All American Showrunner Teases Season 8 Plans

The possibility of All American season 8 gets addressed by executive producer Nkechi Okoro Carroll. The long-running sports drama has returned to The CW with All American season 7, but it looks a little different from what audiences have come to expect. Though they are still going to make guest appearances, several original cast members have exited. New characters have been introduced to fill the void, serving as a way of rebooting the series.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Carroll was asked whether she sees All American continuing into season 8. The executive producer shared that there is optimism that the series will be renewed, adding that it's partly why a new generation of characters was introduced. In the quote below, Carroll talks about wanting to bring the focus back to the high school years and hopes that the audience will give the new cast a chance:

Listen, we’ve got plenty of stories to tell. We are hopeful for an eighth season. It’s why we introduced this new generation and sort of did a reset and took it back to the high stakes of high school football and high school love and all of that. My host producer hit me up, and he was like, “uh, so I just watched the first episode,” and I was like, “oh, my God, wait, don’t —” I was so worried he was about to be like, “we’ve got a problem,” but he was like, “I’m in love, I’m in awe, I’m excited” — and he’s been here since season one. So I was like, “phew,” and then I finally got the director’s cut and was able to watch it.
I’m so invested in these kids. I’m invested in Jordan and Layla’s marriage. I’m invested in Coop and these new friends she’s making. I’m so invested in the love triangles. I’m back to throwing my shoe at my TV and yelling at all the characters, so our hope is that our amazing, wonderful fans who’ve been so loyal and great over the last six seasons will give this new cast a chance as well because they truly are special

What The New Cast Means For All American's Future

It's A Fresh Start

Nathaniel Logan McIntyre and Alexis Chikaeze in All American season 7

By the end of All American season 6, Samantha Logan (Olivia), Cody Christian (Asher), Karimah Westbrook (Grace), Monét Mazur (Laura), and Chelsea Tavares (Patience) had all been confirmed to exit The CW as series regulars. That's along with Daniel Ezra, the former lead star, who plays Spencer James. Most are still going to be making guest appearances, with their departures coming down to changes in the show's budget and the fact that their stories had reached a natural conclusion. Spencer and Olivia, for instance, got married and moved to New York.

Looking ahead to the show's future, as All American moves away from its true story origins, the hit drama has brought in three key new characters: KJ Jeremy (Nathaniel McIntyre), Cassius Jeremy (Osy Ikhile), and Khalil Edwards (Antonio J. Bell). The trio echoes the original's premise in some way, whether leaning into a father-son dynamic, as with KJ and Coach Jeremy or simply showing how Khalil finds his way as a high school student. There are also the remaining originals, Jordan Baker (Michael Evans Behling), Layla Keating (Greta Onieogou), and Coop (Bre-Z), who carry the show's history with them.

Doing a reboot within the show itself, rather than a spinoff, is tricky to pull off. A spinoff offers a clean break while keeping things under the All American name may alienate viewers. But as Carroll says, if audiences warm to the new characters, then it speaks well of the show and potentially the staying power for All American season 8 and beyond.

Our Take On The Chances Of All American Season 8

Keep An Eye On The Ratings

Continuing a long-running show with newer cast members is one way of potentially keeping the show's budget under a certain level. That may make it more attractive to The CW. The network, once known for its young adult series of all stripes, has almost entirely moved away from that identity under the leadership of Nexstar in favor of rebranding and lower-cost programming. All American is a remnant of a former era and every renewal will come as a bit of a surprise. That makes the ratings crucial to watch for.

All American season 7 airs Mondays at 8 PM ET on The CW.

Source: THR