Already delayed because of fears its premise would prove unsettling to viewers in light of the recent spate of shootings in the U.S., the USA Network has decided to remove “Shooter” from the summer schedule entirely following this weekend’s shooting in Baton Rouge, which claimed the lives of three police officers.
“Shooter” stars Ryan Phillippe as a U.S. war veteran, a top sharpshooter, who is wrongly accused of a crime and forced to go on the run while attempting to clear his name. The series (based on the Mark Wahlberg movie of the same name) was slated to premiere in July 19, but was initially pushed back to July 26, reports The Hollywood Reporter.
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“After further consideration, USA Network, Paramount TV and Universal Cable Productions have decided to move the premiere of Shooter to the fall,” said the network in a statement. No premiere date has yet been set.
With sources telling Deadline it was “just not the right time” to debut the show, this latest announcement follows the network’s previous statement announcing the show’s delay: “In light of recent tragic events and out of respect for the victims, their families and our viewers, we have decided to postpone the premiere date for the upcoming USA Network series Shooter to July 26.”
Last year, USA faced a similar dilemma when it delayed the launch of “Mr. Robot” after a former employee of a Virginia TV station murdered a reporter and photographer while they were broadcasting live on television, with the series featuring an eerily similar live TV shooting in its storyline. More recently, TNT delayed the third season premiere of “The Last Ship” in the wake of the Orlando nightclub shooting, due to a scene in the episode in which a gunman opens fire in a crowded nightclub.
