AMC has opted to cancel The
Killing for a second time, on Tuesday saying it would not to continue with
a fourth season of the mystery drama starring Mireille Enos and Joel Kinnaman.
"We have made the difficult decision not to move forward
with a fourth season of The Killing,"
said the network in a statement. "We want to thank our great partners at Fox
Television Studios, creator Veena Sud, an extraordinary cast and the dedicated
fans who watched."
AMC first canceled the drama in 2012 after two seasons,
before later resurrecting it once producer Fox Television Studios worked out afinancing deal with Netflix that saw the streaming service take on some of the
cost in exchange for episodes being available just three months after their
cable airing.
The third season premiered to 1.8 million viewers in June,
on par with its second season debut, dropping to 1.5 million viewers for its
two-hour finale on Aug. 4.
With the cancelation, AMC finds itself restocking its drama bench. Though the network has the monster hit The Walking Dead and solid performer in Hell on Wheels, only two episodes of Breaking Bad remain and Mad
Men will air its final season next year while Its newest entry Low Winter Sun drew just 1.1 million
viewers in its latest episode. Anticipating the coming shortage, AMC has already ordered two new period dramas, Halt & Catch Fire and Turn for 2014.
"Fox Television Studios is extremely proud of all three
seasons of The Killing," said the
studio in its own statement. "We're especially gratified to have orchestrated a
unique deal with AMC for season three that included a bold partnership with
Netflix. While we would have loved to produce a fourth season for AMC, FTVS is
immensely grateful to everyone involved with this moving series: our brilliant
cast, led by Mireille Enos, Joel Kinnaman and season three's Peter Sarsgaard,
our stellar executive producer, Veena Sud, a remarkable writing and producing
team, and a tireless, dedicated crew. Most of all, FTVS thanks the terrific
fans of The Killing, who communicated
their appreciation for the show throughout its run."
Deadline first reported the story.
