For Chandler Kinney, the “Pretty Little Liars” reboot cancellation is still fresh.
After two seasons on Max, the spinoff of the ABC Family hit was canceled by the streamer Sept. 20. The “Dancing With the Stars” breakout star told TheWrap that she and her castmates struggled to find their niche in the young adult genre on Max.
“This is really not even a hot take. Max doesn’t have as many YA shows or shows with a target demographic of young adults,” Kinney told TheWrap that shows like hers and “Sex Lives of College Girls” were in a lane of their own on the streamer. “We as a cast felt that we were always navigating that and trying to find our fit over the last couple years.”
The “Zombies” actress said in an Instagram post following the cancellation that the “Pretty Little Liars” spinoff “didn’t deserve this fate” and that the decision did not properly reflect the show’s ratings and reception.
“It’s so funny. When I wrote that – I have gotten a lot of comments about it – and I didn’t even think twice about it, because I think it’s just factual,” Kinney told TheWrap.
“If you look at the numbers and the statistics, the decision is a bit confusing,” she added. “That’s just frustrating, but I really think it’s like basic math.”
Max has not formally released data on the show’s viewership performance to the public. However, both “Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin” and “Summer School” received a 90% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
“But I understand what happened. In a post double strike industry where there’s less funds and people are clinging on to their original projects that they’ve had long term, I can see how that all shook out,” Kinney said.
Kinney currently stars on season 33 of “Dancing With the Stars.” She and her partner Brandon Armstrong are frontrunners this season, earning the top scores on the first three weeks of the competition.
While she said she is still processing the end of her PLL run, the star hinted that she has several exciting projects on the horizon, which could include being on the road with the cast of “Dancing With the Stars” or “Zombies” in 2025.
Both “Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin” and “Pretty Little Liars: Summer School” are available to stream on Max.
