Menu
  • Home
  • News
  • Cancelled or Renewed?
    • Cancelled TV Shows (lists)
    • Cancellations
    • Renewals
    • TV Show Status Pages
    • Vulture Watch
  • TV Ratings
    • Daily Network Ratings
    • Ratings by Season/Channel
    • Weekly Averages
    • Soap Opera Ratings
    • Archive
    • Viewer Votes
      • ABC TV shows
      • CBS TV shows
      • The CW TV shows
      • FOX TV shows
      • NBC TV shows
  • About
  • YouTube
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • RSS
  • Mail

canceled + renewed TV shows - TV Series Finale

   

Rome: HBO TV Show May Be Revived as a Movie

by Trevor Kimball, December 2, 2008

RomeDespite being one of HBO’s most popular TV shows, Rome was cancelled after two short seasons. Devoted viewers were outraged that the historical drama could be cut so short. Now, if the series’ co-creator Bruno Heller has his way, Rome will rise again.

A co-production mainly between HBO and the BBC, Rome showcases the often violent transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire. While past dramatizations of this period have focused almost exclusively on the political leaders of the day, much of Rome’s screen time is devoted to two common soldiers, Lucius Vorenus (Kevin McKidd) and Titus Pullo (Ray Stevenson). The large cast also includes Indira Varma, David Bamber, Chiara Mastalli, Manfredi Aliquo, Suzanne Bertish, Max Pirkis, Lee Boardman, Esther Hall, and Ciaran Hinds.

Rome ran for two seasons and 22 episodes on HBO, debuting on August 28, 2005. The premiere attracted 3.8 million viewers and lots of positive reviews. A few weeks later, the series was renewed for a second season on HBO. The sophomore year finally debuted on January 14, 2007 and, for the most part, maintained its first year audience numbers.

Unfortunately, several months before Rome’s second season began airing, HBO announced that there wouldn’t be a third year. Rome was originally envisioned as a mini-series but, after network execs saw the quality of the scripts, they decided to make it an ongoing series. The show’s high price tag — about $100 million for the first 12 episodes — made it impossible to continue past the second year. Some HBO execs have since admitted that letting the historical drama end so soon was likely a mistake.

The last episode of Rome aired on March 25, 2007. The series’ creator, Heller (who also created CBS’ new hit show, The Mentalist), tells James Hibberd of The Hollywood Reporter that he learned about the series’ impending demise halfway through the writing of the second season. The news caused him to have to change his plans, including curtailing storylines for the Roman leaders to meet a certain key religious leader. He notes, “The second [season] was going to end with death of Brutus. Third and fourth season would be set in Egypt. Fifth was going to be the rise of the messiah in Palestine. But because we got the heads-up that the second season would be it, I telescoped the third and fourth season into the second one, which accounts for the blazing speed we go through history near the end.”

Unsatisfied with the show’s short run, Heller has been working on plans to continue the series. In a February 2008 interview, Stevenson remarked that Heller and fellow co-creator Bill MacDonald were in talks for a Rome movie. Heller had been working on the script but had to stop because of the writers strike.

Would you like to see a Rome movie?

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...
 

Likely fuelled by HBO’s success with the Sex and the City movie and interest in a big-screen version of Arrested Development, the project is still on Heller’s to-do list. He wouldn’t share any story details but teased Hibberd, “It’s moving along. It’s not there until it is there. I would love to round that show off.”

But wait, didn’t one of the two main characters die in the last episode? Not quite. Though McKidd’s Vorenus was badly wounded and seemed to die on his deathbed, the show’s creator left himself an out. Heller says that he intentionally didn’t show the character’s body being sent to the afterlife. Heller says, “It was very deliberate that we saw him drifting away but didn’t see him atop a funeral pyre.” As McKidd once joked to Stevenson, “I never closed my eyes!”

Like Vorenus, it seems like the series’ demise isn’t quite as permanent as expected. Will Rome actually rise again? Stay tuned! TV Series Finale home page



Image courtesy HBO.

More about: Rome

Related Articles

  • Cancelled Casting News for January 28, 2012
    Cancelled Casting News for January 28, 2012
    January 28, 2012
  • <em>Rome:</em> Kevin McKidd Ready to Make the Movie
    Rome: Kevin McKidd Ready to Make the Movie
    March 22, 2010
  • Where Are They Now? Some Green Room Chatter for November 23, 2007
    Where Are They Now? Some Green Room Chatter for November 23, 2007
    November 23, 2007
  • Rome
    Rome
    October 23, 2007
  • 2007 Cancelled Shows: Emmy Award Winners
    2007 Cancelled Shows: Emmy Award Winners
    September 17, 2007


Canceled and renewed TV show
« Previous Post
Next Post »

17
Leave a Reply

avatar
17 Comment threads
0 Thread replies
0 Followers
 
Most reacted comment
Hottest comment thread
13 Comment authors
MihaiHannamaxjaimmoffat tembo Recent comment authors
avatar

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Mihai
Reader
Mihai

BRING IT BACK!

Vote Up00Vote Down Reply
September 25, 2012 1:58 pm
Hanna
Reader
Hanna

Such a great show!!! BRING IT BACK!!

SIgn this petition http://www.petitiononline.com/rome_hbo/petition.html

Vote Up00Vote Down Reply
July 21, 2012 11:54 pm
« Previous 1 2
wpdiscuz   wpDiscuz
Cancelled TV Show Lists Ratings (by TV Channel) Status Lists of 800+ Shows
  • TV Ratings
  • Quick Questions
  • New TV show ratings (cancel or renew?) 1 2019-20 Season Ratings for New TV Shows (week 10)
  • TV show season ratings 5 2019-20 TV Show Season Ratings (week 11)
  • ABC 2019-20 Season Ratings (updated 12/10/19)
  • CBS 2019-20 Season Ratings (updated 12/10/19)
  • The CW TV show ratings (cancel or renew?) CW 2019-20 Season Ratings (updated 12/10/19)
  • More...
  • Salvation TV show on CBS: season 3 (canceled or renewed?) Salvation: Season Three? Should the CBS Summer Series Be Renewed? September 18, 2018
  • Take Two TV show on ABC: canceled or renewed for season 2? Take Two: Season Two; Should the ABC TV Show Be Renewed? September 13, 2018
  • Shooter TV show on USA Network: canceled, no season 4 Shooter: Season Four? Would You Watch the Cancelled Show on Another Channel? September 13, 2018
  • Shades of Blue TV show on NBC: no season four Shades of Blue: Season Four? Would You Have Kept Watching the NBC Series? August 20, 2018
  • Quantico TV show on ABC: canceled, no season 4 Quantico: Season Four; Would You Have Watched More of the Cancelled ABC Series? August 4, 2018
  • More...
  • Cancellations
  • Renewals
  • Mystery Science Theater 3000 TV show on Netflix cancelled; no season three Mystery Science Theater 3000: Netflix Revival Cancelled, No Season Three
  • Strange Angel TV show on CBS All Access: cancelled, no season 3 Strange Angel: Cancelled; No Season Three for CBS All Access Series
  • Anne with an E: Cancelled; No Season Four for CBC and Netflix Series But..
  • 2019-20 canceled TV shows 56 Ending or Cancelled TV Shows for the 2019-20 Season
  • Marvel's Runaways TV show on Hulu: canceled, no season 4 Marvel's Runaways: Hulu TV Series Ending; No Season Four
  • 2018-19 canceled tv shows 151 Ending or Cancelled TV Shows for the 2018-19 Season
  • More...
  • Reno 911: Season Seven; Quibi Reviving Cancelled Comedy Central Series December 9, 2019
  • Extreme Love: Season Two; WE tv Series Returns in January December 5, 2019
  • The Misery Index: Season Two Renewal for TBS Comedy Game Show December 4, 2019
  • First Wives Club: Season Two Renewal for BET+ TV Series November 27, 2019
  • Servant: Season Two; Apple Renews M. Night Shyalaman TV Show November 25, 2019
  • Days of Our Lives TV show on NBC: season 56 renewal Days of Our Lives: Not Cancelled by NBC; Season 56 Renewal Announced, EP Hoping for 60+ Seasons November 23, 2019
  • More...

The Latest

  • Avenue 5: HBO Previews Hugh Laurie Space Comedy Series
  • It's Pony: Nickelodeon Announces Premiere for New Animated Series
  • The Ranch: Part Eight; Netflix Sets Premiere for Final Episodes
  • Miracle Workers: Season Two; TBS Previews Daniel Radcliffe & Steve Buscemi in the Dark Ages
  • Ride with Norman Reedus: Season Five; AMC Gives Motorcycle Series an Early Renewal
  • Genius: Season Three; Nat Geo Releases Image of Cynthia Erivo as Aretha Franklin
  • The Boys: Season Two Teaser Released by Amazon
  • Chilling Adventures of Sabrina: Part Three Premiere Date Set by Netflix
  • Homeland: Season Eight; Showtime Releases Trailer and Poster for Final Season
  • Reno 911: Season Seven; Quibi Reviving Cancelled Comedy Central Series
  • When Calls the Heart: Season Seven; Hallmark Christmas Movie and 2020 Return Teased
  • DC's Legends of Tomorrow: Season Five; CW Releases Trailer for January Return
  • Lost in Space: Season Two; Netflix Releases Final Trailer Before Launch
  • Married at First Sight: Season 10; Lifetime Reveals 2020 Premiere Date
  • Generation: HBO Max Orders Dramedy Series from Lena Dunham
  • The White House Plumbers: Woody Harrelson and Justin Theroux to Star in HBO Comedy Series
  • Extreme Love: Season Two; WE tv Series Returns in January
  • Infinity Train: Season Two Coming to Cartoon Network in January
  • Marvel's Tigra & Dazzler: Hulu Animated Series Put on Hold
More...

Popular

  • 2019-20 Season Ratings for New TV Shows (week 10)
  • 2019-20 TV Show Season Ratings (week 11)
  • ABC 2019-20 Season Ratings (updated 12/10/19)
  • CBS 2019-20 Season Ratings (updated 12/10/19)
  • CW 2019-20 Season Ratings (updated 12/10/19)
  • FOX 2019-20 Season Ratings (updated 12/10/19)
  • NBC 2019-20 Season Ratings (updated 12/10/19)
  • NBC TV Shows: 2019-20 Viewer Votes
  • CBS TV Shows: 2019-20 Viewer Votes
  • FOX TV Shows: 2019-20 Viewer Votes
  • Viewer Votes Ranking for the 2019-20 Network TV Shows
  • The CW TV Shows: 2019-20 Viewer Votes
  • ABC TV Shows: 2019-20 Viewer Votes
  • HBO TV Show Ratings (updated 12/10/19)
  • USA Network TV Show Ratings (updated 12/10/19)
  • Starz TV Show Ratings (updated 12/10/19)
  • Showtime TV Show Ratings (updated 12/10/19)
  • Syfy TV Show Ratings (updated 12/9/19)
  • History TV Show Ratings (updated 12/5/19)

No infringement of previously copyrighted material is intended on this site. DMCA.

Copyright © TV Series Finale. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy.

wpDiscuz