Even the Gods can fall to the Nielsens as Starz’s fantasy series American Gods–based on the Niel Gaiman novel of the same name–has been cancelled after three seasons. The news does not come as a big surprise seeing as its numbers have been down notably in its third year, averaging only a 0.04 score (four one-hundredths of a ratings point), and I have had it On the Bubble since early in the season. And while the premium cable networks do not pay as much attention to the same-day ratings since they are not beholden to advertisers, those act as a leading indicator of audience interest, and the viewership has been down by 65% from the prior season. The network gave the usual “everyone at Starz is grateful to the dedicated cast and crew” statement, but this show has had a troubled history since it first debuted in 2017. Original showrunners Bryan Fuller and Michael Green departed after the first season due to “creative differences” and several cast members followed including Gillian Anderson and Kristin Chenoweth. Yet another showrunner was brought in after the second season ended and Orlando Jones was fired which lead to a media backlash. The show has also experienced frequent production delays that have resulted in a gap of two years between seasons.
According to Deadline, there are talks that a final movie could happen to provide more of a resolution than the cliffhanger upon which the show ended. The third season finale brought the show close to the point where the original novel ended, and a two-hour movie could be enough to wrap up the storylines. American Gods is an expensive production, though, so it is uncertain if Starz will be willing to shell out the money to make that happen. However, A more adequate finale would make the series more attractive to the streaming market as a binge-worthy entry, so the network does have some incentive to give it a satisfying ending. Fans should take this as a rallying cry and make a Call to Action on the social networks demanding at least a two-hour movie for the series. With enough support, that could nudge the network execs in the direction of greenlighting a series finale.
American Gods follows Shadow Moon who is released early from prison after his wife dies and who meets the mysterious character who calls himself Mr. Wednesday. He learns that the gods of old are still living in America, though mostly in squalor, and are preparing for a war with the new gods of technology, media, globalism, and more. It stars Ricky Whittle, Emily Browning, Crispin Glover, Bruce Langley, Ian McShane, Orlando Jones, and Gillan Anderson and Neil Gaiman is onboard as executive producer.
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Firing Orlando Jones “Mr. Nancy” was an incredibly stupid mistake and I personally cancelled Starz as a result. So ohhh well about the series…