(Photos courtesy of PBS / Erik Heinila)
While the quality of mercy is not strained, television productions (and their budgets) often are. We are sad to report the Mercy Street TV show on PBS has been cancelled. There will be no season three on PBS. Ridley Scott, David Zucker, and David Zabel, executive produced the series.
A Civil War-era medical drama, Mercy Street follows the doctors, nurses, contraband laborers, and Confederate loyalists at the Mansion House Hospital in Union-occupied Alexandria, Virginia. It is set prior to the Emancipation Proclamation. The PBS TV series stars: Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Josh Radnor, Gary Cole, Peter Gerety, Donna Murphy, Norbert Leo Butz, McKinley Belcher III, Shalita Grant, L. Scott Caldwell, Hannah James, Wade Williams, AnnaSophia Robb, Tara Summers, Brad Koed, Luke Macfarlane, Cameron Monaghan, Suzanne Bertish, and Cherry Jones.
Mercy Street Cancelled After Two Seasons on PBS
According to Deadline, PBS and producers cited funding, as well as, “the complicated nature of aligning production timelines.” Here’s more:
The first season reached 14 million viewers over six episodes (Live + 7), making it the second-highest-rated drama for the 2015-16 TV season on PBS, behind jet-fueled lead-in, Downton Abbey. Season 2, which premiered on January 22 and ended on March 5, has attracted 6.5 million L+7 viewers for the first three episodes.
“We sought to bring a time and place to life that is so important to understanding American history, and in a way that was meaningful, authentic and entertaining, EP David Zucker said of the series.
“Together, we delivered twelve hours of compelling and worthwhile storytelling which we all take pride in,” added EP David Zabel. “It was five years in the making and we are grateful to PBS for its loyal support.”
What do you think? Did you watch the Mercy Street TV series on PBS? Did you expect it to be cancelled or renewed for season three?
Mercy Street was such a good show I thought there should have been more episodes per season. 🙁
I am so sad and disappointed to hear that this series has been cancelled! COMPLETE let down.
Really loved watching Mercy Street. Watched both seasons faithfully. Will miss the show, the characters, and how things ended at Mercy Street.
to bad we won’t get to see the end results of the great build up. pbs should start spending their funding more wisely so that the quality programs can continue . they need to update their fund raising efforts that are productive and do not interfere with regularly watched weekly programs that attract funding. when they remove it to place their primitive funding efforts in they don’t gain watchers they loose them
John, about the fundraising System of PBS, very good point.
What a wonderful show! I cannot believe this is getting cancelled. So, so sad.
Please renew!!! This show will be greatly missed.
Just cannot believe Mercy Street has been cancelled! Loved the stories, the history and actors. Please reconsider bringing Mercy Street back.
It’s heartbreaking that it is cancelled. We loved this show. The decision of the US government to.pull all funding from PBS is appalling. We donate as much as possible to the stations, where else can we find such quality programming? Now, one of our favorite s with such fascinating storylines, will never finish, never be resolved. Decent television for the whole family, lost to budget cuts so we can be the biggest “bada**” on the planet. Yes, just the future I always envisioned for myself and family.
So disappointed to hear that PBS has cancelled this show. I was really hoping to see more from this amazing cast. Such an important part of American history. Mercy Street depiction of ‘contraband camps’ and stories of enslaved Americans was riveting and compelling.
Oh no! Another favorite PBS show is cancelled! I get so emotionally involved with the characters that now with it not returning it
feels like they all died!
Yes I watched it and not happy about cancellation…
I am so sad that Mercy Street will not be renewed. The historical elements of Mercy Street takes one back to Civil War times. It showed a side that we rarely heard or read. I wish it would gave went to the end of the war. Fantastic series!
I’m so sad that they’ve pulled the plug on this series. It’s especially disappointing given that I live in Petersburg. VA where some of it was filmed. *sigh*
I love PBS but I give them a dozen rotten tomato’s for canceling Mercy St….
I am beyond upset. This was a first class program with wonderful talented actors. This is a story that needs to be finished, not left hanging like this.
Thank you for saying this, Wilma. Nothing could be mtruer. Art must come full circle and be brought to fruition. And people must speak out in support of artistic endeavors like this (those of genuinely high caliber) so that artists remain capable of finishing what they start.