In June 2018, Freeform canceled the series after three seasons, but ordered two extra episodes to properly conclude the series' story the second half of the third season premiered on February 25, 2019, with 12 episodes ordered. In April 2017, Freeform renewed the show for a third season of 20 episodes, which premiered on March 20, 2018. Todd Slavkin and Darren Swimmer were named as Decter's replacements. In August 2016, showrunner Ed Decter left the series over "creative differences". In March 2016, the series was renewed for a second season of 20 episodes, which premiered on January 2, 2017. The show received numerous award nominations, winning one GLAAD Award, six Teen Choice Awards and five People's Choice Awards.
The pilot episode attracted the largest audience for Freeform in more than two years. The debut season of Shadowhunters received mixed responses from critics. It is the second adaptation of the novel series, after the 2013 film The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, which, like the series, was produced by Constantin Film, and serve as a reboot. Primarily filmed in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, the series follows Clary Fray ( Katherine McNamara), who finds out on her eighteenth birthday that she is not who she thinks she is, but rather comes from a long line of Shadowhunters, human-angel hybrids who hunt down demons, and has to deal with the struggle of forbidden love. It premiered in North America on Freeform on January 12, 2016. Shadowhunters (titled onscreen as Shadowhunters: The Mortal Instruments) is an American supernatural drama television series developed by Ed Decter, based on the book series The Mortal Instruments written by Cassandra Clare.