Why Was American Gods Cancelled?
Adaptations are no sure thing on the big or small screen, but when done right, they can thrive for years on end. Just look at what the James Bond movies have been able to do over the course of several decades.
American Gods was a Neil Gaiman adaptation with a ton of potential. Gaiman is a great writer who's just as funny on social media, and this was a popular story of his. To no one's surprise, the show took off and had two solid seasons at first.
There was a lot of anticipation for what was to come on season three, and once it concluded fans were gearing up for a fourth season. Sadly, Starz pulled the plug on the show, and we have the details on the cancellation below.
'American Gods' Was A Success On TV
Back in 2017, Starz rolled out American Gods for awaiting audiences, and at long last, the Neil Gaiman adaptation was finally on the small screen. It took years to get the project off the ground, and fans were ready to see if the show could deliver the goods.
Starring an amazing cast of performers, including names like Ricky Whittle and Emily Browning, American Gods hit the ground running with its freshman season. Fans loved what the show was bringing to the table, and in no time at all, a second season was put into production.
For three seasons and 26 episodes, American Gods tried its best to weave a compelling story for small screen audiences. There was a lot of discussion in the fandom about the show's difficulties with its overall narrative, but at the end of the day, people still wanted to see how things would play out.
Season three opened the door to a ton of fresh possibilities, but the series was given the boot by Starz.
American Gods Was Cancelled After 4 Seasons
In March 2021, it as announced that American Gods was coming to an end on the small screen after three seasons.
Starz released a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, saying, "American Gods will not return for a fourth season. Everyone at Starz is grateful to the dedicated cast and crew, and our partners at Fremantle who brought author and executive producer Neil Gaiman’s ever-relevant story to life that speaks to the cultural climate of our country."
This news came as a major blow to fans of the show, who were expecting another season to air.
According to writer Neil Gaiman, however, the series is not officially dead yet.
"It's definitely not dead. I'm grateful to the team at Starz for the American Gods journey so far. Fremantle (who make AG) are committed to finishing the story that began in episode one, and right now we're all just waiting to see which way forward is best, and who it'll be with," he posted on social media.
Fremantle has also said that they want to continue the series.
"Fremantle is committed to completing the epic journey that is American Gods, one of TV’s most inclusive series with the most amazing fans across the globe. With Neil Gaiman and this fantastic cast and crew, we are exploring all options to continue to tell this magnificent story," they said.
Obviously, fans will be keeping a close eye on how things shake out. For now, we can take a look at why the show was axed.
Dwindling Ratings Was The Major Reason For 'American Gods' Abrupt Ending
So, why was American Gods yanked from the small screen after airing for several seasons? Well, there were several factors that came into play, one of which was the show's dwindling ratings.
"The decision, per sources, was based on the drama’s lackluster ratings and comes a week after the show’s season three finale. Season three — which returned in January after being off the air for more than a year and a half amid pandemic and creative delays — saw ratings slide 65 percent across multiple platforms when compared with season one," writes The Hollywood Reporter.
There were also several behind the scenes factors that impacted the show. The series "had four showrunners over three seasons," and also dealt with a "rapidly escalating budget" at one point, per The Hollywood Reporter. Lest we forget the firing of Orlando Jones, who was told his character was sending the "wrong message for Black America."
That's a lot going on away from the cameras, and when coupled with the dip in ratings, it's easy to see why American Gods was yanked from the network.
Fans will have to wait and see if season four ends up on another network, and if that's the case, then hopefully things run better the second time around.
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