'Hart of Dixie' season 5 renewal not happening despite online petition

Hart of DixieThe CW

Fans of "Hart of Dixie" were probably dismayed when The CW officially confirmed that the show is not getting renewed for a fifth season. According to a report from the Master Herald, the network's announcement douses all hope for the show coming back one more time, and it is reportedly not because of poor ratings. 

According to the report, actress Jamie King stated that the viewer ratings for "Hart of Dixie" were doing just fine and that the real reason the show was not renewed for another run is because lead actress Rachel Bilson has chosen not to return. However, The CW president Mark Pedowitz stated that the final ratings for season 4 have not yet been studied. 

This means that it is possible that the ratings might have had a part in the show's cancellation. However, even if ratings weren't the problem, the show can't continue if Bilson isn't coming back. Her character is, after all, the main focus of the show.  

The report explained that Bilson wants to focus on being a mother to her newborn baby with her long-time boyfriend, actor Hayden Christensen. King confirmed via the Master Herald report that the actress did indeed leave for vacation and this ended all hopes for the show to go on. 

Despite the show's cancellation, the showrunners were able to give the series the ending that it deserves. The season 4 finale ended on a high note for the characters: Lemon and Lavon got married and so did Zoe and Wade. AnnaBeth and George chose to pursue their relationship and all loose plot points were addressed. 

However, some fans still want more. There is an online petition on Change.org currently aiming to bring the show back. As of the time of writing, there are over 9,000 signatures with a target goal of 25,000. However, according to Master Herald, the petition may not have much of a say since the lead actress herself no longer intends on returning.