Days after cancelling fantasy drama Dominion, Syfy has cancelled sci-fi series Defiance. Our page of Defiance‘s season three ratings tells most of the story. Defiance lost viewers from season to season. For season one, Defiance averaged 0.7 in the 18-49 demographic and 2.09 million viewers. Season two averages were 0.46 in the demo and 1.56 million viewers. Compare those to season three: 0.25 in the demo and 1.13 million viewers.
Defiance is set in the year 2046. It’s a new Earth and there are new rules. It’s been more than 30 years since various alien races started arriving on our world. The landscape has been completely altered — terraformed nearly beyond recognition. The Defiance cast includes: Grant Bowler, Julie Benz, Stephanie Leonidas, Jaime Murray, Tony Curran, Graham Greene, Mia Kirshner, and Fionnula Flanagan.
Deadline reports:
Defiance was a big financial investment and a content experiment for Syfy; it was developed in a partnership with Trion Worlds as a convergence of television and online gaming. After a solid ratings start, the show has been sliding, with its most recent third season averaging 1.1 million viewers in Live+same day, down 28% from Season 2. Still, Defiance qualified as Syfy’s most watched drama series this year, making its cancelation clearly a financial decision. […]
From Variety:
Drama vet Kevin Murphy served as exec producer and showrunner of of “Defiance,” which wrapped its 13-episode third season late this summer.
“I got to collaborate with a group of stunning artists operating at the top of their game, and together we built a world. Because of that, there is no room for anything other than joy in my heart,” Murphy said.
In a statement, Syfy commented: “‘Defiance’ was a truly groundbreaking series, delivering an immersive, cross-platform experience that transcended the television screen in a way that viewers had never seen before. We are incredibly proud of the work of the extraordinary cast, writers, artists and designers — and especially showrunner Kevin Murphy — who together brought the rich world of ‘Defiance’ to life over its three season arc.”
Defiance marks Syfy’s fifth recent cancelled or ended show. Add it to the list with Dominion, Haven, Lost Girl and Continuum.
What do you think? Did you watch Syfy’s Defiance? Do you play the online game? Do you think the Defiance TV series should have been cancelled? Would you have watched a fourth season?
Please resurrect Defiance TV series. Best show and top notch Actors!!!
not happy you guys Cancelled defiance i would love to see season four i loved the Defiance tv show and the game why do you cancel good tv shows syfy???
im super super bummed defiance got cancelled. and also agree with sal about syfy canceling great shows out of nowhere. i too am hesitant now to start any other syfy series
I agree with Sal. I was addicted to Defiance and Dominion. Both were extremely good series and they don’t warrant discontinuation by SyFy. Both series were left with cliffhangers! Do the decent thing, complete both series to a final conclusion and honour the viewers wishes.
I am really getting tired of SYFY constantly canceling shows without warning or at least having a decent series finale. I really love the shows on this channel but I am constantly getting disappointed. Even if viewership drops off, remaining, dedicated fans deserve a lot more from this network. I am becoming more and more hesitant about starting any new shows on SYFY because of their track record for abruptly ending shows and leaving you hanging. What is wrong with at least coming back with one two hour finale to wrap up the plot for serious fans?
I am very disappointed with the SYFY Channels decision to cancel the series ‘Defiance’. It was the best “Alien Invasion turned intraspecies coexistence” since the last episode of ‘Battlestar Galactica”. It was smartly written, the characters bold and recognizable, the plot line both intriguing and easy to follow. I loved this show. With the cancelation of this and several other promising shows because of “budget” or “poor viewership”, I ask, what do you expect? You’re the SYFY Channel, a niche cable channel. Only true Science Fiction fans are going to watch and follow these really good shows. I’m so tired… Read more »
Defiance and Dominion were two of my favorate series . So looked forward to the next seasons only to be greatly disappointed to learn both had been canceled. Why couldn’t they end both series with a 2 hour movie to give fans closure. Haven’t watched SciFy since except for an occasional movie.( used to watch Warehouse 13 and Being Human till both ended)
Ticked off at NBC for canceling Resurrection and “V” as well leaving all the fans hanging.
I began watching Defiance by-chance and become a die-hard fan. After season three I could not wait for four…Now I learn it is SyFy’s habit to drop shows like HBO but you are not HBO. I also started watching Haven… I have taken to watching Dark Matter and Killjoys while waiting for Defiance–no more. I have come to realize SyFy is my character-flaw that you just cured
Defiance was an amazing show, not just a great game. The problem is, cable and/or TV service that provides Syfy is expensive – we can barely afford it as it is, and only do so b/c of shows like that! They take great shows like Defiance, Lost Girl, and other’s, cancel them b/c they think they aren’t “doing well”…take into consideration that you send them to Netflix and Amazon, which people can afford to do more, and they will be watched there with fervor! Instead of cancelling great shows, and replacing them with crap like “sharknado” movies, etc – try… Read more »
It’s May of 2016 and I still miss Defiance. There was such a variety of actors and characters, as well as story lines, that the show was always enjoyable. I never missed a show.
In reminiscing with a friend about the best SyFy shows, Defiance came to mind first. It’s such a shame that TV shows seem to not last long anymore. I understand that ratings are important, but everyone I know used to watch this show.
Loved the show along with fallen skys. not many really good sy fy shows on any more. the show had some teeth and took a good bite, sorry to have to see it go.. but they all go sooner or later. at least they ended the show on a good note, fallen skys i think hurry up the ending and was moving way to fast , lost a lot of actors the last season. but still had a good ending and ended on a grate note. babylon 5 started out weak, but gots it first breath and took off, one… Read more »
At least they had a good ending in the season 3 finale. One could end the story there.
Add Defiance to Dominion, Helix, Warehouse 13, Haven, Lost Girl, and Continuum and the page has turned at the SyFy channel.
This is so unfortunate. We don’t count as viewers because we do not have cable or satellite and watch Defiance-and everything else obviously-on Netflix or Amazon. Maybe the problem is how ratings are determined since a lot of gamers and young viewers forgo the insanely expensive cable/sat route.
My wife & I are both extremely disappointed to learn that Defiance has been canceled!! We watched it from the beginning, and never missed an episode. (Using DVR much of the time.) The stories were well written, and the actors did a first rate job of developing the characters. The concept was truly unique, an increasingly rare thing among the rehashes and low-budget reality shows that infest TV today and attempt to pass as entertainment. (FYI, that’s what we’re NOT watching!) There was enough material for years of creative story lines, and we find it difficult to imagine that Syfy… Read more »
Canceling Defiance is a mistake, great show, for those of us who binge watch our DVR when we have time and don’t get counted in the ratings, you look really stupid. Your rating system tells you nothing, quit making decisions from it.