Syfy announced late yesterday that their apocalyptic series Dominion will not be coming back for a third season. I had thought that the show had a decent chance of getting renewed because even though its numbers were down from its first year, they were still in line with how the network has been performing in general of late. And the 0.3 rating that the show averaged based on the overnights for the 18-49 demographic was better than the 0.2 score that renewed shows Dark Matter, Killjoys, and 12 Monkeys averaged. But then those first two shows have a partnership deal with the Canadian Space Channel and the last one is probably a less costly entry. Dominion was likely on the more expensive side for Syfy and the network apparently did not have enough international financing and/or partnerships to help defer costs. These intangibles make it hard to make accurate predictions on the cable shows, especially the lower performing “ratings noise” entries. Partnerships/financing helps keep some shows alive but is insufficient or non-existent for others. For example, low-rated Stitchers received a renewal from ABC Family last Summer, but TNT was not as generous with equally low-rated Proof. Of course Dominion has a very vocal and dedicated fanbase, so I expect an immediate uproar and an attempt to try and get another network or one of the streaming services to pick up the show. We haven’t seen much success with that of late, but it never hurts to try. And with Dominion getting cancelled, that leaves very much in doubt the status of third year series Defiance. That was performing at the same ratings levels as Dominion and it does not have much in the way of international backing either that I am aware of. I would say that the chances of it also getting sent to the Network Executioner are pretty high at the moment.
Also announced yesterday, The CW has indicated that perennially low-rated series Beauty and the Beast will end after its fourth season. That show has survived through several low-rated seasons allegedly because it performs well in international syndication, and its last season and a half aired in the Summer months in an apparent attempt by The CW to try out scripted programming during that typically low-viewership time of year. But the series slipped to only a 0.2 rating average based on the overnights this past Summer and apparently the network decided that one more season will be enough (the fourth year renewal was announced before the third season debut). The last season (which will likely air in Summer 2016) will give the show the chance to wrap up its storylines and perhaps a decent enough episode count for a syndication run in the international market.
There are still more Summer shows awaiting word on their fate with ABC’s The Whispers and Syfy’s Defiance looking like likely candidates for cancellation and Wayward Pines currently up in the air. Keep an eye on this site and the Cancelled Sci Fi Twitter Site for any breaking news because I expect to hear word on these shows over the next week or so.
