It’s been a year since the second season of Fox‘s hit crime thriller Accused aired, but there have been no concrete updates about Season 3. The only comments made were after Season 2, when Fox Television’s president, Michael Thorn, said that Fox had not renewed the show, but it was not cancelled either. Howard Gordon served as the showrunner of the anthology series, which told a new story in each episode. He recently revisited the show in an interview and revealed that Fox had not yet ordered another season, but he’s ready to deliver if the network asks. “Michael Thorn is an old and good friend. I said, look, if you need it, it’s one of those shows that could be jump-started pretty quickly because it’s an anthology. It’s always a new cast, you could do six of them, eight, you could do 12,” Gordon said.
While Accused Season 1 was an instant hit, Season 2 did not receive the same acclaim and suffered in viewership. “I’d be open to it, but I really feel like we did that show. I was proud of it,” the showrunner said, but he noted that the reception was not encouraging. “I’ll be honest with you, I thought it would get more viewers, or even more critical response than it seems to have gotten. I was a little disappointed and surprised, but you move on. I felt very good about it, myself and the team, we had a great time doing it. All you can control is the experience you have, and it was a great experience.”
Is ‘Accused’ Ever Returning for Season 3?
Fox held off on renewing the series because its anthology format gives the network some flexibility. “We love the show and Howard Gordon. As you know, it’s anthological, which means it doesn’t have the same timetable on renewals as shows that have locked casts,” he said during the network’s pre-upfront press call in May 2025. “And so right now, we’re talking with Howard if there’s an opportunity down the line to eventize a return, something that can really work for us and Howard, we’d love to do it. Right now, there’s no plan but there could be down the line,” he added. Based on Gordon’s comments, those plans are yet to materialize.
Fox describes Accused as “a collection of intense, topical and human stories of crime and punishment. Each episode is a fast-paced, provocative thriller, exploring a different crime, in a different city, with an entirely original cast. Based on the BBC’s BAFTA-winning crime anthology, each episode opens in a courtroom on the defendant, with viewers knowing nothing about their crime or how they ended up on trial. Told from the defendant’s point of view through flashbacks, the show holds a mirror up to current times with evocative and emotional stories. In the end, audiences will discover how an ordinary person gets caught up in extraordinary circumstances and how one impulsive decision can impact the course of their life, and the lives of others, forever.”
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