network has renewed the comedy starring Ashley Rickards for a fifth and final season, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
While an exact episode count has not yet been determined, season five will likely be split in two runs like its third and fourth runs.
In its fourth season — the first under new showrunners Mike Chessler and Chris Albergheni — the high school-set comedy is averaging 1.19 million total viewers. That’s down about 100,000 viewers compared with season three, Awkward‘s last with showrunner/creator Lauren Iungerich.
MTV gave an early vote of confidence to Chessler and Alberghini in November, picking up Awkward for a 10-episode back-order ahead of its fourth-season bow. The duo took over for Iungerich after production wrapped on season three and she parted ways with the series in a mutual split with the cable network.
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Critics have found Awkward to be a different show without Iungerich. “For a show that was once committed to being about something, Awkward’s fourth season has ping-ponged from storyline to storyline with no particular interest in stopping to reflect on the big picture,” the AV Club’s Myles McNutt wrote after June’s midseason finale. “Whereas I started the season cautiously optimistic and open to the show finding a different version of itself that could sustain the basic principles of what made it work, after 10 episodes I feel confident saying Awkward has devolved instead to a shoddily constructed show about nothing, featuring characters that deserve better.”
During its run, Awkward has won a People’s Choice Award for favorite cable comedy and saw co-star Beau Mirchoff take home a Teen Choice Award for breakout TV star. Molly Tarlov, Jillian Rose Reed, Brett Davern, Nikki DeLoach, Desi Lydic, Greer Grammer and Mike Faiola co-star.
MTV’s move to end Awkward comes as the cabler this year doubled its original scripted offerings with comedies Happyland and Faking It as well as dramas Eye Candy, Finding Carter and veteran Teen Wolf. The cabler also has a high-profile straight-to-series Shannara adaptation in the works as well as fellow drama Scream and comedies Ken Jeong Made Me Do It and Self Promotion.
The second half of Awkward‘s fourth season currently airs on Tuesdays at 10 p.m.
Email: Lesley.Goldberg@THR.com
Twitter: @Snoodit
