USA has confirmed what many assumed: the upcoming eighth season of “Royal Pains” will be its last.
Set to premiere May 18, the final season will feature eight episodes — including the show’s 100th installment.
“It’s with great sadness, but even greater thankfulness, that we prepare for our final summer sunsets as ROYAL PAINS comes to an end. We couldn’t have imagined a more talented and dedicated writers’ room, cast, or crew, and we couldn’t have asked for better partners than USA Network and Universal Cable Productions,” said creator and executive producer Andrew Lenchewski and executive producer Michael Rauch. “We want to thank Bonnie Hammer, Chris McCumber, Jeff Wachtel and every other member of our network and studio family for tirelessly supporting us over eight magical seasons, and more importantly, for giving us the opportunity to complete this series on our own terms. We’ll always have The Hamptons.”
In addition to confirming the length of the final season, USA set some plot and character expectations for the upcoming eight episodes:
— “After years in the Hamptons as everyone’s favorite concierge doctor, Hank (Feuerstein) must decide if his professional fulfillment equals his personal fulfillment. Evan (Paulo Costanzo) and Paige (Brooke D’Orsay) endure challenging marital decisions and must examine what family really means to them.”
— “A number of life events complicate Divya’s (Reshma Shetty) career aspirations. Jeremiah (Ben Shenkman) must choose between research and patient care; and just as Eddie (recurring guest star, Henry Winkler) has earned the trust of Hank and Evan, they discover he still has secrets that can rock their world. All the while, Boris (recurring guest star, Campbell Scott) makes a series of life-altering decisions that could change the group dynamic forever.”
— Characters returning this season include “Divya’s husband, Raj (Rupak Ginn), Mark’s on and off love interest Jill (Jill Flint), Libby (Meredith Hagner), and General William Collins (Bob Gunton). Additional prominent guest stars featured in the final season include Annie Potts, Teri Polo, Sebastian Roche, Dan Lauria, Constance Wu, Hal Linden, Ana Ortiz and Maria Dizzia.”
— Cloris Leachman and Christine Ebersole will guest in a special musical episode.
While a far cry from the numbers delivered during its prime, the seventh season of “Royal Pains” still posted respectable marks. The show averaged over 3 million live+7 viewers, with over 1 million falling in the key adults 18-49 demographic. 1.25 million were adults 25-54.