The TV series 'Shades Of Blue' got its start on NBC back in 2016. The cast featured some huge stars, including Jennifer Lopez at the helm of the spotlight, alongside Ray Liotta. Ultimately, the show lasted three seasons and a total of 36 episodes. J-Lo admitted with Cinema Blend that despite its abrupt end, she could've continued on with the character, "I really loved this character and could have done it another couple of years, easily. They would have. But it was time. This character of all the characters I've played is probably my favorite. And one that affected me the most. Permeated my soul. She was so complex and deep down a good person that was so playing outside the lines of morality and her own ethics and integrity and really struggling all the time. That struggle is something we all go through and it made me examine my own struggles and my own life and help me grow."
Liotta himself made mention that he was confused by the show getting canceled, "What usually happened is the show would go on air and... they (network bosses) would wait to see what the ratings are, they like the ratings, then we're good again, but I'm not sure what happened here."
Ultimately, it was the star of the show herself J-Lo, that played a major hand in ending the show.
Time To Move On
There certainly is a bit of confusion when it comes to the cancellation of the show. The cast itself was very much into it, and the show was doing just fine. But according to J-Lo, she felt as though the time had come to end the show and move on, "It's time to move on and we always knew this would have a finite run. When we got to the third season, I was like, 'I think we're done with this.' And the way the season ends, I think this is it."
Others among the cast didn't feel the same way. Liotta himself stated he would've loved to have additional seasons and basically blamed the end of the show on Lopez's hectic schedule, "I loved doing the show. I’m really going to miss the character, and I think Jennifer’s messed up for not wanting to do it,” Liotta said, before clarifying his comment. “No, no — the only reason [she wants to leave] is because the dance show [can be as long as] two hours [per episode] and the series is a lot of work. It’s really hard. I really loved this character and could have done it another couple of years, easily."
Clearly, some of the cast members weren't ready to say goodbye. However, at the end of the day, J-Lo's hectic schedule and her need to move on from the project played a crucial role in its abrupt end.
Sources: Cinema Blend, Aces Showbiz & Indie Wire