ABC cancels 'Designated Survivor,' 'Quantico'; 'S.H.I.E.L.D.' could resurface

Gary Levin | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption ABC cancels 'Quantico,' 'Designated Survivor' ABC has canceled dramas Quantico and Designated Survivor, EW has learned.

ABC is dropping Designated Survivor, Kiefer Sutherland's series about a low-level Cabinet member who becomes president after a terrorist attack on the Capitol, after two seasons.

Also gone: Quantico, which stars Priyanka Chopra as an FBI trainee framed for a bombing attack, after three seasons (its current season, which premiered last month, will continue to air through mid-July). They join Deception, a drama about a magician who helps fight crime; podcaster comedy Alex Inc.; and serialized thriller The Crossing on ABC's ash heap. Other long-gone series include Kevin (Probably) Saves the World, The Mayor, Ten Days in the Valley and Marvel's Inhumans.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is awaiting a new deal with Marvel for an ABC renewal. ABC declined comment on its status, but did not include it among a list of renewed shows.

Designated had a hot start in fall 2016 and remains one of the most time-shifted series on TV. But a long winter break, and storylines that leaned too heavily on the terrorist plot and too little on its characters for ABC's tastes, led the series to bleed viewers. It still ranked second, behind NBC's Timeless, among voters in USA TODAY's Save Our Shows poll. Its series finale airs Wednesday.

More: Which network TV series are returning, nearly dead or in limbo? Check out the complete list

Quantico never turned into the hit ABC had hoped, but it marked a discovery by American audiences of Chopra, a popular Indian actress. Its belated return on April 26 marked a nearly 12-month gap between seasons.