Gargoyles creator says OJ Simpson trial contributed to the show’s cancellation

We’re sorry to pick at old wounds for any Gargoyles fans who are still missing the beloved animated series, but co-creator Greg Weisman has just revealed something rather interesting. Apparently O.J. Simpson was a big contributing factor in why the series ended.

In an interview with Polygon, Weisman said: “The OJ Simpson trial meant we were constantly being preempted for trial coverage. Every day it ran, we were being preempted, and in any given city, people were missing episodes of Gargoyles, and falling out of the habit of watching it.”

The high-profile murder case was all the public cared to see throughout most of 1995, which left season two of Gargoyles – which aired daily all through September – not getting the viewing numbers it needed to stay afloat. The arrival of Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers also pushed the show to number two. “That show was a blockbuster,” Wesiman said, “Power Rangers was the big news and the home run. The viewership was fractured.”

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Perhaps there is hope in the future, though. As Gargoyles is delivering a huge dose of nostalgia on the streaming platform Disney Plus, Weisman remains optimistic that they might one day bring it back. “Gargoyles is still my baby,” he said. “I don’t own it. I don’t get a dime off of it being on Disney Plus. And yet I’m so thrilled that it is, I’m thrilled that it represents a chance — even if it’s a slim chance — to bring it back.”

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Millicent Thomas was once a freelance games and film journalist, writing for publications including GamesRadar, Total Film, Space.com, GamesIndustry.biz, Wireframe, Little White Lies, Culturess, SciFiNow, and more. She is now in international PR and marketing.