Today’s announcement by FX doesn’t really come as a big surprise to most people.
The network announced today that it was cancelling the ambitious Kurt Sutter series The Bastard Executioner after just one season.
FX had high hopes for the series after the success of Sutter’s recently ended series Sons of Anarchy and their strong relationship with him. Those factors put the series on the fast track at the network.
The much hyped series debuted to a not so great 2.1 million viewers and a 0.8 rating in the 18-49 demographic. The ratings for subsequent episodes began to fall and several didn’t even break one million viewers.
In what is being called an unusual move, show creator Kurt Sutter and FX took out ads in several major trades to announce the series cancellation.
“The audience has spoken and, unfortunately, the word is ‘meh,’ Sutter wrote. “So with due respect, we bring our anthology to an epic and fiery close.”
**Main photo credit Ollie Upton/FX**