With FX’s hit series Sons of Anarchy continuing to draw in stellar ratings in its sixth season, creator and showrunner Kurt Sutter has spoken about the possibility of extending the show beyond his initial plan of seven seasons during ‘An Evening with Sons of Anarchy‘ event on Friday evening, reports Deadline.
“There’s so many factors that determine whether a show continues or not,” said Sutter. “I came up with the initial awareness that if this show was being done in sort of the same production model that The Shield was in – and I knew that The Shield had about seven seasons. And I knew that at that point the show ultimately begins to eat itself and becomes more expensive to make. So I thought if we could get a full run I could tell the story I wanted to tell in seven seasons. And I knew by the end of this season I’d have a sense of whether or not I’d be able to do that, and I still think I can. But look, I think if I got halfway through this season or at some point next season I felt like I couldn’t finish it, I’d probably be able to have a conversation with the network. … (But) I think after seven seasons I don’t know if we can maintain the rhythm and the pace that we’ve done, and I wouldn’t want to extend it and have it become something that it’s not. So my plan is still to finish it out in seven.”
Sons of Anarchy is the highest-rated programme in FX history, and its recent sixth season premiere drew in a record audience of 5.87 million viewers Stateside. The show centres on the Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club, Redwood Original (SAMCRO) and features the likes of Charlie Hunnam, Katey Sagal, Ron Perlman, Mark Boone Junior, Dayton Callie, Kim Coates, Tommy Flanagan, Theo Rossi, Maggie Siff, and Jimmy Smits.