Showtime has decided to cancel The Borgias after three seasons. The low-rated drama’s last episode will air on June 16th.
The Borgias follows the story of Pope Alexander (Jeremy Irons) and his struggle to maintain his power at the turn of the 16th century. The historical drama’s large cast also includes François Arnaud, Holliday Grainger, Joanne Whalley, Lotte Verbeek, David Oakes, Sean Harris, Peter Sullivan, Simon McBurney, Steven Berkoff, Aidan Alexander, Julian Bleach, Thure Lindhardt, Gina McKee, and Colm Feore.
Season three of The Borgias premiered in April and thus far the show’s been averaging about a half a million viewers for each episode’s first airing.
There had been talk of wrapping up the show’s ongoing storylines with a movie instead of a fourth season but that’s not happening.
Still, series creator Neil Jordan says that, “For a variety of reasons we won’t be doing a fourth season, but, ‘The Prince’ [the last episode], when I wrote it and shot it, did seem like the end of a journey for the family. Whatever bonded them as a family dies in this episode, and the center of the drama for me was always the family. I want to thank Showtime and David Nevins for their unstinting support over the last three years, and look forward to working with them in the future.”
What do you think? Are you sorry that The Borgias has been cancelled? Were you hoping there would be a fourth season or a movie?
I have never looked at showtime because I don’t have it. The series is on NETFLIX and I thought it would be interesting since it was about the Pope. What I want to know is this movie based on facts or some of this is fiction. I don’t know much about the Catholic Religion, but all of the fornication, deceit, and scheming that this Pope was doing is not allowed now. I figure that since this was in the 14th, 15th & 16th century that things were different. My husband & I got hooked on it and would look at… Read more »
I’m so sorry this series has been cancelled! I looked forward to the excellent acting and beautiful sets every episode! The writing was fantastic and the production was so worthwhile. Compared to just about everything on TV, this was THE BEST!
I never watched the series when it actually aired but just watched the entire 3 seasons like an addict! I loved the characters, the costumes, the sets and the actors and actresses were so effective in their roles you really believed they were the characters they represented. Francois Arnaud was so sexy in all his romantic scenes; Holliday Grainger’s beauty was so captivating; and Jeremy Irons was so well cast as the pope! All of the supporting actors and actresses were great! I’m hoping to see all these beautiful, young faces and talented actors and actresses in more exciting rolls!
We just finished watching season 3 and are disappointed that there will be no more Borgia. Was a great show. Really enjoyed it!
I loved this show! Sad it was cancelled but why not wrap it all up with a movie or one more year? Bring it back I say!
I saw this coming. It had gotten to the point where it was who was going to bed with whom and just alot of blood and guts. I was actually getting tired of it as well.
What’s a shock. Im online to see when season 4 is coming on to find out its not! I am so disappointment. Wow! I have gotten use to the show and thought it was excellent. Im very upset….Too bad
We have just finished watching the three episodes of The Borgias on DVD. We were so disappointed by the ending–Neil Jordan surely knows that it did nothing to bring the story lines to anything like a conclusion. EVERY single story line is hanging in the air and waiting for a finish. We invested so many hours in this production and loved every minute. Nonethless, there is a desire we all have for some sort of closure. I don’t know that I would ever trust Showtime again with my valuable time and emotional investment.
Well said… one cannot trust Showtime with an emotional investment
AT LEAST FINISHED IT.!!!!! I BROUGHT THE 3 SEASONS AND THINK IT WOULD BE VERY NICE IF THE STORY CAN BE ENDED FOR THE SAKE OF THE CONSUMERS!!!!!!!! THANK YOU
I won’t repeat what has already been said. I just want to add my voice to the dissenters! Save the Borgias!!! We. Want. More!!
I just read about The Borgia’s being cancelled. I, too, am very upset and disappointed at Showtime. Just when the network was starting to become more respectable and professional , it reverses itself and disregards its clientele’s need for quality television. I know it must be an expensive program to produce what with its superb cast, sets, etc., but why bother starting a project if finishing it professionally cannot be accomplished. The Masterpiece Theater audience is not as big as say, Survivor or a pro-football show, but the intelligence level of those kinds of mass appeal drooling ape shows (no… Read more »
I cant believe a show as wonderul as the Borgais is being cancelled. The only reason I even bothered with Showtime was because of the Borgais. The costumes, the characters and the acting was wonderful. I dont know where this was shot, however, I felt like I had truly stepped back in time into that world. It was so real. If Showtimes was basing this cancellation on the Nielson ratings they are very foolish indeed. How can you not even end the series for the loyal and dedicated viewers!!!! To leave us just hanging like that shows that Showtime could… Read more »
I’m not much of a TV person. I stick to movies because the art of acting is what is entertaining and believable to help me ‘escape’ the oppressions of reality. Hence why these reality TV shows are boring, useless and talentless. I caught up on every episode of the Borsias and even watch a few twice. Please re-consider a season 4 or at least a wrap up. I am with the gentleman that will cancel the showtime subscription if the final word on the TV series is cancelled. I never write on these blogs and I know there are many… Read more »
This is unbelievable. What was missing from this classic series, fangs?
Superb acting! Have we become so use to the garbage that is currently on t.v that we truly have loss the the ability to appreciate a gem such as “The Borgias”? I am so addicted to this show! There absolutely must be a season 4. I will cancel my Showtime subscription if they cancel this show. Perhaps if it were promoted more aggressively, then viewership would increase. There is no way it should end at season 3! Please , please, please don’t do this!
YOU CANNOT BE SERIOUS!!! Please do not leave us hanging!! What happens to Lucrezia after the death of her husband?? What happens to Caseare after he finally gets an opportunity to lead the Papal Army??? What happens to the Pope?? Too many unanswered questions. Yes we can always consult history for the “facts” but that would deprive all of us of the amazing talents of Jeremy Irons, Francois Arnaud and Holliday Grainger. The episode when Rodrigo is carrying Juan and you flashed back to when he was a little boy and his daddy wanted to hold on to him and… Read more »