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Efficient_Paper t1_j652ul9 wrote

It was cancelled after six seasons, which is the usual duration of actors' contracts.

Renewing it probably would have meant new contracts for the actors, which means the show would have become more expensive.

(This is just speculation, but that kind of stuff happens often.)

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WeDriftEternal t1_j65i3la wrote

Contracts are usually 5 seasons, not 6, but you renegotiate generally each season or so anyways. If the show is a success in s1, you renegotiate for your s2+, if season 2 is a success... and so on. Which means when you start getting to seasons 5+ things can get really expensive as you stated. Thats a big reason why shows often fizzle out in S4-6, ratings will be down and its just not worth it to up the expense side when the revenue side is declining

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Solidsnakeerection t1_j66v0ks wrote

Plus it was a syndicated show. By that point they probably felt they had enough episodes to keep making money from syndicating it

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dadindc84 t1_j67hqi1 wrote

They had enough but probably would have liked more. They wanted Kevin Sorbo to sign a contract for three more years of Hercules, but he had committed to the Andromeda series. So, they rushed an eight-episode final season before he became unavailable.

The successful Star Trek series of the time, TNG and DS9, ran for seven seasons in first-run syndication.

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