Oprah Winfrey explains why OWN will not be picking up ‘Underground’

Jun 7, 2017

Underground is hoping to find a new home network after the show’s cancellation, but it looks like that network will not be the Oprah Winfrey Network.

Oprah herself explained to Soraya McDonald, a culture critic for The Undefeated, that the show simply had too high a price tag.

— ‘Underground’ cancelled after two seasons —

“I can’t afford Underground. It costs twice as much to make. As a matter of fact, my dear friend John Legend called me, but we’d already been talking for weeks about could we make it work, could we make it work. It’s like $5 million an episode — can’t afford it. It’s not cheap. And I think it’s because it’s a period piece,” she said.

“And also, it doesn’t have [the ratings] — I think the highest number I saw was like a 0.4 or something,” she continued. “It has the social media following, but it doesn’t have the numbers that can justify it as a business, for me, at this stage in my business, to spend $5 million an episode.”