Despite being a major ratings success why was Body Of Proof cancelled before it reached season 4? Body Of Proof is an ABC medical drama revolving around Dana Delany's Megan Hunt, a former neurosurgeon who becomes a medical examiner following a car accident. Turns out Hunt is something of a savant when it comes to examining bodies for evidence and passing her findings to the police, while she also works to make a relationship with the young daughter she barely knows.
Body Of Proof's concept feels inspired by House, especially in regards to having an unorthodox genius using their medical know-how to solve difficult cases, but Delany's casting and its focus on Hunt's personal life made it distinct. The series was originally dubbed Body Of Evidence but was later retitled, presumably to separate it from the 1993 erotic thriller of the same name starring Die Another Day's Madonna. While Delany was the undeniable star, Body Of Proof assembled a talented supporting cast around her, including Jeri Ryan, John Carroll Lynch and Jamie Bamber (Strike Back).
Body Of Proof went through something of a facelift from season 2 to season 3, including the death of a major character, a new love interest for Hunt being introduced and cast members like John Carroll Lynch departing. By the end of Body of Proof season 3 the show was ABC's third most-watched and had attracted a loyal fanbase, and its soft rebooting had gone down well with viewers. Despite this, ABC made the strange decision to cancel the show instead of greenlighting Body Of Proof season 4.
Why Body of Proof Was Cancelled
Body of Proof's cancellation remains somewhat of a mystery, especially given the relative success of its reworked season 3 (though of course it never came close to other medical and crime dramas like ABC's Grey's Anatomy or House). It could have been the fact that while Body of Proof season 3's ratings were fairly good, and in fact increased from its premiere to its finale, they never really came close to the success of season 1. Ultimately, Body Of Proof was replaced by Killer Woman, a show starring Tricia Helfer (Battlestar Galactica) that only lasted a season. The logic of canceling Body Of Proof, especially when most of the shows that filled its vacant slot failed, was brought up in a 2016 Deadline conversation with then-ABC Entertainment president Channing Dungey, who admitted “We have oft lamented the cancellation of Body of Proof, I’m not gonna lie. That was a good show for us, and it was sad to see it go."
Will Body of Proof Season 4 Ever Happen?
In the weeks that followed the show's 2013 cancellation there was talk of Body Of Proof season 4 moving to a cable network like TNT or Psych's USA Network, but nothing came of those discussions. While Body Of Proof season 3's reworking of the cast went over well with audiences, it's hard to imagine a season 4 that didn't include Dana Delany's Megan Hunt, so any attempts at continuing the series would likely have to include her. Given that it's been almost ten years since Body Of Proof was cancelled, the odds of a resurrection now seem low. In an era of reboots, however, it's not impossible that Body Of Proof season 4 could be revived or reinvented for a new network or platform, but there doesn't appear to be any push yet to bring it back.