As Tom Kane continues to try to keep a grip on his city and life, the Boss TV series struggles to attract an audience. Will Boss be cancelled or renewed for a third season of Starz? That’s an even bigger challenge thank Kane’s.
Airing on Friday nights, Boss revolves around the Mayor of Chicago (Kelsey Grammer) who’s recently been diagnosed with a degenerative neurological disorder. Determined to remain in charge, he conceals the disease from everyone around him except his physician. The Starz TV show also features the talents of Connie Nielsen, Hannah Ware, Jeff Hephner, Kathleen Robertson, Troy Garity, Rotimi, Jonathan Groff, and Sanaa Lathan.
It’s no secret that the TV series struggled in its first season. Despite sporting some top talent, the viewers and ratings just weren’t there. Luckily for the cast and crew, the show was renewed for a second season weeks before the show even premiered. Had the cable channel waited to see how well Boss would perform before making a decision, it’s hard to believe we’d be seeing a second season now.
Last month, at The Television Critics Association press tour, Boss showrunner Farhad Safinia said, “I am completely aware of what the numbers are, and I’m heartbroken… It’s one of those things where you’d like more people to see what you’re doing… I do hope the audience comes to see it so we can tell the entire story. I think we just have to work on that assumption that we will get to do it.”
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The ratings were so low for the first season of Boss that they’re often very difficult to locate. We do know that Boss premiered last October to 659,000 viewers and by the middle of the run had fallen to 250,000.
Season two certainly hasn’t been bringing any better ratings. The August 24th installment drew just 229,000 viewers and the season has averaged only 310,000. Earlier this year, the second season of Spartacus averaged 1.35 million on Friday nights in the same timelot.
It seems highly unlikely that Starz will be bringing back Boss for a third season. These numbers are just incredibly small for an expensive scripted drama.
On the positive side, Safinia has indicated that they plot each season like a movie so that each has a beginning, middle, and end. While it’s very likely that Boss will be cancelled, at least the show’s loyal viewers will be given at least some kind of resolution by the end of the season. Season two wraps on October 19th.
What do you think? Do you like the Boss TV series? Why do you think it hasn’t caught on with a bigger audience? Should it be renewed for a third season or cancelled?
Best show on TV –hands down. I need ti have another season. Story lines and characters are great!!
Outstqanding show. It never received enough publicity. We stumbled on it by accident and couldn’t get enough of it. Had to watch repeats because it was hard to find.
Plot, cast are fantastic. Hope there is a chance with more publicity that it will come back.
It seems in recent years all of the quality productions lose out in favour of ‘fluff’. What does this say about us as human beings? Do we really want to be mind-numbed by the latest greatest ‘reality’ contest in which presumably real people and their intertwined lives are being staged by producers, or do we want to be engaged and challenged with complex plot lines, compelling characters and superb writing, directing and producing. I suppose we have our answer….
I am an Australian viewer heartbroken about the news that there is to be no third season. I love Boss. I want to know who killed Ezra Stone, who killed the candidate’s partner/adviser and what Kane and Emma will do about the recently emerged son. Not fair!!!
No for Sunday’s. Homeland would really kill it. There is nothing to watch on Wednesday or Thursday. Please give me something to watch.
Just watched season 2 finale on demand. This is an absolutely spectacular show. One of the most compelling and gritty dramas I’ve ever seen (and I’m an avid tv watcher). This show needed a better time slot. It also needs to be screened on another (non-premium) network. I’ve only been able to see it by visiting friends who subscribe to Starz. It needs a Walking Dead style airing schedule — to be repeated multiple times, and on a network that doesn’t require subscription (or doesn’t require specialty subscription). This can work for Starz, but it won’t bring new subscribers to… Read more »
Boss is brilliant! It needs to be moved to Sunday night in late fall or winter when the business class is much more likely to be watching TV. Boss’ core audience type is usually out doing something on a late summer Friday night. Give the show a better slot and it will thrive.
One of the best dramas for long long time, can’t quite believe it didn’t catch on, hope it’s given another chance!!!! Why must we put up with reality crap and lose shows like this??
It’s a great show. Airs in Canada under super channel and that’s $15/month for only two shows that are worth it which are Boss and Sons of Anarchy
Friday night for a cable series is a tough sell. Why can Starz place it on Sundays? With heavy promotion, it can steal Homeland’s viewers.
Shop it to another network? FX? AMC?
This series needs at least a third season, just another 8 episodes for closure
This show is amazing, I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!! PLEASE DON’T CANCEL IT!!!!!!!! Move to another
A third season and more would be great. Watch it on cable in Australia and love it. Great characters, great actors, tight writing, fantastic.
Please Starz do a deal with another network if you need to.
Please renew the show. I really enjoy it, although I find the sex a little to graphic and likely to turn viewers away.
I LOOOOOOOOOOOVE Boss!!!!! I can’t understand why a show of this magnitude doesn’t have better ratings. As others have pointed out, maybe they should move it to another network (free). I don’t have cable as it’s one of those unnecessary bills that I do not need, but I do catch up with the episodes online. Boss is too good to be cancelled, yet we are inundated with countless/useless stupid reality shows (none of which I look at anyway). Move Boss to another network and promote/market it better. Do something to keep the show on the air for a few more… Read more »
Yes the promotion was terrible …. I just happened to stumble upon an episode while flipping the channel 3 weeks ago and I wondered what it was . After I watched that one episode I went in the library and caught up on last seasons . Before work 1 episode , and after work another one . I had never heard of this before , and now I am addicted . There has to be another season .