AMC has renewed Saturday drama Hell on Wheels for a fifth and final season. Seven episodes will air next summer and the final seven will run on the summer of 2016. The final three episodes of season four start airing tomorrow evening.
A gritty period drama that takes place in the 1860s, Hell on Wheels revolves around the construction of the First Transcontinental Railroad and the various people connected with the Union Pacific Railroad. The cast includes Anson Mount, Common, Colm Meaney, Phil Burke, Christopher Heyerdahl, Robin McLeavy, Kasha Kropinski, Dohn Norwood, Jennifer Ferrin, Chelah Horsdal, MacKenzie Porter, Tayden Marks, and Jake Weber.
Here are the fifth season renewal details:
AMC WILL BE WORKING ON THE RAILROAD FOR A FIFTH AND FINAL SEASON OF “HELL ON WHEELS”
Western Drama Has Thrived on Saturday Night, Attracting an Average of 3.4 Million Viewers Per Week
NEW YORK, NY – November 7, 2014 – AMC today announced that “Hell on Wheels” will be returning for a fifth and final season of 14 episodes on AMC. Seven new episodes will air next summer, with the final seven episodes of the series following in the summer of 2016. The Western period drama opened up a new night of original programming for AMC on Saturday and in its current season is delivering an average of 3.4 million viewers on the most challenging night of the week for television.
“With season five of ‘Hell on Wheels,’ we are proud to bring our trans-continental journey to conclusion for the large, loyal audience that has traveled with Cullen Bohannon and his crew for so many years,” said AMC President Charlie Collier. “We look forward to appropriately honoring ‘Hell on Wheels’ in this final season. Enormous thanks to the terrific writers, cast and crew for all they have achieved and for all that lies ahead in the Wild West.”
Season performance averages, Live+3, across the first 10 episodes of season four:
Total viewers, 3.4 million (+59% growth from Live+Same Day)
Adults 25-54, 1.3 million (+86% growth from Live+Same Day)
Adults 18-49, 965,000 (+98% growth from Live+Same Day)
In its fourth season, “Hell on Wheels” has become a top-20 ad-supported cable drama, and the show’s social media community has seen significant growth in terms of reach and engagement when compared to season three – Facebook engagement and reach approximately doubled and weekly Twitter engagements and impressions saw a 40% spike due to weekly live chats with the cast and crew. “Hell on Wheels” for the first time this season appeared in multiple weeks on the list of top 20 Xfinity On Demand shows, as measured by Comcast. The final three episodes of the fourth season kick off tomorrow at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT.
Starring Anson Mount and Colm Meaney, “Hell on Wheels” was developed by Endemol USA. The series is produced by leading independent studio Entertainment One (eOne) and Nomadic Pictures.
About AMC
Whether commemorating favorite films from every genre and decade, or creating acclaimed original programming, AMC brings to its audience something deeper, something richer, Something More. The network reigns as the only cable network in history ever to win the Emmy(R) Award for Outstanding Drama Series four years in a row with “Mad Men,” and six of the last seven with current back-to-back honoree, “Breaking Bad.” The network boasts the most-watched drama series in basic cable history and the number one show on television among adults 18-49 for the last two years with “The Walking Dead.” AMC’s original drama series include “Mad Men,” “Breaking Bad,” “The Walking Dead,” “Hell on Wheels,” “TURN: Washington’s Spies,” “Halt and Catch Fire” and the forthcoming “Breaking Bad” prequel, “Better Call Saul.” AMC also explores authentic worlds and discussion with original shows like “Talking Dead” and “Comic Book Men.” AMC is owned and operated by AMC Networks Inc. and its sister networks include IFC, SundanceTV, BBC America and WE tv. AMC is available across all platforms, including on-air, online, on demand and mobile. AMC: Something More.
What do you think? Are you a fan of this series? Are you sorry that it’s ending or does five seasons seem like a good run?
this series is gritty and should be complimented on its sets,story lines, and attempt at authenticity.Not since Deadwood has a program such as this portrayed the American West in such an honest manner.My only fault with it was the modern music used in the last episode.Not necessary at all…Great job..I am looking forward to the next season..
I love this show you should keep it going..me and my guy look forword to the show ever saturday night..dont cancel Hell on Wheels..
Just keep it going, really like this show.
HOW is by far and away the best show on TV right now! And you, AMC, are going to cancel it?! How stupid and short-sighted on your part. Plus this new thing that you (and other channels) are now doing whereby 7 (give or take) episodes are run one year and the other 7 the following year, is absolutely crazy. By the time the second year and last 7 episodes roll around, a person has forgotten the entire story line and could care less about watching the last 7! I know this is the case as far as I’m concerned.… Read more »
Char: I couldn’t agrees with you more. This show has become a “must see” right from the beginning. We need more character/storyline based TV not less. I can’t understand why they would cancel a show with such a loyal following. As season 4 is just ending and leaving the viewers with no finish, there have to be more stories to be told. COME ON AMC. Think about your viewers for once.
LOL! AMC think about its viewers?!? All ANY network thinks about is its bottom line, the almighty dollar, ever! They don’t make TV shows because they care about VIEWERS. But thanks for the laugh.
Why is “hell on wheels” being cancelled? Everytime a quality show is produced, it ends up being cancelled. I have been a fan since the beginning. The show is done very well, excellent actors, excellent story lines. SO, WHY IS IT BEING CANCEDLLED?
I have enjoyed this great show from the start, and I am truly sorry it’s ending with so many stories left untold. Good westerns are very hard to come by, i.e. the recent loss of Longmire. And why show us only SEVEN episodes, then make us wait a year before showing the final seven?? The REGULAR season is ten episodes, FFS! Dragging this out is just a shameless, greedy maneuver by AMC to attempt to suck in more advertising revenue, just like they did with Breaking Bad. It is for this reason that I NEVER watch HOW live. I always… Read more »
LOL! If everyone likes a tv show it gets cancelled!! Some of the weeks stories are better than others but overall this is a keeper!! I cannot believe the writers and director(s) would want to kill off a success!! This is the only western on television (new I mean). I am so sick of sports and sports before and afters and sports analyzing and sports who is hurt and why his team will lose and yadda yadda yadda. Not to mention the fact that we have detective shows coming out the ying yang!! Someone should step up and save this… Read more »
Not to mention mindless reality show garbage that seems to go on forever.
I can’t believe that AMC is going to make their viewers suffer through waiting a year for just 7 episodes in 2015 and then make us wait an entire year for the 7 episode Finale in 2016. This is ludicrous to make us wait an entire year for just 7 episodies for 2015 and 2016. If your going to end the series, broadcast all 14 episodes in 2015!!!
I love this show. A Real TV show to me. I love westerns and I too believe this show is the best since Gunsmoke and the mini series Lonesome Dove and the movie Open Range. I hope this series would continue and along with a spin-off. I had no idea that there would be 3 more shows starting in nov. 2014. I was channel surfing just by chance I caught a “new” show of HOWheels”. I will watch the on demand to catch up. But I thought the finale was already shown, If numbers determine a shows success, Why didn’t… Read more »
My husband and I love Hell on Wheels! Cancelling? Really?! Are you kidding!? What’s wrong AMC?
I csn believe this i started watching since the first episode i’m 65 and i know alot of people my age or older we always talke about the previous episode I’m sorry to see all you great actoractors.you will be misshope to see all of you again on tv or at the movies.
WTF dude, I’m 66 and don’t have a clue what you just said !
The best western on Saturday night since Gunsmoke and you leave us having after we watched and face booked our friends to watch and their friends.I guess companies are just like Congress ….WE WANT YOUR SUPPORT BUT WE DON’T CARE WHAT YOU THINK , ONLY IN AMERICA IS DEMOCRACY SO FLEETING…..A VERY DISTHRAUGHT VEIWER OF H.O.W.
I agree w/a lot of what’s been said…. Why so few episodes of Hell on Wheels? They have a huge following and can’t possibly be out of stories already…. oh, and why give him a wife & son if they’re not going to be in any more episodes? BTW… I don’t miss Common!
The best western since Saturday night gunsmoke and you leave us hanging after so many of us told our friends and they told their friends, why can’t just one company listen to the people just once ,I GUESS EVERYBODY HAS TO FOLLOW CONGRESS LEAD…WE WANT YOUR SUPPORT BUT THE HELL WITH WHAT WE THINK. ONLY IN AMERICA IS DEMOCRACY SO FLEETING
If the show is up across the board and doing well why the shorten seasons? Why not just air 14 episodes next summer and end it if they have already decided it’s ending? Is it just me or are the cable networks taking their viewers for granted? I thought a season of 10 episodes as too short now only 7 then a 9+ month wait and a final 7. Why get invested if the seasons are so short and take such long breaks. I’d rather wait until they go to Netflix or wherever and binge watch. Cable is shooting itself… Read more »
I agree….What’s with the big tease? If you go seven in then you shouldn’t make us wait a year go the last seven. Do all fourteen and make a spin off or two. Once the railroad is built there’s a lot of stories left because now comes the towns, land grabs, and all the rest. Especially around Cheyenne (Though there has been a lot of stories out of there to date). I hope they do some kind of spin off
very astute observation…. Very astute indeed!
that’s good, but I still want to know what happened to Common , and why he was written off the show.
I read on the IMBD site that it was he who wanted out so he could go back to his music career. I
Think a lot of performers like that miss the immediate gratification they get performing before a live audience. Also I think in his genre of music he might be on the verge of being a bit long in the tooth. Not sure about that, but he’s not all that young
thanks for the info. The funny thing is, until I watched the show I had never heard of him before.