‘All American: Homecoming’: Peyton Alex Smith & Kelly Jenrette Not Returning As Series Regulars For Season 3 Amid Budget Cuts
EXCLUSIVE: The bulk of All American: Homecoming Season 2 cast will be back as series regulars in the upcoming third season. Returning as full-fledged series regulars will be series star Geffri Maya as well as Sylvester Powell, Netta Walker and Mitchell Edwards. Also back as series regulars but on reduced episodic guarantees will be Cory Hardrict and Rhoyle Ivy King, which means that they will likely be in fewer episodes.
All American: Homecoming‘s original male lead Peyton Alex Smith and Kelly Jenrette will not continue as series regulars, but will likely recur next season, I hear. Jenrette, with her team, made the decision to recur rather than opt for a return as a series regular on reduced episodic guarantees.
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The status of Camille Hyde, who portrays Thea Mays, is TBD for now.
As Deadline reported earlier this month, the renewals of Superman & Lois and All American: Homecoming by the CW came with significant budget cuts that included reducing the number of series-regular cast members. For Superman & Lois, only four of the series’ twelve Season 3 series regulars are staying on in that capacity next season.
Following the acquisition of the CW, the new owners unveiled their plans to make the network profitable by switching to lower-cost — largely acquired and co-productions — scripted programming and warned that most of the existing CW scripted series won’t make it as they are more expensive than what the new model calls for.
Flagship All American‘s renewal for next season was included in Nexstar’s deal to acquire the CW, and the network also picked up the highly watched Walker, which is produced efficiently. All other scripted shows were canceled with the exception of Superman & Lois and All American: Homecoming, which were able to secure renewals after major budget cuts.
Cast reductions have become the norm amid industrywide belt-tightening and declining linear ratings. As Deadline reported recently, WBTV only picked up Bob ❤️ Abishola leads Billy Gardell and Folake Olowofoyeku as series regulars for next season after the license fee of the CBS comedy series was cut; the rest of the actors were offered to continue as recurring. Most of the actors on Wolf Entertainment’s NBC drama series are getting their episodic guarantees reduced for next season. (That is a way to save money by committing to pay series regulars for fewer episodes than the full season.) And CBS renewed veteran drama Blue Bloods for a 14th season after the cast agreed to a 25% pay cut.
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