Coming as no surprise, Cinemax announced yesterday that its horror series Outcast, based on the Robert Kirkman comic of the same name, has been cancelled. That show debuted on the premium cable channel in Summer of 2016, but it never managed to find much of an audience nor garner much critical acclaim. The network won the series in a bidding war and decided to go ahead and greenlight a second season before the first even aired. But after the show only managed to average a 0.06 (six one-hundredths of a ratings point) in its first year, the network apparently lost faith in the show, especially considering that it was expensive to produce. The second season aired internationally in Spring of 2017 but Cinemax did not air it in the States until this past Summer. By that time, the actors’ contracts had expired and it definitely looked like a dead show walking. Network exec Kary Antholis had said about the second season: “In success, we left open the possibility that we could have a conversation about figuring out a way to bring it back”. But it barely registered with the Nielsen’s during its Summer run, averaging only a 0.03 rating. I had already assumed the show was cancelled and was thinking that the network would let it fade into the TV Wasteland without any further word. But Cinemax did go ahead and announce the cancellation.
Outcast follows a man who was plagued by possessions as a child and who now seeks answers to these demonic visitations as an adult. But the truth that he uncovers could reveal a dire fate for the human race. It stars Patrick Fugit, Philip Glenister, Wrenn Schmidt, and Julia Crockett and is executive produced by Robert Kirkman.
The Fall season has just started, but we still have several shows from the Summer awaiting word on their fate and we could start hearing some early news on the new shows. You can see the full Fall schedule of sci fi and fantasy shows at this link and you can get the full rundown of the line-up with our Fall TV Preview. And be sure to stay tuned to this site and the Cancelled Sci Fi Twitter Site for the latest ratings results and breaking news.
